Ogilvy Dominates Smarties SA Awards with Global and Local Wins
Ogilvy Dominates Smarties SA Awards with Global and Local Wins. Ogilvy South Africa and its client partners celebrated a landmark evening at the Smarties SA Awards 2026, securing twenty-one accolades and reinforcing their reputation for culture-first, social-powered creativity. The agency was named Agency of the Year, while KFC earned Brand of the Year, underscoring a partnership built on shared ambition and cultural relevance. Audi claimed the prestigious Best in Show award for its innovative TikTok Test Drive challenge.
KFC emerged as the night’s standout performer, collecting thirteen awards across categories including Data Insights, AI-Driven Creative Excellence, Brand Experience, Cross Digital Media Advertising, Small Budget Big Impact, and Innovative Use of AI in Advertising. Audi added four more trophies alongside its Best in Show recognition, winning in Customer Growth & Conversion Strategy, Social Media Marketing, Design/UX, and Brand Experience.
Ogilvy’s creative collaborations extended beyond these headline wins. Volkswagen secured gold for its content series, while PEP earned gold and silver in Small Budget Big Impact and New Product Relaunch. Vodacom achieved silver and bronze in Cross Digital Marketing and Purpose-led Marketing, and Energade took home bronze for AI-Powered Insights and Contextual Social Marketing.
Reflecting on the achievements, Pete Case, CEO of Ogilvy South Africa, described the evening as “an incredible night for our teams and client partners,” noting that the recognition highlighted the strength of collaboration and the impact of culture-led creativity. Curt Atlee, social media manager at KFC Africa, emphasized the shared vision and bravery behind the partnership, while Hloni Mohope, chief marketing officer at KFC Africa, said winning Brand of the Year reflected relentless focus on cultural relevance. Tashta Bhana, brand communications manager at Audi South Africa, highlighted the importance of trust and boundary-pushing in their TikTok journey.
The celebrations extended globally, with Ogilvy Singapore’s partnership on Unilever’s #VaselineVerified campaign earning international acclaim. The work won three Grand Clios, four Best of Discipline honours at The One Show, and nine awards at D&AD, including five Yellow Pencils and four Graphite Pencils.
Case concluded that the awards represent more than trophies, describing them as evidence of true partnerships and creativity rooted in human insight, amplified by technology, and delivered through the right mediums. The wins mark a powerful statement of Ogilvy’s ability to break categories and norms while driving measurable impact for clients.
