9 Finalists Chosen at The Immortal Awards 2025 AUNZ Jury Day

The Immortal Awards' AUNZ jury has sent nine local projects through to the global round of judging, led by five projects from Bear Meets Eagle on Fire, four of which are Telstra campaigns.

DDB Group New Zealand scored two finalists, and Motion Sickness' lauded Best Place in the World to Have Herpes project became the third New Zealand campaign to progress to the global judging round.

The AUNZ jury included Brent Smart, Matty Burton, Pia Chaudhuri, Pip Smart, Micah Walker, Emma Robbins, Erin Moy, Tone Aston, Kim Wildenburg, and Daniel Bradford-Fry.

They gathered in ARC's Sydney offices to select nine finalists -- six from Australia and three from New Zealand: 36 Months' Bankwest's 'Just Enough Bank'; New Zealand Herpes Foundation's Best Place in the World to Have Herpes; Telstra's 'Into Art', 'Scamageddon', 'Together is For Christmas', and 'Wherever We Go'; Samsung's 'Worst Children's Library'; and Vogel's 'Certified Toasters'.

36 Months (entered by FINCH)

Bankwest - 'Just Enough Bank' (entered by Bear Meets Eagle on Fire)

​

New Zealand Herpes Foundation - 'Best Place in the World to Have Herpes (entered by Motion Sickness)

​

Telstra - 'Into Art'

​

Telstra - 'Scamageddon'

Telstra - 'Together is For Christmas'

Telstra - 'Wherever We Go' (entered by Bear Meets Eagle on Fire)

Samsung - 'Worst Children's Library (entered by DDB Group New Zealand)​

Vogel's - 'Certified Toasters' (entered by DDB Group New Zealand)

The body of work becomes the largest regional collection to progress to next week's New York-based global judging. Last year, the AUNZ jury selected five pieces to battle it out on the world stage, two of which were among the four Immortals handed out: 'Play it Safe' for the Sydney Opera House and 'Adoptable' for Pedigree. They became Australia and New Zealand's first-ever Immortals in the show's seven-year history.

This year's nine AUNZ finalists will now go up against the seven European, four MEA, and six North American finalists, as well as finalists LATAM and Asia, at the global round of judging on Wednesday, December 3rd. They will be vying for a chance at winning a highly coveted Immortal Award or Commendation.