Ogilvy and Yum! take top honours at MMA SSA Smarties

Ogilvy South Africa and Yum! took the top industry honours at the Marketing and Media Alliance sub-Saharan Africa's 2025 Smarties (image supplied)

Ogilvy South Africa and Yum! won Best in Show for KFC Block Booked, Agency of the Year for Ogilvy South Africa, and Brand of the Year for Yum!

Their winning campaign, KFC Block Booked impressed judges with its powerful integration of creativity, technology, and insight, delivering outstanding business results while resonating deeply with consumers.

“Ogilvy South Africa and Yum! truly embody what Smarties is all about – powerful work that inspires people and drives real business results,” said Mpho Dlamini, MMA SSA Smarties programme director.

“The calibre of their performance this year establishes a new standard for the region.”

The exceptional calibre of entries is reflected in the winners’ list for 2025. Among 135 exceptional entries, Pep emerged victorious, securing two Gold awards in the category Purpose Driven Marketing for the Pep Dry and Detect Towels campaign, while Ogilvy South Africa and Yum! took top honours in the category AI In Marketing - Innovative Use of AI in Advertising for the KFC A.I.nything for the Taste campaign.

In total, Ogilvy won 16 awards, of which 13 were gold. 99c won 10 (2 gold), TFG 7 (3 gold), and Rainmaker (2 gold) and WPP Media (1 gold) won six a piece.

Entries more than doubled

Now in its second year, Smarties SSA continues to cement its position as the premier platform for recognising marketing innovation and effectiveness across the region.

This year’s programme saw a significant surge in participation, with more than double the number of entries than in 2024.

The awards also welcomed new entrant organisations, highlighting the growing recognition of Smarties SSA as a benchmark for excellence in modern marketing.

Highest standards

To uphold the highest standards, the 2025 jury comprised a credible, marketer-only CMO judging panel, featuring senior leaders who oversee marketing across the SSA region.

The judging panel was chaired by Luisa Mazinter, chief growth officer, Mesh.trade and MMA chair Emeritus, who led a rigorous evaluation process focused on creativity, innovation, measurable impact, and marketing effectiveness.

“The growth we’ve seen in both the number and calibre of entries this year is truly impressive,” Mazinter says.

“The work was courageous, data-informed and firmly rooted in real human insight. Brands and agencies across sub-Saharan Africa are no longer just keeping up – they’re setting new global standards for marketing effectiveness.”

A Pan-African showcase of innovation

Judges highlighted the strong representation and world-class work from markets including Nigeria, Seychelles, Namibia and Mozambique, reflecting the depth of talent and innovation emerging from across the continent.

“The campaigns we saw from these markets show agencies and brands fearlessly experimenting with new formats, channels and data to solve real business challenges,” Mazinter adds.

The exceptional calibre of entries is reflected in the winners’ list for 2025.

All the winners