Colenso BBDO named Pacific Agency of the Year by Cannes Lions

Cannes Lions has released its annual global rankings, with Colenso BBDO taking out the coveted title of Pacific Agency of the Year. Special New Zealand claimed the second spot, followed by The Monkeys in third spot.

The agency claimed the regional top spot with its haul of 10 lions, including the Grand Prix Lion in radio for Skinny’s Phone It In. Alongside the Grand Prix, the agency also picked up two golds, four silvers, three bronze and five shortlists.

Colenso was ranked the 2nd top agency in the world in the Classic Track category, behind adam&eveDDB and one place ahead of Indie powerhouse Gut.

Says Angela Watson, MD at Colenso: “Colenso has always aimed to be one of the best agencies in the world that just happens to be in New Zealand. It’s achieved that with scary consistency for decades, thanks to the brilliant Suits, Planners, Creatives, Producers, studio teams, digital makers, clients and rascals that have called Colenso home. I’m proud that this Colenso team is writing our own chapter and adding to that legacy by winning Pacific Agency of the Year.”

Spark/Skinny were the big winners for the agency, with golds across media and craft for Phone It In – which turned OOH placements into open sourced radio scripts, and the mobile phones of New Zealanders into radio recording studios. The campaign resulted in 22hrs of user generated radio ads and drove a rush of new customer acquisitions.

Says Si Vicars, CCO at Colenso, “Winning a Grand Prix at Cannes seems so impossible that when it actually happens it’s a strange feeling. To now win the regional title on top of that is awesome. We never take for granted that we have epic clients right across the business, whose ambitions push us just as much as we push them. Ideas like Phone It In take commitment from everyone involved, so this win is testament to our great mates at Skinny and also PHD, Drum and P29.”