Seven Trophies for VML South Africa at the New Gens

VML South Africa added seven trophies to the cabinet at the 2026 New Generation Awards, including three Golds for Vaseline, a Silver and two Bronze awards for Cadbury LunchBar and a Bronze award for Ford.

The wins were:

• Gold:

  Best Low-Budget Campaign by a Corporate – Vaseline Mntana ka Gogo – Unilever South Africa

• Gold:

  Most Viral Campaign by a Corporate – Vaseline Mntana ka Gogo – Unilever South Africa

• Gold:

  Most Viral Campaign by an Agency – Vaseline Mntana ka Gogo – VML South Africa / Unilever South Africa

• Silver:

  Best Online PR Campaign by a Corporate – The Cadbury LunchBar 60th Anniversary Campaign – The Monolith Mystery – Mondelēz South Africa / VML South Africa

• Bronze:

  Excellence in Content Marketing by a Corporate – The Cadbury LunchBar 60th Anniversary Campaign – The Monolith Mystery – Mondelēz South Africa / VML South Africa

• Bronze:

  Most Viral Campaign by an Agency – The Cadbury LunchBar 60th Anniversary Campaign – The Monolith Mystery – VML South Africa / Mondelēz South Africa

• Bronze:

  Best Social Media Reach from an Event / Activation by a Corporate – Ranger Super Duty: The Battle for Bothaville – Ford Motor Company SA / VML South Africa

Recognition for digital work that moves people

The New Generation Awards recognise South Africa’s best work in social and digital media, celebrating brands, agencies and creators that are using digital platforms to build connection, earn attention and deliver measurable impact. Now in their 14th year, the awards have grown into one of the country’s benchmarks for digital creativity.

For VML South Africa, the wins are a reminder that effective digital work is no longer about reach alone. With audiences spending hours online each day, navigating an infinite scroll of content, effectiveness means tapping into the kind of human truth that makes people stop, share, remember and respond.

Mntana ka Gogo comes home with Gold, Gold, Gold

After an award-laden run on the international circuit, Vaseline’s Mntana ka Gogo Heritage Day campaign is now earning local recognition too. The campaign, which has already picked up honours at Cannes, the Clios, The One Show and D&AD, won three Golds at the New Gen awards.

The work resonated by drawing on a familiar South African childhood ritual: having Vaseline lovingly and vigorously rubbed into your face before heading out into the world. Simple, culturally specific and deeply human, the campaign proved that a local story, told with honesty, can travel far beyond its original audience.

“Vaseline didn’t set out to own Heritage Day. We set out to connect with our communities in an authentic and meaningful way,” says Navini Ramsamie, Vaseline Experiential Lead. “Rooted in a powerful human truth and brought to life with one iconic image, Mntana ka Gogo struck a cultural chord immediately. Instead of buying attention, Vaseline earned it, proving that when brands show up authentically, they earn relevance and participation.”

“We are so proud of the great work and collaboration between Team Vaseline and VML!” says Boipelo Mekgwe, Marketing Manager for Vaseline. “This is a testament to consistency, insight-led creativity and, most importantly, trust! Well done, team: it sets up the brand for success because the foundation is solid.”

LunchBar’s mystery deepens and delivers

Cadbury LunchBar also earned two Bronze awards for the second installment of the LunchBar Man campaign, The Monolith Mystery. Building on the success of the original, which introduced South Africans to former teacher turned conspiracy theorist Bra Lucas Baloyi and his delightfully committed theories about aliens and their fondness for chocolate bars, the second chapter, celebrating LunchBar’s 60th anniversary, expanded the Bra Lucas universe with more intrigue, humour and craft.

The sequel shows the value of building a distinctive brand world over time. Instead of starting from scratch, the team deepened a story audiences already knew and loved, giving LunchBar another memorable moment in South African culture.

“LunchBar has featured some of South Africa’s most iconic and beloved ads over the past six decades,” says Jacques Bezuidenhout – Brand Equity Manager: Chocolate: SACEA and Creative Excellence Lead: SSA. “Bra Lucas is a modern classic – he carries on that legacy of light-hearted playfulness that’s so true to the LunchBar brand.”

**Ford becomes the talk of Bothaville **

Ford Motor Company South Africa won Bronze for Ranger Super Duty: The Battle for Bothaville, recognised in the category for Best Social Media Reach from an Event / Activation by a Corporate. The campaign was linked to the Ranger Super Duty reveal at NAMPO Park in Bothaville, where Ford showcased the heavy-duty new addition to the Ranger line-up to a highly relevant audience.

By taking the reveal to one of South Africa’s most important agricultural events, Ford met customers in a context where capability, practicality and toughness matter. The sea of phone cameras that greeted the reveal and subsequent social response showed how a live activation can extend well beyond the event itself when the idea is built for the platform.

“NAMPO gave us the right stage to reveal Ranger Super Duty,” says Tarryn Knight**, **Head of Marketing at Ford Motor Company Southern Africa. “It’s a vehicle built for hard work, and the NAMPO audience understands why capability and reliability matter in a vehicle. Connecting with the right people in real time helped us take that moment from Bothaville to a much wider audience as we drive home the real meaning of do more, tow more and carry more in this category-first vehicle.”

The six New Gen wins reflect the range of VML South Africa’s recent work, from beautifully simple cultural storytelling to long-running brand entertainment and high-impact event-led social content. Different categories, different clients, same useful reminder: people still respond to work that gives them something worth talking about.