The Guardian Advertising Awards are back for a second year, with the 2025 winners announced at a ceremony in London on the evening of Thursday 22 May. Imogen Fox, the Guardian’s global chief advertising officer, introduced the evening’s celebrations alongside James Fleetham, the Guardian’s director of advertising.
The Guardian says the awards celebrate advertising campaigns that have run across Guardian channels over the past year, highlighting examples of scale, influence and integrity.
Some of the best examples of advertising that have featured on the Guardian were entered by brands and agencies to compete in five categories. The winners in each category are:
- Everyday brands: EuroMillions and Hearts & Science: There Will Be Signs
- Brands connecting with big moments: Audible and Wavemaker: 1984 - Glitching Into Culture
- Premium brands: R.M. Williams and Electric Glue: The Daycationer
- Brands doing the right thing: Macmillan Cancer Support and Zenith: Macmillan Coffee Morning
- Challenger brands: QVC and EssenceMediacom: Menopause Your Way
In addition, there was also a Grand Prix award selected by the judges for the campaign deemed to have gone above and beyond the entry criteria. The judges selected QVC and EssenceMediacom: Menopause Your Way for the prestigious prize. The campaign was praised for its bravery, strong sense of purpose, and inclusive portrayal of women in a space where diversity is often overlooked. They also commended its smart and effective use of Guardian Labs content, which struck a relatable and sensible tone around menopause, without sensationalism. The campaign was also noted for delivering impressive results, with some of the articles ranking among the Guardian’s most-read branded content for several weeks.
This year's award winners were chosen by a specially selected panel of judges made up of some of the most influential leaders and experts from across the media and advertising industry, added the Guardian. The judging panel included: Andy Nairn, co-founder, Lucky Generals; Pippa Glucklich, CEO, Electric Glue; Ben Malbon, vice-president, brand and creative marketing, EMEA, Google; Clarice Metzger, strategy director, Revolt London; Nik Wheatley, co-founder, Notorious Communications; Monica Majumdar, head of strategy, Wavemaker UK; Ruben Schreurs, group CEO, Ebiquity Plc; Zoe Kalar, CEO and founder, WeAre8; Laura Chase, managing director, WeAre8; Nick Manning, founder, Encyclomedia International; Emma Withington, chief planning and strategy officer, Havas Media Network.
Lily Bryant, senior brand development specialist, QVC UK, said: “Partnering with the Guardian allowed us to combine their vast reach and trusted editorial voice with QVC’s expertise and product offering, creating a campaign which normalised the conversation around Menopause. The campaign proudly challenged taboos and shifted perceptions of QVC, asserting the authority we have in this space as a retailer. Winning both the Challenger Brands award and the Grand Prix award is an honour to the whole team”.
Ruben Schreurs, group CEO, Ebiquity Plc, said: “Congratulations to all the winners; the submissions were genuinely inspiring and impressive. A common theme was the overwhelming evidence that trusted news is highly effective and brand-safe, along with the creative usage of the uniquely varied ad formats and platforms provided by the Guardian to advertisers. If there was an award for industry awards - the Guardian would get my vote this year.”
James Fleetham, director of advertising, Guardian Media Group, said: “Huge congratulations to all the brands and agencies awarded a prize in this year’s awards. It’s been another brilliant year for celebrating the scale, influence and integrity of the Guardian’s multimedia partnerships. We’ve especially enjoyed highlighting the breadth of campaigns the Guardian has delivered – a true reflection of the innovation and value that we continue to offer our advertisers.”
The publisher says the award-winning brands will feature across the Guardian both in print and online, to celebrate their campaigns and achievements.
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