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2025 Brandie Awards

Best Rebrand or Brand Update
Winners

Best Overall Winner

Acenda: “Take Life On”

When MLC Life Insurance embarked on its transformation into Acenda, it wasn’t just changing a name – it was challenging an entire industry’s approach to life insurance. Research revealed a sector trapped in fear-based messaging which left customers emotionally disengaged…

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Ascenda The Brandies 02

Category Winners

MY CODE MEDIA The Brandies 02

My Code Media: “Cultural Codes”

Best Rebrand or Brand Update | Professional Services

PRICELINE PHARMACY The Brandies 01

Priceline Pharmacy: “The Heart of Health and Beauty”

Best Rebrand or Brand Update | Retail

THE STRUM AGENCY FOR CARTER BANK The Brandies 04 v2

Carter Bank: "Life Lived Full"

Best Rebrand or Brand Update | Financial Services

  • Best Rebrand or Brand Update
  • Insurance (Best Overall)

Acenda: “Take Life On”

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When MLC Life Insurance embarked on its transformation into Acenda, it wasn’t just changing a name – it was challenging an entire industry’s approach to life insurance. Research revealed a sector trapped in fear-based messaging which left customers emotionally disengaged. Acenda’s objective was to shift life insurance from being about death to being about living well and encouraging people to “take life on” with confidence.

This radical repositioning required navigating multiple challenges: honoring a 138-year legacy while signaling renewal, overcoming cultural discomfort around mortality discussions, and preparing for a major merger with Resolution Life Australasia. The solution emerged in Acenda’s emotionally intelligent brand platform – a vibrant visual identity and compassionate voice that reframed protection as an act of care and continuity rather than just risk mitigation.

The results demonstrated the power of this human-centric approach. The soft launch generated exceptional engagement metrics that far exceeded financial services benchmarks, including customer emails achieving a remarkable 62% open rate and adviser webinars showing an 88% completion rate, with attendees staying engaged for an average of 26.5 minutes of the 30-minute session. On LinkedIn, Acenda’s content saw 26,099 video views and top-tier engagement rates, successfully positioning the new brand as a thought leader sparking important industry conversations. 

The brand transition was executed with such clarity that only a single customer service call was received about the change. Crucially, financial advisers, (a historically challenging audience), responded enthusiastically to Acenda’s fresh approach.

Internally, the rebrand served as a powerful cultural unifier, with teams at all levels embracing Acenda’s mission as both an external promise and internal compass for innovation.

  • Best Rebrand or Brand Update
  • Professional Services

My Code Media: “Cultural Codes”

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My Code Media recently redefined their multicultural marketing model by pioneering a “cultural codes” approach that connects brands with diverse audiences through shared passions rather than demographic labels. Recognizing that today’s consumers, (especially in multicultural and LGBTQIA+ communities), define themselves more by interests like sports, beauty, and music than traditional categories, they’ve built a cultural intelligence platform that decodes these intersections. This work has not only changed their methodology, but spurred a rebrand of their business.

Their work includes strategic creator networks and collaborations like NFL documentaries and Sephora beauty campaigns, which generated 14 million video views while outperforming benchmarks by 4x. With a reach of 95 million monthly users through 1,200+ publishers, My Code delivers proven impact – their campaigns drive significantly higher brand awareness and far greater ad recall than industry standards. Unlike conventional agencies that segment audiences, they specialize in finding cultural overlaps, helping brands like Pepsi create campaigns that resonate across communities. Recent metrics show a 26% surge in video views and 20% social engagement growth post-rebrand, proving their model doesn’t just reach audiences but influences cultural trends. By treating culture as a living ecosystem rather than a checklist, My Code has become the essential partner for brands wanting authentic connections in today’s fluid identity landscape.

  • Best Rebrand or Brand Update
  • Retail

Priceline Pharmacy: “The Heart of Health and Beauty”

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After 40 years as a retail icon, Priceline Pharmacy faced a critical crossroads in 2024. While maintaining strong brand awareness, other indicators signaled waning relevance in today’s health-and-beauty landscape. The challenge was clear: modernize without losing the trusted heritage that made Priceline Pharmacy beloved, while differentiating from both discount chemists and premium beauty retailers.

The solution emerged through deep customer insights – Priceline’s unique advantage was its ‘heart’: the compassionate care of 1,400 pharmacists and beauty advisors across 470 franchise locations. This inspired a complete brand transformation anchored by the new promise “the heart of health and beauty,” visually symbolized through an elegant logo where two hearts form a pharmacy cross. The rebrand extended to every touchpoint – from a vibrant new color palette (replacing dated magenta with bold pink) to a “clever-hearted” tone of voice that balanced expertise with warmth.

The results demonstrated the power of this strategic refresh across multiple dimensions. Customer perception metrics showed meaningful improvement with brand consideration rising significantly NPS improving, while the Sister Club loyalty program achieved impressive year-over-year growth in sign-ups alongside an increase in active card scans. 

The Christmas campaign that launched the rebrand delivered standout engagement and sales performance, proving the commercial impact of the new positioning. Perhaps most significantly, health services saw impressive growth in non-COVID vaccinations and trial stores reported significantly higher script volumes – clear evidence that Priceline had successfully reinforced its pharmacy credentials while maintaining its beauty appeal. 

Beyond the numbers, the rebrand achieved something equally valuable by reigniting pride across the franchise network, with a record 380 team members attending the post-launch conference and internal surveys showing boosted engagement across all 470 locations. This comprehensive impact – spanning customer perception, commercial performance, service growth and team morale – proved Priceline Pharmacy’s transformation had not just updated its appearance, but fundamentally strengthened its market position as Australia’s most caring destination for whole-self wellbeing.

  • Best Rebrand or Brand Update
  • Financial Services

Carter Bank: "Life Lived Full"

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For over 50 years, Carter Bank has served its communities with a steadfast commitment to helping people and businesses prosper. In October 2024, the bank unveiled a bold new brand identity—its first full-scale rebrand since its founding in 1974. What began as a small rural bank had grown into a publicly traded institution, but its brand hadn’t kept pace. The transformation was guided by extensive research, including focus groups, surveys, and strategy sessions, to reflect the bank’s modern capabilities while staying true to its community-first values.

The new brand positions Carter Bank as approachable, relationship-driven, and forward-thinking, reinforcing its role as a trusted guide for individuals, families, and businesses. Visually, it features a fresh, confident identity with approachable design elements, a refined brand voice emphasizing clarity and connection, and updated values centered on building relationships, earning trust, and taking ownership.

Balancing tradition with innovation was the central challenge—evolving the brand without losing the authenticity long valued by customers. The rollout spanned every touchpoint, from branch signage to digital platforms, and was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback. Associates embraced the change with renewed pride, customers felt a deeper connection, and the broader community celebrated the new identity