Ogilvy, together with its client partners, was the most awarded agency on the night. Winning nine Effies from 12 shortlists. The one gold, three silver and five bronze awards were awarded to Ogilvy for work on a diverse portfolio of clients including Volkswagen, KFC, Mondelez, The Gates Foundation, and Vodacom.

Pete Case, CEO and creative chairman of Ogilvy SA commented: “As an agency group, we’re fully committed to creating positive business impact for our clients and this recognition demonstrates our ability to deliver exactly that. We’re extremely proud to now be the most awarded agency for effective advertising for the fifth year in a row at Effies. For creating ideas that inspire and influence culture, whilst driving measurable results for clients across various industries. There is no better time for our industry to showcase the power of creativity to drive businesses forward.”

The Gold Effie went to Volkswagen South Africa for the ‘Volkswagen Night School: Rewriting the Rules of the Road’ platform, in the Social Good and Positive Change category. A brand initiative that blended road safety education with powerful brand engagement, proving that doing good can also be good for business. A long term platform that saw the brand collaborate with private sector and government, with the aim of reducing road accidents at night, whilst also creating powerful policy change.

Bridget Harpur, head of marketing at Volkswagen Group Africa comments: “We are incredibly honoured by this recognition. These Effie awards reflect the enduring partnership between Ogilvy SA and Volkswagen, and the dedication of our teams in keeping the Volkswagen brand relevant and recognised as an industry leader in the automotive sector. The campaigns that won showcase a blend of strategic thinking, consumer insight, and creative execution that engages audiences and drives meaningful results. We extend our gratitude to all partners who contributed to these successes: the talented Ogilvy SA team, our media partner PHD Media, our PR agency Bonfire, and the marketers at Volkswagen South Africa whose vision and collaboration were essential. This is a shared victory, and we thank everyone for their passion and commitment to setting a high bar for creative achievement.”

Neo Makhele, chief strategy officer at Ogilvy SA comments: “As David Ogilvy famously said, ‘If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative’. We live and breathe this motto every day. Effectiveness is our potent alchemy: deep insight at the speed of culture, yielding creatively resonant work with irrefutable evidence. We embrace a ‘divine discontent,’ relentlessly driving growth and impact to help brands build lasting equity and social impact. Our work is however only possible through strong client partnerships and so a large thank you to everyone who partnered us to achieve this success.”

Pete Case, CEO and creative chairman of Ogilvy SA closes: “This consistent recognition at the Effie Awards fuels our passion to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in marketing. Our North Star has always been creating positive business impact, and this achievement highlights that ambition. We extend our deepest gratitude to our incredible client partners for their trust, courage and collaboration. A final congratulations to all the Effie winners this year and to the organisers for creating another world-class event.”

Ogilvy’s Effies success follows various recent wins for the agency and its clients, including the accolade of 2025 Agency Of The Year at the New Generation Awards. South Africa’s largest independent performance based awards that celebrate social-first marketing, digital media and online technology.