Special is celebrating two major wins at the Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year awards in London.
Its Los Angeles and New York offices won ‘Global Independent Agency of the Year’, whilst a combined effort from its Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Wellington and Tokyo offices won ‘Best Network in Asia Pacific’ for the second year running.
The Campaign Global Agency of the Year Awards are among the industry’s most rigorous, with judging carried out by senior marketers from leading global brands and independently audited by MediaSense. This year’s programme drew entries from 117 companies across 27 countries.
The double win marks another landmark moment for a network that began in Auckland and now operates across New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the United States.
Brilliant team result
The creative highlight for Special US was the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial, the first comedy spot to take the prize in almost two decades, for its Uber One campaign, Brian Cox Goes to College. Its work for Uber Eats in Taiwan was also a standout, winning the prestigious Golden Bell Awards, as well as the enduring “Get Almost Anything” platform for the brand in Australia.
Tony Bradbourne, co-founder and CEO of New Zealand, says: “To have the collective work of so many offices be named the best in the world is a brilliant team result. Special is a standard that we strive to live up to every day, in every office. It’s great to get further recognition that we’re all doing that pretty well.”
Genuine force
Judges were impressed with Special’s “clear scale, consistency, and real impact. Industry contribution and leadership are a major strength, and it feels like they are shaping the market, not just competing in it.”
Judges also commented on the Global Independent Agency of the Year recognition for: “Five years after arriving in the US with a single client, Special US quickly established itself as a genuine force in American independent advertising, and 2025 was also the year the numbers caught up with the ambition.
“Excellent creative work which won awards and drove business impact for the clients, really moving the industry forward. Amazing job to the Special team.
“The New York and LA-based agency grew revenue by 68%, added nine new accounts, including Target, Instagram, Bumble, Meta and Audible, and recorded 50% organic revenue growth. It now claims the title of most creatively awarded independent agency in America. For an agency that launched during a pandemic, it’s a striking trajectory.”
While industry leaders who judged the ‘Best Network Asia-Pacific category said: “Few agencies embody the phrase ‘punching above its weight’ quite like Special. Born in New Zealand, the 126th smallest country in the world, the network spent 2025 fortifying its position as one of APAC’s most formidable creative forces, now spanning 12 markets with offices across Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Wellington and Tokyo, and a headcount of 208 following 63 new hires.”
Shortlisted agencies for ‘Global Independent Creative Agency of the Year’ were: Rethink (Canada/US), Howatson+Company (Australia), Motion Sickness (New Zealand), Pablo (UK), VCCP (UK), Whalar Group (US), Zulu Alpha Kilo (US/Canada).
