Motion Sickness takes out Independent Agency of the Year title at 2025 ONE Asia Creative Awards, Whānau Ora named Client of the Year
Motion Sickness and Whānau Ora have been recognised among Asia’s top creative leaders at the 2025 ONE Asia Creative Awards, taking home Independent Agency of the Year, Client of the Year, and the coveted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Award for Māori Roll Call. The sweep cements the partnership as one of the region’s most influential – acknowledging both the innovative thinking behind the campaign and its ability to move communities, spark participation and deliver real-world impact.
The Māori Roll Call was recognised across Sustainable Development Goals, Cultural Impact, Film and Video for Good and Direct Marketing for Good. The campaign has cemented its place as one of APAC’s most culturally resonant and impactful creative ideas.
Fronted by legendary activist and artist Tame Iti, it set out with a simple but powerful purpose: to spark engagement and connection within Māori communities. Its message rippled quickly through whānau across Aotearoa, driven by clarity, resonance, and urgency. That momentum has now carried the campaign onto the international stage.
Says Katene Durie-Doherty, Head of Māori Culture at Motion Sickness: “When Māori organisations like Whānau Ora are honoured as client of the Year, it shifts the landscape. It shows that culturally anchored, unapologetically Māori work isn’t fringe, it leads. Māori Roll Call is proof of that.”
The ONE Asia Creative Awards are one of the world’s most trusted measures of creativity. They celebrate ideas that don’t just resonate emotionally, but create real commercial or social impact. Judged by leading creatives and industry decision-makers across Asia and Oceania, the awards recognise work that proves its value in the world, not just on paper.
Says Sam Stuchbury, Founder & ECD at Motion Sickness: “I think the industry was getting a little sick of us talking about Herpes, so it’s nice for something new to have its moment alongside that campaign. The Māori Roll Call is a powerful project that’s still driving real change today. To have it picking up metal, including the Sustainable Development Goals award, is huge for a Māori-led organisation on the global stage. Cheers to you Tāme.”
The Māori Roll Call received recognition across cultural impact, direct marketing, film and integrated categories, including Gold for Multicultural Impact. This combination of awards reflects both the creative execution and the kaupapa at its centre, strengthening Māori participation and representation.
Whānau Ora, Falen Stevenson, says the results reflect a collective effort: “We’re not here to repeat yesterday’s formats. Creativity and kaupapa drive everything we do. Being named Client of the Year speaks to that. The credit sits with our whānau, our kaimahi, and the people doing the work on the ground.”
The ONE Asia results mark another major milestone in a year defined by leading creative work and sustained momentum for Motion Sickness. The Independent Agency of the Year win reflects its continued growth and cultural commitment to work that drives meaningful social progress.
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