Pick n Pay and Gorilla win big at the 2025 MMA Smarties Awards

Up against more than 250 competing entries from South Africa’s biggest brands, Pick n Pay and agency partner Gorilla scooped nine trophies out of their ten shortlisted entries, including the coveted Best in Show Industry Award, at the 2025 MMA Smarties Awards on Thursday night.

By Jordan Wallace, issued by Gorilla

14 May 2025

Gorilla and Pick n Pay on stage for Best in Show

The awards honour the most creative and effective modern marketing in South Africa.

One of the highest accolades at this year’s MMA Smarties Awards, the Best in Show is voted for by a jury of senior industry leaders, and celebrates campaigns for their strategic brilliance, cultural relevance, and measurable business impact.

CEO of Gorilla, Jordan Wallace, said: “To walk away with nine trophies, including the Best in Show award, is testament to the incredible working relationship we have between our teams, and is recognition for all the hard work that goes into standing out in the highly competitive retail category.”

Pick n Pay’s Find the Bunny! Get the Money! campaign was the star of the evening, collecting three golds, three silvers, a bronze, as well as the Best in Show Industry Award. Pick n Pay’s Smart Shopper Price Palooza wasn’t far behind, winning a gold, two silvers, and a bronze.

Vincent Viviers, Pick n Pay’s retail executive of Innovation and Digital, was in attendance to celebrate the occasion. “The goal of any campaign is to connect with our customers in a meaningful and memorable way. These campaigns didn’t just communicate a campaign, but they got South Africans talking and excited about the real everyday benefits asap! or Smart Shopper offers. It’s incredibly rewarding to see work that resonated so strongly with our customers now also recognised by respected industry peers through a platform as meaningful as the MMA.”

The Smarties Awards are more than just a trophy moment – they are a celebration of bold thinking, measurable success, and the relentless drive to push marketing forward.

This year’s winners have not only earned recognition on stage; they will also be featured on the MMA Business Impact Index 100, as well as influential industry benchmarks like WARC and RECMA, highlighting the true commercial impact of marketing excellence.