The top honour of the Australian marketing profession has been awarded to Challenger Limited for its ‘Real Stories’ campaign at the 2012 Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) Awards for Marketing Excellence.

Awarded Marketing Program of the Year, the ‘Real Stories’ campaign was recognised for “reviving a sector of Australia’s investments market while establishing a relatively small financial services company as a leading brand”. The B2B campaign comprised TV, print, cinema, radio and online over a 10 month period, with the $13 million investment credited with a $540 million sales increase.

On an individual level, the AMI recognised John Sintras, CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group Australia, awarding him the Certified Practising Marketer of the Year Award.

Additionally, Myer managing director and CEO Bernie Brookes was awarded The Sir Charles McGrath Award, awarded since 1976 to an individual who has made a significant, lifelong contribution to the field of marketing.

By category, the winners of the 2012 AMI Marketing Excellence Awards are:

Brand Extension 

Picture Perfect Profits in Screen Cleaning, Kimberly-Clark Australia

Brand Revitalisation 

Lifting the Coates brand higher, Coates Hire

Consumer Insight

Thinking Outside the Chocolate Box: how finding a new occasion drove greater value for an old Aussie ‘favourite’, George Patterson Y&R

Corporate Social Responsibility 

Banking on our Kids, Bank of Queensland (BOQ)

Digital Marketing 

Sydney Opera House, Sydney Opera House

Education 

What’s your next life?, Charles Darwin University and PLAY Communication

Experiential and Brand Experiences 

Blood Oath, Grey Melbourne

Green Marketing

Green Agenda, Deloitte

Incentive Marketing award

Find Like Minds, Deloitte

Internal Marketing 

Integrated Marketing & Communications programmes to support client collaboration, Arup

Loyalty Programs

Hoyts Rewards, The Hoyts Corporation

Marketing Communications (B2B) 

Challenger ‘Real Stories’ campaign, Challenger Limited

Marketing Communications (B2C) 

Coca-Cola Share a Coke, Naked Communications (In partnership with Ikon Communications, Ogilvy, Wunderman, URBAN, One Green Bean, Momentum)

New Brand, Product or Service Launch 

Winning the Race with Everyday Settlement, BMF Advertising

Social Marketing 

Regional Drivers 2011, Motor Accident Commission

Sponsorship category

Coates Hire and the V8 Supercars Championships, Coates Hire