Assegais announce VW as Marketer of Year and Ogilvy as Most Effective Agency

Bridget Harpur, head of marketing for Volkswagen South Africa, received the highest individual recognition of the night as the 2023 Marketer of the Year.

"I am truly honoured to receive this award. This achievement is a testament to the power of collaboration and the incredible team at Ogilvy who worked tirelessly to bring our ideas to life, achieving impactful results," says Harpur.

"In a rapidly changing world, our commitment to pushing boundaries and embracing technology is what truly inspires us to connect with our audiences. This award celebrates our collective vision and hard work," Harpur adds.

Ogilvy was awarded the overall Best Performing Agency with 42 wins, including:

• 14 Golds
• 12 Silvers
• nine Bronzes, and
• seven Specialist Awards.

Volkswagen SA was awarded for various campaigns on the night, which leveraged data, innovation and cultural insights to create impactful campaigns with both business and societal significance.

"What an amazing night for Ogilvy and our clients. It was wonderful to see Harpur and Volkswagen SA announced as Marketer of the Year, after all the great work that she has partnered with us on over the years," says Pete Case, Ogilvy's CEO and creative chairperson. "We are also hugely proud for Ogilvy to be recognised as the Overall Best Performing Agency at the event too."

"Assegais is an important event for us to evaluate the effectiveness of our marketing work in specialist disciplines against the industry, so it's incredibly rewarding to have such a broad range of client work recognised and to be the overall winner at the event," says Case. 

"Congratulations to all of our clients who shone through, including Volkswagen, Castle Lager, Carling Black Label, Castle Lite, Cadbury, KFC, PEP, Food Forward SA, Colgate and DSTV," Case adds. 

"Thank you too to all the people we partnered with to make this body of work. Success in marketing today relies on a collaborative mindset. I think these results demonstrate Ogilvy's strength in combining different specialists' minds for the singular goal of creating maximum business impact for our clients," says Case.

"Following our two years of back-to-back success at the Effies Awards, we are very proud of our teams and clients to be recognised at this year's Assegai Awards," says Neo Makhele, Ogilvy's chief of strategy.

"These achievements truly reflect our commitment to creating 'work that works.' To see such a large number of different clients and projects recognised underlines our commitment to enhancing effectiveness in the industry, shaping and influencing culture, as well as driving both social and economic impact for brands," concludes Makhele.

For more information, visit www.ogilvy.co.za. You can also follow Ogilvy Africa on Facebook, X or on Instagram.