The BBE Best: Top Australian Advertising Agency for 2026

HERO: the creative agency delivering Better Brand Experiences

What makes HERO so ‘hot’ in 2026?

  • Global Recognition: Global 100 Best Marketing & Advertising Firm 2026

  • Top Agency Innovation Leader: 2026 AdNews Agency of The Year Best Use of AI & Technology

  • World Ranking: First Australian agency in the WINA Top 10

  • Independent Power: Campaign Brief Hot List Top 10 Ranking

  • National Reach: Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane

We’ve partnered with some of the best marketing experts across the nation. And we’ve seen first-hand how a high-performing creative agency plays a crucial role in driving business success for brands and businesses, enhancing the performance marketing impact of our clients’ brands, campaigns and initiatives.

After all, here in Australia we’re proud to host some of the world’s most outstanding creative agencies. Celebrated for their world-class creativity, strategic expertise, award-winning work and integrated marketing solutions that deliver real business growth. In today's showcase, we'll review the top case studies of HERO, Australia’s best performing Advertising Agency at the Global WINA Awards and Top 10 in the Campaign Brief 2026 ‘Hot’ List.

Over the past year, we've seen some of the most interesting, innovative and high-profile ad campaigns come out of HERO’s Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane offices. It's an impressive body of work for an impressive independent shop, which today represents some of the most talked-about work around. So let’s take a look at what makes this Australian outfit such a stand-out performer.

The HERO of High Performance Creativity

HERO consistently ranks among Australia’s most awarded agencies and it’s not hard to see why. Year on year, HERO is recognised in the Agency of the Year lists of Campaign Brief, Mumbrella, B&T and AdNews, consistently producing award‑winning campaigns celebrated globally for their world-class creativity and effectiveness, including in their use of AI and technology.

This year’s been no exception, once again seeing the firm land in the Top 10 of the hotly contested 2026 Campaign Brief Hot List. With over 300 submissions every year, the Campaign Brief Hot List is the definitive compilation of Australia’s top performing and most awarded shops. This recognition is reflective of the agency’s purpose to ‘Turn Brands Into HEROES’ and its commitment to the power of creativity to drive meaningful business results. Above all, it reflects the business’s ambition to see HERO recognised as Australia’s best creative advertising agency.

A Record-Breaking Year at the WINA Festival

Coming into 2026, HERO holds the prestigious title of Australian Creative Agency of the Year at the global WINA Festival (World Independent Advertising Awards). It’s the first time in the Festival’s 10 year history that an Australian firm has appeared in the award show’s Top 10 global winners. HERO was awarded the prestigious Grand prix and a Gold trophy in Promo Activation for The Toyota C-HR Diamond Collection, Silver in Innovation / Product Innovation for Fujifilm Mindography and Bronze in Media / Alternative Media The Toyota C-HR Diamond Collection, securing HERO top spot as Australia’s most awarded agency at the global show.

HERO also entered 2026 as the leader in the AdNews Agency of the Year Awards’ newest and arguably most important category: Best Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Technology. HERO dominated the new AdNews category with its two groundbreaking case studies for Mastercard Transit Tales and Instax Mindography, joining HERO’s AI and CGI-generated campaign for Decjuba, the globally acclaimed Puffer Plane, as another innovative case study in the best-practice implementation AI and technology. HERO was also a finalist for the hotly contested title of 2026 AdNews Independent Agency of the Year.

World-Class Campaign Creativity and Global 100 2026 Winner

Since its inception, the world’s most prestigious award shows have consistently ranked HERO among Australia’s top firms for both advertising creativity and marketing effectiveness. Global and local Recognition includes:

Even the company’s workspace is award-winning. The HERO HQ is the only media and marketing business in Australia to be recognised in the Australian Interior Design Awards, the Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) and the global INDE. Awards.

ward-Winning Leadership Across Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane

HERO’s led by seasoned professionals with a proven track record, including its founder and industry veteran Creative Chairman Ben Lilley.

Ben Lilley, Founder & Creative Chairman

A creative by trade, Ben’s career is defined by scaling some of Australia’s most successful independent and network agencies.

  • Independent Success: Launched SMART, described by AdNews as one of Australia’s greatest independent success stories. After being acquired by IPG in 2011, it merged with McCann.

  • Global Leadership: Served as Chairman & CEO of McCann Australia and Creative Leadership Chair for McCann Asia Pacific, overseeing creative excellence across 11 nations, including China, Japan, and India.

  • The HERO Era: In 2020, Ben re-acquired McCann Australia and SMART to launch HERO as a national independent.

  • A Legacy of Effectiveness: His agencies have consistently been recognised at the Cannes Lions, D&AD, Effies and Spikes Asia, including multiple Agency of the Year honours. Notably, McCann became the only Australian agency to ever win the Cannes Lion Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness.

  • Industry Influence: A regular juror for the London International and WINA Awards, Ben has been featured on the MediaWeek 50 Power List and recognised as Mumbrella Agency Leader of the Year.

Susan Young, Creative Director

With a career spanning South Africa, the UK, and New Zealand, Sue brings a global commercial instinct to HERO’s national creative team.

  • Global Foundations: Built her reputation as a copywriter and Creative Group Head at world-class shops including Draft FCB, RAPP, and iris Worldwide, managing global giants like Sony, Disney, and Unilever.

  • Independent Success: Co-founded Chemistry in Auckland, growing it into one of New Zealand’s most respected independent agencies during her decade-long tenure as Executive Creative Director.

  • Award-Winning Record: Her work has been recognised at Cannes, Caples, ECHOs, Adfest, and the TVNZ Marketing Awards, including taking home five International ECHO Awards in a single year.

  • Industry Leadership: A passionate advocate for female creative leadership, Sue has served as a visiting lecturer at Auckland University of Technology and on the Executive Jury of the Gerety Awards.

  • Blue-Chip Expertise: Deep brand experience across McDonald's, ANZ, Volkswagen, Westpac, and Pfizer, focusing on work that balances high craft with commercial performance.

Andrew "Woody" Woodhead, Creative Director

Woody has spent over two decades blending world-class creative leadership with cultural relevance, producing some of Australia's most talked-about social impact work.

  • Leo Burnett Tenure: Rose from senior writer to Creative Director over eight years, accumulating hundreds of global accolades and the Cannes Grand Prix for Good for Scope's "See the Person", one of Australia's most awarded purpose-led campaigns.

  • The Maybelline Breakthrough: Since joining HERO, he led the globally acclaimed "Through Their Eyes" campaign, earning Maybelline their first-ever Cannes Lion and receiving global recognition from UN Women.

  • Integrated Leadership: Oversees high-impact creative for Toyota, Bakers Delight, Mastercard, and key federal government communications, with deep expertise in film, digital, and earned-first social creativity.

  • Mentorship & Jury Duty: An AWARD School-trained creative and former tutor, Woody frequently serves as a judge at major global award shows, bringing a journalism and business communications background to his creative craft.

The BBE Best List

The BBE Best List recognises the organisations we believe demonstrate an exceptional standard of quality, capability and reputation within their category. Our listings reflect considered editorial judgement informed by publicly available work, press coverage, trade awards, industry standing and direct discussions with each organisations listed. While some BBE Best organisations may have separate commercial relationships with BBE, these do not influence editorial selection or recognition.