The Mark Awards laud exceptional Strategy, Innovation, Design and Experience. The results underscore OLIVER's embedded model and the enterprise clients it serves, says OLIVER.

Beyond celebrating these wins, OLIVER was honoured to sponsor the Innovation category for the inaugural Mark Awards. "As OLIVER, part of the Brandtech Group, we believe true innovation isn't about chasing novelty or being first to market — it's about reshaping the marketing landscape through bold, intentional thinking," says Paul van den Berg, MD: EMEA Emergent Markets at OLIVER. "The Mark Awards represents exactly what we stand for: rewarding courage and recognising that meaningful progress comes from challenging the status quo."

According to the agency, awarded work includes:

  • Best of Show and Gold, Experience: Touchpoints — Dove Invisible Dry 'Express Yourself in 100 Colours'.
  • Bronze, Innovation: AI — Lifebuoy Global Handwashing Day 2024.
  • Bronze, Innovation: Ad-Tech — Radox AI Commerce.

The Strategy Behind the Wins

According to Lloyd Wybrow, Strategy Director at OLIVER South Africa, three key factors drove these successes, "Dove's win came from transforming a product claim into genuine inclusion for 11.3-million visually impaired women, creating seamless touchpoint integration from braille packaging to accessible experiences. Lifebuoy succeeded by making handwashing education personal through Hlubi, an AI-powered mascot that created bespoke content for each child and Radox’s efficient use of generative AI across 17 product categories, reducing time by 70% while expanding creative possibilities."

"Thank you to Unilever for the trust, and to the OLIVER team and collaborators for the craft and relentless execution," Wybrow adds.

Navini Ramsamie, Dove Brand Lead Southern Africa, says, "Dove's 'Express Yourself in 100 Colours' campaign aimed to empower women to celebrate their unique styles and express themselves freely and confidently. The campaign's success was driven by trusted product credentials rooted in care and quality, backed by deep consumer insight that resonated with women seeking products that truly understand them. Collaborating with the OLIVER team on this campaign was a pleasure, as their strategic insights and creativity brought the inclusive message to life."

This recognition reinforces OLIVER South Africa's leadership in in-house creativity and its embedded model. The team remains focused on ideas that deliver measurable outcomes for clients across the region.

For more information, visit www.oliver.agency. You can also follow OLIVER South Africa on LinkedIn.

*Image courtesy of contributor