Awards & Testimonials

  • Awaken Media have been a breath of fresh air, helping us reimagine our historic brand, engage and find new customers, drive sales and navigate our way through challenge and change. True partners in every sense.

    DANIEL PREISS - NATIONAL MARKETING MANAGER - PANASONIC

  • The talented people at Awaken have been the perfect partners to deliver our vision. They understood the brief from the start and have done an amazing job of capturing the nature of the Hotel.

    CATHERINE MCLAUGHLIN - PIER ONE’S DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

  • Awaken constantly delivers on digital strategy and execution.

    TANYA MAH - MARKETING MANAGER PROXIMO

  • Awaken has been a phenomenal partner bringing new & strategic thinking as we modernise our customer experience.

    DIMITRI ANDREATIDIS - HEAD OF MARKETING & CUSTOMER AT HINO MOTORS AUSTRALIA (A TOYOTA COMPANY)

  • Brilliant agency, very much client focused & results driven. A real extension to our team, would highly recommend.

    MATT TANG - GROUP ESPORTS MARKETING MANAGER AT UBISOFT

  • Awaken’s expertise has driven our brands as we move to the next level. The multifaceted media plan that the team built for us has assisted our liquor brands to stand out in an already crowded marketplace and we couldn’t be happier with the results that they have achieved.

    STEFANIE COLLINS - MARKETING MANAGER PROXIMO

  • Superb agency, team & culture. Awaken helped us digitally transform our marketing, they come highly recommended.

    LAURA VALENTINE - MARKETING MANAGER SAVILLS

  • We have been so pleased to connect with Awaken, supporting us in amplifying our campaigns and maximising their returns into research. Their dedicated, forward thinking team provided valuable market insights, and new audiences to target. With a strong "can do" attitude and proven marketing expertise, they help us focus on our priority of funding research for childhood cancer.


    KATE TANNOUS - HEAD OF NATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS - THE KIDS CANCER PROJECT

  • Independent full-service media agency Awaken has been named on the Australian Financial Review’s Fast 100, ranking at number 27 on the list. The AFR Fast 100 recognises the fastest-growing companies that started trading before July 1, 2016.

    Coming in at number 27 this year follows the company being no.72 on the 2021 AFR Fast Starters list last year, and reflects a huge jump in the rankings for the indie.

  • Awaken Media honoured at the Webby Awards 2021 for Kraken Rum in April 2021

    Awaken has been honoured for Best Growth Strategy Advertising, Media & PR for Kraken Rum in the 25th Annual Webby Awards. Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organisation honouring excellence on the Internet. IADAS, which nominates and selects The Webby Award Winners, is comprised of Internet industry experts

  • Awaken Media honoured at the Muse Creative Awards with one platinum, four gold and two silver in April 2021. Awaken took home one platinum, four gold and two silver awards for a range of campaigns for clients Panasonic, Energizer and Kraken Rum.

    “This is such amazing recognition for our entire (incredibly hardworking) team,” says Awaken founder and CEO Chris Parker. The seven awards won by Awaken this year were:

    Platinum for social video and Gold for Consumer product/Services for ‘Mr Energizer powers TikTok, Twitch & Pinterest’ for Energizer Australia

    Gold for Magazine AD (Campaign) and Silver for Online AD (Campaign) for ‘Tiny Tech, Mighty Spec. Panasonic launch the S5’ for Panasonic AustraliaGold for Consumer Product / Services and Silver for Branding for ‘Panasonic launches the Lumix G100 Camera’ campaign, also for Panasonic Australia

    Gold for Integrated Marketing Campaign for ‘Kraken Rum launch their world-first premix’ for Kraken Rum“

    Each of these campaigns were actually very different and really show the diversity in the work that we do for our clients,” says Parker. “It’s such a boost to win awards like this because it’s a reminder that our small, independent agency is capable of producing big campaigns that shine on the global level.”

    The MUSE Creative Awards is a part of the MUSE Awards Program, which was created by the International Awards Associate (IAA) in 2015. IAA’s inception was based on a mission to honor, promote and encourage creativity by providing a new standard of excellence for evaluating media design production and distribution. IAA’s mission has largely shaped MUSE Creative Awards’ goals.

  • Awaken Media wins at the MarCom Awards with five platinums and a gold in November 2020

    Awaken continues to impress the industry with yet another series of wins, this time in the US-based MarCom Awards for their work for Panasonic, Energizer and Proximo.

    “We’re blown away by the response to our campaigns and thrilled that the leaders of our industry appreciate them as much as we enjoyed creating them,” says Awaken founder and CEO Chris Parker.

    “Winning international awards just reinforces that our creativity & our clients' bravery stands up strongly on a global stage.”

    The annual MarCom Awards have been run by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) since 2004, and the winners are selected from more than 6,000 print and digital entries submitted from dozens of countries.

    This year Awaken scooped a total of six awards: Two Platinum awards for the ‘Make your move with the LUMIX G100 Vlogging Camera’ (Video Product and Lifestyle) and another Platinum for ‘Tiny Tech, Mighty Spec. The New Panasonic LUMIX S5’ (Magazine Ad) all for Panasonic; plus a Platinum for Strategic Communications for the ‘Kraken Rum launch their world-first premix – The taste you’ve been hunting for’ campaign for Proximo Australia; and both a Platinum and a Gold for the Energizer Powers TikTok campaign for Energizer.

    “These awards recognise the wide spectrum of our work this year and these campaigns wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of our full team and the endless support of our amazing clients,” says Parker.

    https://campaignbrief.com/awaken-media-wins-big-at-the-us-based-marcom-awards-with-five-platinums-and-a-gold/

  • Awaken won 6 Davey Awards in October 2020

    We achieved another major milestone for 2020 with a big winner at the Davey Awards, taking home six significant gongs (four gold and two silver).

    “We’re thrilled to have our creative and video recognized with these awards, as well as our integrated media campaigns,” says Awaken founder and CEO Chris Parker.

    “In many ways our team is the very definition of a “David” agency, competing in the market against “Goliath” agencies with much bigger budgets, and we’re proud to hold our own with big ideas and smart use of resources.”

    The awards were flooded with more than 2000 entries, and fewer than 10% of entrants received any recognition.

    We took out both gold and silver for Best Integrated campaign for Kraken Rum (Promotional & Branding and Marketing Effectiveness categories).

    We also won gold and silver across two different campaigns for Panasonic Australia, promoting the Lumix G100 (gold in the Social category and silver in the Products & Services category) and the Lumix S5 (gold in both the Best Magazine Ad and Best Art Direction/Graphic Design categories).

    The Daveys are judged and overseen by the New York based Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), an invitation-only member-based organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media. Their annual awards recognize the finest small shops, firms, agencies, and companies worldwide working with big ideas rather than big budgets. Judged by their members who include; Spotify, Nissan, Tinder, Disney, Microsoft, GE Digital, JP Morgan, Wired, and many others.

  • B&T 2020 Awards -Best Media Campaign Finalist - September 2020

    Awaken was honoured as one of the finalists for the B&T Awards 2020.

    Awaken was shortlisted for our Kraken Rum - Global pre-mix launch - ‘The taste you have been hunting for’

    We have been included with an impressive list of extraordinary agencies as finalists, and are eagerly awaiting the awards night in late November.

Industry Awards


  • Awaken was named part of the Australian Financial Reviews Fast Starters List in March 2020

    This is an extraordinary achievement for Awaken, which has grown from a kitchen table start up into a force to be reckoned within the media and advertising landscape in Australia in just five years.

    “This is something we have wanted to achieve as a team for several years, but our victory is bittersweet due to the timing”, says Awaken founder and CEO Chris Parker.

    “I’m extremely proud of the Awaken team and humbled by the trust and support of our clients, and although it will be impossible to really celebrate this victory in the current climate, we are still enormously honoured by the recognition.”

    This impressive growth has been the result of hard work and dedication, and Parker puts the company’s success largely down to the quality of his team, which has a core base of staff in Sydney and works with dedicated contractors around the world.

    “This is a spark of light during an incredibly dark time, but I want to take a moment to appreciate it because this is such a testament to the skill, intelligence and dedication of my rock star team”, he said.

    “None of us know what will happen in the future, so for now, I hope each and every person who has worked with Awaken over the years knows they have each been a part of this special moment.”

    https://www.bandt.com.au/sydney-media-agency-awaken-named-part-of-afr-fast-starters/

    https://mumbrella.com.au/sydney-based-media-agency-awaken-among-afr-fast-starters-622839

  • Awaken was proud to be named as as one of the finalists for Mediaweek’s ‘Next of the Best’ Awards in 2023.

    In the acclaimed “Marketing - Agency” category, Chris Parker was awarded Silver, being recognised for his innovative leadership and marketing direction, as founder and CEO of both Awaken Media and Awaken Creative.

  • Awakens very own CEO and Founder, Chris Parker, has been awarded the APAC Insider “CEO of the year” for 2023.

    Nominated as the Best Independent Creative Media Agency in NSW, Chris has been recognised for the hands on way he encourages and inspires his team to meet challenges, driving amazing traction and results with strategy and planning.

  • Independent full-service media agency Awaken has been named on the Australian Financial Review’s Fast 100, ranking at number 33 on the list and the highest ranked media agency. Now in its 31st year, the AFR Fast 100 recognises the fastest growing companies that started trading before July 1, 2016.

    This is the third consecutive year that Awaken has been recognised on the AFR Fast 100 due to it’s rapid growth. The agency has recorded over 74% client growth for four consecutive years, and 1,825% growth over the past five years, with a number of new clients coming on board in 2022, including Visit Newcastle, Adora Fertility, whiskey brand Proper 12, tool provider Husqvarna, and McCarroll’s Automotive Group, while also driving growth for its existing clients, including the Proximo group’s Jose Cuervo and Kraken Rum, Panasonic, Marriott Hotels, Armor All and Energizer.

    The agency has also grown its creative arm, developing TV commercials for several clients including Panasonic’s Technics brand, Kraken, Adora Fertility, Energizer and Jose Cuervo, and launching an organic social offering.

    The Awaken team has also increased, adding four new staff in the past 12 months alone.

    Awaken founder and CEO, Chris Parker, said: “I am so grateful to have Awaken on an AFR list for a third year in a row. The AFR awards are a coveted recognition of the growth of a business, but to us it is the recognition of the incredible work of our people and culture that has enabled us to grow exponentially year on year.

    “I am humbled by the growth that we have been able to sustain and so grateful to lead a team of some of the most incredible humans who make going to work a joy. And equally we are honoured by the trust our clients have in us to partner with them in growing their brands launching some of our best work. We are excited by the year ahead as we have already grown from last year.”

    To be eligible for the AFR Fast 100 list, a business must have earned more than $500,000 in the 2021 financial year.

  • Awaken was named as an Honoree in the 2023 International Webby awards in the Best Growth Strategy category, the only Australian agency to be in the category. Jose Cuervo hired Awaken to create a media campaign to drive awareness of the Sparkling Margarita as a convenient, refreshing serve and convert white spirits drinkers to tequila drinkers through refreshment and flavour cues. This 6-month campaign ran across EMX, Spotify, Tinder, ARN, Dan Murphy’s, Snapchat, QMS, BWS, Meta, Val Morgan, and The Trade Desk.

    This campaign smashed our KPI goals, overdelivering on seven of the fourteen channels, and meeting our KPIs on two further channels.

    For our work on this campaign we were named an Honoree for The Webby Awards in the category of Best Growth Strategy, the only Australian agency to be recognised in the best growth category.

  • Awaken was named as a finalist in the Best Media Campaign category at the 2022 B&T Awards.

    Awaken was the only Australian independent agency named as a finalist in the category.