Here are the 2023 AdFocus Awards finalists

After a thorough judging process, the finalists for the 2023 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards have been announced. AdFocus Awards chair Luca Gallarelli, group CEO of TBWA\SA, says the make-up of this year’s jury promised much and went on to deliver beyond expectations.

“An incredibly rigorous pre-judging process was followed by a full day of varied and robust debate in what proved to be an incredibly competitive year,” he says. “I am confident that the shortlisted finalists genuinely represent the very best our industry has to offer.”

This year’s leading agencies, he adds, are not content with delivering only against the expectations of today but push, year on year, to meet the demands of the future.

Gallarelli says that there are several categories that are too close to call.

The finalists are:

Small Agency of the Year  

Happy Friday  

Matte BLK 

Retroviral 

Medium Agency of the Year 

Grid Worldwide Branding & Design  

Rapt Creative 

Two Tone Global 

Large Agency of the Year 

Joe Public United  

Ogilvy SA 

TBWA\Hunt Lascaris JHB   

Public Relations Agency of the Year 

Magna Carta 

Razor PR 

Weber Shandwick 

Specialised Agency of the Year 

Levergy 

MakeReign  

Mscsports 

PlusNarrative 

Media Agency of the Year 

The MediaShop 

PHD 

 Partnership of the Year (Sponsored by IAS)  

Grey & Savannah 

Joe Public & Nedbank 

Ogilvy & Carling Black Label 

TBWA\Hunt Lascaris Durban & BuildIt 

 African Impact Award 

TBWA\SA 

Weber Shandwick 

 Adaptability 

Two Tone Global 

Weber Shandwick 

Transformation Award 

No finalists are announced for this category as there was a clear winner significantly ahead that will be announced on the night. 

Group of the Year 

M&C Saatchi Group SA

Ogilvy SA  

TBWA\SA  

Student of the Year - (sponsored by Park Advertising)  

Jané Louw – Cape Town Creative School 

Philipa Scholtz - Red & Yellow School 

Natalie Ray - Red & Yellow School 

Xolisa Thamarnan - Red & Yellow School 

The following awards will be announced on the evening of the awards: Agency of the Year, Lifetime Achiever, Industry Leader and Shapeshifter.

“Congratulations to all the finalists,” says Gallarelli.

The winners of the 2023 AdFocus Awards will be announced on November 24 2023. For moreinformation on the awards visit www.adfocus.co.za

For advertising and sponsorship opportunities in the 2022 FM AdFocus publication, contact KayNaidoo (NaidooKA@arena.africa) or Debbie Montanari (MontanariD@arena.africa)

The big take-out:

“The 2023 AdFocus Awards shortlisted finalists represent the very best our industry has to offer.” — Luca Gallarelli, group CEO of TBWA\SA and AdFocus Awards chair.