Ogilvy says that this year, it has not only grown in size but also ranked first in both creative and effective ranking tables. The group also grew its graduate programme to 47 positions, demonstrating its long-term commitment to the growth of future industry talent.

The AdFocus Awards annually celebrate the strategic leadership and strength of agencies. A panel of agency leaders and client partners assess agency performance across growth of client business, culture, transformation, impact of work produced and the role the agency plays in the industry. It's the only awards platform in South Africa to holistically assess and rank the strength of agencies, on these multiple dimensions, adds the agency.

In addition, Ogilvy says that for the second year running, it won the Partnership of the Year award, which celebrates relationships between clients and agencies. This year saw the KFC and Ogilvy relationship rank in first place.

Tracey Edwards, MD of Ogilvy's Advertising Division in Johannesburg, expressing excitement over the win, says, "The strength of our partnership with KFC lies in a shared commitment to innovation, collaboration and delivering results-driven campaigns, together, we're not just creating work; we're shaping meaningful experiences that resonate with audiences and leave a lasting impact. This recognition is a true reflection of our continued collaboration and the exceptional work we're proud to deliver."

Moreover, Ogilvy says that it also secured top spots as finalists in the following categories:

  • Transformation
  • Partnership of the Year with its client VW
  • Advertising Agency of the Year, and 
  • Specialist Agency of the Year.

The Group of the Year title comes at the perfect time, building on the momentum from last year's runner-up position. The award signals Ogilvy's group-wide commitment to effective creativity across all its specialist communication businesses, driving consistent, impactful work that delivers real results for brands and achieving significant success across multiple key areas, the agency adds.

Angela Madlala, Chief People Officer of Ogilvy says, "I am incredibly proud to be part of a team that is committed to and so invested in driving meaningful black economic inclusion and transformation through initiatives like our graduate programme. We believe that this initiative, due to its scale and intimate participation from Ogilvy Leaders, will exponentially impact the availability of diversity in the industry's leadership talent pool in future years. Winning the FM AdFocus Agency Group of the Year Award is a massive endorsement of our collective effort, innovation, and commitment of everyone at Ogilvy. This recognition fuels our passion to continue making an impact and empowering future leaders."

Pete Case, Ogilvy CEO, concludes, "This is a very special moment for us across our agency group. Thank you to every single person who believed in our ambition to get back into contention for this level of recognition. This is credit to our team's incredible passion for the work we create and the impact we generate across the entire group. Thank you to the AdFocus judges for recognising our achievements across the last few years and the positive impact we've created for our clients, our people, our business, our industry, as well as the world we live in. Huge congratulations also to KFC for the wonderful recognition of our long-term partnership."

For more information, visit www.ogilvy.co.za. You can also follow Ogilvy on Facebook or on X.

*Image courtesy of contributor