Colenso BBDO and FCB New Zealand have been ranked third and fourth Most Effective Agencies in Asia-Pacific in the Effie Effectiveness Index. Meanwhile, Special Group has been ranked the Most Effective Independent Agency in Asia-Pacific and the sixth Most Effective Independent Agency in the world.
The latter puts Special Group between Ukraine’s Banda Agency (fifth) and Romania’s GMP Advertising (seventh).
The Effie Effectiveness Index ranks the marketing communications industry’s most effective agencies, marketers and brands by analysing finalist and winner data from 40+ worldwide Effie Award competitions. The most effective agencies, marketers and brands include:
- Most Effective Independent Agency – Global: ACG (Advanced Communications Group)
- Most Effective Individual Agency – Global: Sancho BBDO
- Most Effective Holding Company – Global: WPP
- Most Effective Agency Network – Global: McCann World Group
- Most Effective Brand – Global: Pepsi
- Most Effective Marketer – Global: Unilever
FCB’s inclusion in the ranks comes after it won the Most Effective Agency of the Year at the local Effies last year with a haul including 12 golds.
Colenso’s Effie haul also includes two golds at last year’s Effies as well as the Runner-up Agency of the Year at the APAC Effies with three golds and three bronzes.
Special Group was also successful at the APAC Effies with a gold and bronze win. They follow the agency being named New Zealand Agency of the Year by Campaign Brief – the first time an independent agency has ever won the accolade.
But while 2018’s been a successful year for Special Group, when StopPress spoke to the team about their Agency of the Year title earlier this year, ECD and co-founder Tony Bradbourne said 2017 was “the most challenging year in [its]history by a long shot”. Creative partner and founder Rob Jack bid farewell to the agency in July and it lost 2degrees as a client.
However, it showed it wasn’t going to be easily thrown when Bradbourne explained, it wouldn’t be here without having a certainty in its abilities.
“I don’t think you start something for yourself unless you’ve got ruthlessly ambitious goals and a belief that of course, you will achieve them,” he said, adding that the agency shares its ambition with its clients.
“It’s our ambition to work with ambitious clients, whether they are the biggest in the country or whether they are just starting out. I think it’s important that in the bottom of the world we have that thinking and smart clients that say: ‘I want to change the world, I want to do something that is highly effective and changes everything.’”
Now, in the wake of its rank in the Effie Effectiveness Index, Bradbourne says it’s further recognition for the talented and passionate team at Special Group, working hard for an amazing group of ambitious clients.
“We’re in our tenth year and it feels like we now have the perfect mix of culture, clients and creativity.”
Rory Gallery, Special’s head of strategy, adds it’s a tremendous case of an Australasian company punching seriously above its weight on the world stage.
“We’re super-stoked for our clients and our team, and have got so much more exciting work in the pipeline.”
Gallery joined the agency in January from McGarry Bowen London.
