Five Global Grands Prix, out of 20 Gold-winning entries, have been awarded in The WARC Awards for Effectiveness 2025, in association with LIONS. They were chosen by the Grand Prix awarding jury, made up of all five regional jury chairs and other jury members, representing Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Latin America and North America.
“This year’s winners aren’t just clever, they’re cultural brewers crafting impact. Sharp insights, fermented with hyper-local creative solutions, brewed into masterpieces rooted in tradition yet tackling today’s problems,” stated Matt Che, chief marketing officer, Budweiser, APAC, WARC APAC jury chair and chair of the Grand Prix jury.
The Grand Prix winners for the WARC Awards 2025 are:
Channel Pioneer Grand Prix: Find Your Summer for Magnum by Lola MullenLowe, Madrid
Ice cream brand Magnum challenged the seasonality of ice cream sales in the UK by encouraging consumers to indulge in ice cream during winter with its Find Your Summer campaign. Magnum achieved a remarkable 38.9% sales uplift during winter, marking its best season ever, while also increasing brand power and purpose perception significantly.
The jury commented, “We loved that the brand tackled an age-old problem by building on a compelling insight. The investment in out-of-home advertising combined with the fact that people really did find their summer, made this a clear Grand Prix winner.”
Customer Experience Grand Prix: Horror Codes for Uber Eats by Rethink, New York
Uber Eats drove awareness and trial of its non-restaurant delivery verticals in the US by gamifying the Halloween shopping experience with its Horror Codes campaign. Horror Codes resulted in over two million promo code applications, with a 20% increase in convenience orders, an 18% increase in grocery orders, and a 65% larger average basket size for users engaged in the campaign.
The jury stated, “Breaking through in the Halloween period by getting core IP from four different movie studios took this campaign beyond our expectations. It really worked on a different level and clearly deserved a Grand Prix.”
Partnerships & Sponsorships Grand Prix: Michael CeraVe for CeraVe by Ogilvy, New York
CeraVe enhanced cultural relevance and consumer engagement around its moisturising cream through a humorous and interconnected media strategy in the US, that began with a Super Bowl commercial.
The campaign achieved 30 billion earned impressions, 1.44 billion paid media impressions and a 9% brand lift, while also generating the highest ever week in sales for CeraVe’s moisturizers post-Super Bowl.
The jury commented, “We thought a skincare brand taking this route into the Super Bowl was remarkable. The 360 engagement with the event, digitally and in real-time, led to immediate sales growth, making it a standout for a Grand Prix in this category.”
Strategic Thinking Grand Prix: A Piece of Me for KPN by Dentsu Creative, Amsterdam
Dutch telecommunications firm, KPN, launched its #BetterInternet campaign to raise awareness of intimate photographs being shared without consent. Musician, MEAU, wrote a song based on conversations with victims. The music video went viral on TikTok, the story was featured across national tabloids, academic journals and disability support websites, and both brand relevance and product sales increased.
The jury stated, “In a mature, price-competitive market, we loved that the strategy for this campaign focused on differentiating the brand via its values and consumer understanding. It encouraged critical conversations around bullying and it helped change the law, earning it a Grand Prix.”
Use of Data Grand Prix: Turf Finder for Gatorade by Leo, Mumbai
Gatorade revitalised its brand relevance in India by transforming urban spaces into play areas, addressing the lack of opportunities for sports participation. Using 20 years of Google Maps traffic data, Gatorade set up modular turfs in low-traffic areas, creating temporary sports arenas and engaging over 50,000 participants through targeted ads and influencer collaborations.
The campaign resulted in a remarkable 59% growth overall, with a 124% increase in Mumbai, while also doubling top-of-mind awareness and generating significant earned media coverage.
The jury commented, “We loved the simplicity at the heart of this idea: encourage people to drink more Gatorade by getting them to play more. The results were incredible and demonstrated how an innovative approach to data can really move a brand forward, and win you a Grand Prix.”
The WARC Awards 2025 applauded 71 winners across 11 categories for the five regional award shows. Globally, there were 32 bronze, 19 silver, and 20 gold awards, with five golds elevated to Global Grand Prix status.
