Aldi wins top supermarket & brand honours at Real Media Awards

Aldi has been named Supermarket Retailer of the Year at the 2025 Real Media Awards, presented by the Visual Media Association.

This award was given in recognition of Aldi's approach to creative campaign development, multi-channel integration, and strategic execution. The retailer distinguished itself among finalists including Woolworths and Ritchies Supermarkets.

One of the highlights from Aldi at this year's awards was the "Go a Little Extra - Christmas 2024" campaign, produced by BMF. The campaign was noted for its blend of emotion, entertainment, and measurable effectiveness, and was among the year's most memorable pieces of supermarket marketing.

Kylie Warnke, Executive Manager - Marketing at Aldi, reflected on the recognition as confirmation of work put in by the marketing team:

"Winning Retailer of the Year for the second year, and now Brand of the Year on top of that is a fantastic and humbling recognition of ALDI's passionate and talented marketing team across catalogue and all of the channels we use to create connected experiences for our customers. A huge thank you to the VMA for continuing to champion the benefits of catalogue advertising and for this amazing recognition."

The Real Media Awards recognise achievement across more than thirty categories spanning retail marketing, packaging, loyalty, design, and media innovation, covering both Australia and New Zealand. Supermarkets attracted particular attention, with the awards' judges describing the sector as highly dynamic and competitive.

Supermarket campaigns

Kellie Northwood, Chief Executive Officer of the Visual Media Association, commented on the profile of supermarkets within the awards. "Supermarkets are one of the most dynamic and competitive categories we have in the Awards," she said. "These brands lead national advertising schedules, responsive to topical campaigns and longer-term scheduling. They also drive some of the highest campaign spends, and connect with consumers weekly through their catalogues, point of sale, and loyalty programs."

Northwood explained that the continuing prominence of print and catalogue media is reflected in consumer habits. "With 90 per cent of Australians checking their letterbox weekly, 46% prefer purchasing from in-store promotions and 82 per cent recycling their fibre-based packaging following consumer conscious purchasing behaviours, print is well and truly an established staple in every retailer and brand's marketing schedule. Further we know, when print and digital are paired there is a 28% increase in conversion rates, and triple digit improvement in ROMI," she said.

Success of Aldi's Christmas campaign

The "Go a Little Extra - Christmas 2024" campaign was cited as a clear example of effective campaign integration across catalogues, direct mail, and digital media. Northwood highlighted the balance of brand consistency, tone, and voice demonstrated by Aldi's entry.

She remarked on the impact of supermarket marketing, noting, "Supermarket marketing is the frontline of consumer influence, and every campaign must deliver return. What's wonderful to see though, is how the winning work this year also delivers exceptional storytelling and design that cuts through and builds brand affinity."

Northwood also offered congratulations to all supermarket finalists. "There is not a supermarket chain not delivering catalogues, letterbox and digital to consumers weekly. From Coles to Woolworths Supermarkets, Ritchies and IGA and ALDI, all continue to elevate the calibre of supermarket marketing, with arguably some of the strongest ROMI results across the world. Each of these brands show ingenuity in delivering campaigns that respond to consumer behaviour and demand while reinforcing the power of tangible media to influence purchase decisions."

Other award highlights

The Real Media Awards, now in their thirty-third year, seek to recognise achievement in a broad range of categories from home and fashion to in-store packaging and data-driven campaigns. Aldi was also named Brand of the Year, while BMF took home Agency of the Year. Other major winners included Lost MTNS for the Judges' Choice and RB Sellars with Best Emerging Designer.

Awards were also distributed in categories such as kitchenware, toys, health and wellbeing, sports, home improvement, and online retail. Notable winners included The Reject Shop, Bunnings, Chemist Warehouse, Opposite Lock, and Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse.

The event was supported by patron sponsors IVE Group and gold sponsors Pegasus Media and Logistics, SBM, and Spicers.