SINGAPORE — MMA Global APAC recently celebrated the 12th SMARTIES APAC Awards, the world’s first marketing award honoring and awarding outstanding innovation resulting in significant business impact across Asia Pacific, presented with a stunning ceremony at JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach. Winners of SMARTIES 2023 will be featured in the MMA Business Impact Index (BII), a globally acclaimed index that identifies, ranks, and awards top agencies, advertisers, brands, and solution providers in the industry.
Rohit Dadwal, CEO of MMA Global APAC and Global Head of SMARTIES Worldwide, remarked, “We are witnessing the exemplifying marketing mastery across the region. My heartfelt congratulations to this year’s SMARTIES APAC winners! We commend your dedication to cultural understanding and community impact, which promises a brighter future for marketing in Asia Pacific.”
An esteemed, world-class jury of 29 high profile marketers from SMARTIES APAC 2023 led the quest to set the benchmark for marketing excellence in Asia Pacific. The jury was chaired by industry icons such as Richa Goswami, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Fidelity International, Caroline Foo, President Director of Shiseido Cosmetics Indonesia, and Tran Tue Tri, CEO of Vietnam’s Pharmacity.
Richa shared, “Monumental congratulations to the visionary winners of the SMARTIES APAC 2023 awards! This world-class work shows the immense power of innovative marketing to break through the clutter. We passionately support these honors as we celebrate the trailblazing APAC talent spearheading unparalleled innovation and creativity in the industry. The bar has been raised yet again, thanks to these marketing masterminds! There is always a partnership at play between the brands and the agencies who dream and deliver great work, so once again, a heartfelt congratulations. Keep dreaming!”
The diverse jury of regional marketing leaders rigorously reviewed over 100 boundary-pushing submissions across six channels: Purpose Driven Marketing, Marketing Impact, Impact Media, Emerging Tech Marketing, Ecommerce Marketing, and Creative. The assessment commenced with a screening council comprising more than 100 marketing leaders, who carefully evaluated all entries for creative impact and business results to determine the finalists.
This year’s winners pushed boundaries by demonstrating exceptional creativity, fine-tuning global strategies, and executing nuanced local approaches that resonated in the diverse APAC markets, an extraordinary feat amidst economic uncertainty.
A total of 24 Gold, 30 Silver, and 25 Bronze category awards were presented, as well as 12 special industry awards.
PMAX won the well-deserved accolade of Digital Agency of the Year, Bobble AI Media was named the Enabling Technology Company of the Year, and Media.Monks took home the prestigious Specialist Agency of the Year.
Grab and creative powerhouse Leo Burnett Indonesia achieved top recognitions as Publisher of the Year and Creative Agency of the Year, respectively. Wavemaker Indonesia secured the title of Media Agency of the Year, while Mindshare was honored as Agency Network of the Year for its impactful regional efforts. In addition, WPP, the Holding Agency Company of the Year, was recognized for its overall industry leadership.
Iconic brand Oreo won Brand of the Year for its nimble APAC marketing that resonated locally amid challenges. Grab won the Most Resilient Brand award for steadfastly serving regional consumers despite the difficult circumstances. Mondelez International was named Advertiser of the Year for its brilliant, tailored campaign across Asia Pacific.
Finally, the “BLACKPINK In Your Oreo” campaign’s seamless integration with the K-Pop culture earned the coveted Best in Show/Grand Prix award, highlighting the power of creative partnerships in today’s marketing landscape.
Caroline commented: “Serving on the esteemed SMARTIES APAC jury is a privilege every year, but 2023 proved to be a particular standout showcase of Asia Pacific marketing innovation. My sincerest congratulations to these impressive winners! The sheer talent on display gives me enormous confidence in the bright future of our industry.”
MMA SMARTIES is currently organized in 17 global markets and six markets in APAC, including India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, with the regional program APAC, headquartered in Singapore.
View the complete MMA SMARTIES APAC 2023 Winner Gallery here and the judges’ roster here.
