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DDB Aotearoa and Vogel’s are continuing their winning streak with a successful coup at 2025’s D&AD awards, nabbing three Wooden Pencils for the ‘Certified Toasters’ campaign, produced for Goodman Fielder.
D&AD celebrates creative excellence crafted by agencies all over the world, and has become a widely respected award organisation. This year, D&AD received the most submissions since their inception, from 86 countries round the world. The volume of entries set the bar high for thought-provoking, attention-grabbing work.
‘Certified Toasters’ was presented as the solution to never burning your morning Vogel’s ever again. This campaign took the hundreds of toasters on sale at The Warehouse, and
meticulously tested every toaster against a piece of your standard Vogel’s, working out the correct toasting time for the bread.
Each of these toasters was given a ‘Certified Toasters’ sticker, with instructions on how to achieve the perfect piece of toast — for example, down on setting four, then down on setting one. The campaign not only solved a problem Kiwis across the country every morning, but went about it in a quirky, innovative way — landing the team their D&AD gongs.
‘Certified Toasters’ was awarded the Wood Pencil across three different categories;
acquisition and retention, brand partnership, and media collaboration. The campaign is part of a broader creative concept DDB Aotearoa has been studiously working on with Vogel’s and Goodman Fielder, including their out-of-the-box Breadywear activation at Auckland Airport, and their global distrubution of toast with Toastcards.
Chief creative officer Gary Steele said the campaign had been recognised for what it was, one of the best campaigns of the year, and it was a privilege to bring it to life alongside the Vogel’s and Goodman Fielder team.
“The D&AD Awards are the toughest awards in the industry to win, so having our Vogel’s campaign stand alongside the world’s biggest brands is an incredible honour,” Gary said.
“It’s a huge moment for everyone at DDB Aotearoa — and it wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing support of the team at Goodman Fielder.”
The Wood Pencils are another string to DDB Aotearoa’s award-winning bow, with the agency picking up multiple awards at Spikes earlier this year, including the Grand Prix for the same ‘Certified Toasters’ campaign. The range of achievements puts DDB Aotearoa in a great position ahead of Cannes next month.
