M&C Saatchi Group, Leo Burnett Sydney, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and Isobar have been named as some of the most innovative companies in Australia by The Australian Financial Review.
All four made the AFR's Most Innovative Companies list, which compiles the 50 most innovative companies in the country. M&C Saatchi came in as number six on the list with Leo Burnett Sydney placing 14th.
M&C was awarded for its Game of Balls campaign for The Blue Ball Foundation, which involved including a testicular cancer self-check in a pornography film.
M&C Saatchi CEO Jaimes Leggett says the company has gone through rapid change since re-articulating its vision to be the most influential creative company in Australia by 2020.
"To deliver on this vision, we’ve built a group of companies with best-in-class capabilities designed to connect with a consumer at every point they encounter a brand. And invariably innovation has been a big part of that," he says.
"We no longer just create communications. The M&C Saatchi Group of the future has a laser precision view of the customer experience. And we’re building our brands around that.”
The AFR singled out Leo Burnett Sydney's BrainBand, which measures concussions during contact sports to allow players to gauge the impact, as one of the reasons it earned its spot.
Leo Burnett Sydney CEO Pete Bosilkovski says: “Our unwavering focus on ‘consumer first innovation’ has utterly transformed our business. We have evolved into a creative solutions company and have created an environment and business that ensures we will remain not only relevant, but at the forefront, in a rapidly changing industry.”
In addition, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne was named 43, in front of Isobar at number 44 on the list.
Clemenger's 'Don't Waste your Roof' campaign for Origin, which followed 'sun-stealers' Ray and Evon as they used solar energy helped it edge in. The publication also cited Isobar's Umood technology for Uniqlo, which helped consumer choose a shirt based on their mood as the reasoning for its position.
The list, previously known as the BRW Most Innovative Companies list, is in its fifth year and is judged and compiled by innovation consultancy Inventium.
Topping the list this year is pharma company Planet Innovation, followed by education data company Ivy College and the Commonwealth Bank.
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