Spikes Asia Awards 2025: Campaign APAC’s Top Picks
As the Spikes Asia Awards 2025 draws near, the Campaign Asia-Pacific editorial team has spotlighted their favourite shortlisted entries, offering a behind-the-scenes look at work that has resonated most deeply across the region’s creative landscape. With winners to be announced on April 24, this editorial rundown captures what industry leaders believe represents the best creativity, purpose, and innovation this year.
A Quiet Revolution in Inclusion: Mastercard’s “First Wheelchair Ballkid”
Agency: TBWA Eleven Sydney
Category: Societal Innovation
Mastercard’s partnership with Tennis Australia led to the historic debut of the first wheelchair-using ballkid at a Grand Slam. Rather than creating a separate experience, the campaign centred on inclusion within existing standards. Its understated but powerful execution signals a shift in brand storytelling, from performative to purposeful.
Motorola’s “Deep Connect”: Tech That Truly Matters
Agency: Dentsu Creative, Gurgaon
Category: Product & Societal Innovation
“Deep Connect” addresses India’s rural digital divide by transforming Motorola phones into decentralised peer-to-peer communication devices. Built for resilience in disaster-stricken or disconnected regions, this campaign proves innovation doesn’t always need spectacle, it simply needs to solve real problems.
Krungsri’s “What the Fast!”Humour with Impact
Agency: Leo, Thailand
Category: Film
In a refreshing break from emotionally heavy storytelling, Thai financial brand Krungsri First Choice delivers ultra-short vignettes showcasing lightning-fast insurance approvals. It’s clever, relatable, and built for thumb-stopping attention in a mobile-first world, bringing entertainment and brand promise into perfect sync.
Ariel’s “Silent Separation”: A Decade of Impactful Purpose
Agency: BBDO India
Category: Creative Effectiveness
Part of Ariel’s enduring #ShareTheLoad campaign, this latest instalment explores emotional distance in elderly couples caused by unequal household responsibilities. It’s a mature, evolved narrative that underscores Ariel’s role in driving cultural introspection around gender roles in Indian society.
IKEA’s “Flooded Room”: A Print with Purpose
Agency: VML Thailand
Category: Print & Publishing
Amid devastating floods in Thailand, IKEA’s reimagined room layouts turned iconic furniture ads into visual appeals for disaster relief. With support from The Mirror Foundation, this campaign moved beyond awareness into tangible recovery support, blending visual storytelling with meaningful action.
McDonald’s “24 Hours to Be a Kid Again”
Agency: Leo Burnett China
Category: Brand Experience & Activation
McDonald’s tapped into intergenerational nostalgia through retro walkie-talkies and in-store activations across China. Generating over 5 billion impressions, the campaign not only captured attention but reawakened emotional bonds with a generation raised on Happy Meals.
Coca-Cola’s “The Girl Who Played the Tutari”
Agency: VML
Category: Music
In a bold cultural moment, Coca-Cola challenged centuries-old gender norms in India’s musical heritage by spotlighting a young girl playing the traditionally male-dominated Tutari. This powerful narrative from Coke Studio Bharat blends music, identity, and empowerment, deserving applause for breaking barriers with authenticity.
