Icon Agency named finalist for 2021 Australasian Consultancy of the Year in APAC SABRE awards

Melbourne-based indie communications firm Icon Agency (Icon) has been named as a finalist for the 2021 Australasian Consultancy of the Year in the Asia-Pacific SABRE Awards.

The prestigious nomination follows Icon’s impressive nine nominations in seven award categories.

It caps a remarkable year of growth which has seen the firm almost double its revenue and staff over FY20/21 while producing an award-winning body of work.

Last week in the lead-up to the main award program on 15 September, Icon won gold for Public Service Announcement and four Certificates of Excellence in the In2 SABRE Awards Asia Pacific that recognise digital, media and film craft.

Icon Agency managing director, Joanne Painter, said the Consultancy of the Year nomination was a welcome recognition for the team and their achievements on behalf of clients: “We’re delighted to be recognised in the SABRE awards as they bring together the best-of-the best across our region and celebrate great work.

“After such a challenging 18 months, it’s personally gratifying to see our team’s amazing work shine so brightly on the international stage.”

Icon topped the list of Australian agencies nominated for awards, including two nominations in both the Cause-Related Marketing and the Government Agencies categories, demonstrating the firm’s excellence in purpose-driven and government communications.

A thought-provoking campaign about stillbirth, ‘Still Six Lives’, for Red Nose and Stillbirth Australia, headlined the nominations, with nods for Integrated Marketing, Cause-Related Marketing, Marketing to Women and Government Agencies.

The highly awarded ‘You Haven’t Been Drinking Alone’ campaign for the Alcohol and Drug Foundation received a further three nominations.

Says Painter: “Purposeful campaigns are a key aspect of our work. We’re proud that our work is not only of a high standard, but also supporting causes that we believe can create a better tomorrow. It’s amazing to have two finalists in that category and we think our success is a testament to the possibilities afforded to purpose-driven organisations. The sky’s the limit.

“An integrated services model is a core tenet of our offering at Icon. Campaigns like ‘Still Six Lives’ and ‘You Haven’t Been Drinking Alone’ exemplify this model and the far-reaching success it produces.”

Other finalists include Eleven (TBWA\Omnicom), Poem, Sling & Stone and WE Communications.