Rumble Strategic Creative’s Remy Brassac named 2026 BADC President as Awards open with new categories and expanded media agency inclusion
The Brisbane Advertising and Design Club (BADC) has opened entries for the 2026 Awards and appointed Remy Brassac, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Rumble Strategic Creative, as incoming President.
The 2026 Awards follow a full category review to ensure they reflect how creative work is now conceived, produced, and delivered across all disciplines, including refinements to existing categories, clearer definitions, and expanded sub-categories where required.
The 2026 program introduces three key changes: Creative Use of Media (new category), Social and Creator (new category), and the Production Craft Award in Honour of Vicki Lee. Media agencies are also now explicitly included across relevant categories, including Creative Use of Media and Rising Star.
Brassac (pictured above) said the theme for 2026, Keep Calm and Create On, reflects the current state of the industry: “The best creative work operates on instinct, craft, and the courage to trust the moment,” he said. “It requires a deep read of the human condition, a willingness to go somewhere unexpected, and the discipline to make it land.
“Keep Calm and Create On is not a call for composure. It is a recognition that creative value matters more in a fragmented, reactive industry.
“AI is already here. The question is not whether to use it, but whether you are using it, or it is using you.”
He said the Awards are focused on work that demonstrates risk and clarity of thinking under pressure: “It is not about safe work or expected work. It is about work that holds its idea, takes a risk, and connects with people on a human level.”
BADC has confirmed media agencies are now explicitly included across relevant categories.
Says Brassac: “Advertising is broader than most people remember. Ideas now live in media placement, platform insight, timing, and context. Creative Use of Media exists for that work. Media agencies are included, and the Rising Star Award is also open to emerging media talent.”
A new category, Creative Use of Media, recognises work where the media thinking is the creative idea. Eligible work includes channel-led concepts, platform-native ideas, and contextual or placement-led work.
Social and Creator is a new standalone category recognising social-first work, including creator collaborations, reactive content, social-native campaigns, and social video series.
Brassac said the introduction of new categories sits alongside broader refinements across the awards system: “These updates ensure clearer definition across creative, media, craft, and production disciplines, and reflect how work is actually made today.”
For the first time, BADC has introduced a Production Craft Award in Honour of Vicki Lee, recognising producers across all disciplines including agency, production company, post-production, audio, digital, content, and in-house.
The award honours Lee, who retired in 2026 after a remarkable 46-year career in advertising production, culminating in her role as Executive Production Director at Publicis Worldwide. A BADC Hall of Fame inductee and long-time committee member, Lee has helped shape generations of Queensland creative work and talent.
Says Brassac: “Vicki Lee shaped careers, set standards, and made great work possible. This award recognises producers who do the same.”
Entries are now open.
Early Bird closes Monday 29 June 2026.
Final deadline is Monday 13 July 2026 at 11.59pm AEST.
No extensions will be granted.
Winners will be announced at the BADC Awards on Saturday 24 October 2026 at Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane.
Entries are open at badc.com.au
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