DSTNCT and Starcom clinch top honours at MARKies Awards SG 2026

DSTNCT and Starcom emerged as the standout winners at the MARKies Awards, each taking home top honours on the night.

DSTNCT was awarded the Overall Creative Ideas MARKie after a dominant performance that delivered four Gold, one Silver and two Bronze wins.

Starcom followed with the Overall Media Usage MARKie, powered by a strong slate of independently led campaigns that earned one Gold, two Silver and one Bronze. The agency also added to its tally through multiple collaborative wins with partner agencies, cementing its position at the top of the media rankings.

DSTNCT’s winning work included “Project citizens: The first million” for National Heritage Board, “National Day Parade 2025”, “DIS changes everything” for MINDEF, “SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games” for Sport Singapore, and “#ThisisSG” for Ministry of Digital Development and Information. The campaigns were recognised across categories including ‘Most Creative – Immersive Brand Activation’, ‘Most Creative – Interactive Storytelling’, ‘Most Creative – Out-of-Home’ and ‘Most Creative – Content Marketing’.

Starcom’s standout wins included “LEGO ONE PIECE” and “LEGO F1 Singapore” for LEGO, alongside “Meet death like an old friend” for National Environment Agency. The work picked up recognition across ‘Most Effective Use – Contextual Advertising’, ‘Most Effective Use – Government Sector / Non-Profit Marketing’ and ‘Most Effective Use – Launch / Re-Launch’.

Other notable campaigns included “Don’t toy with your life”, created with TBWA for Health Promotion Board, and “CNB uninfluenced campaign: The trip to Larspura”, developed with Ogilvy for the Central Narcotics Bureau.

Publicis secured second place for the Overall Creative Ideas MARKie, with four Gold, two Silver and three Bronze wins delivered through collaborations with partner agencies. Key work included “Subway and Singapore, fresh at 60”, “Triple cheese, yes please!” and “Subway signatures: A feast for your senses”, created with Zenith and Also Known As. The campaigns performed strongly across categories such as ‘Most Creative – Gamification Campaign’, ‘Most Creative – Hyperlocal Marketing’ and ‘Most Creative – Integrated Media’.

Distilleri and Leo Singapore shared third place. Distilleri secured three Gold and one Silver, while Leo Singapore matched the tally with four Gold and one Silver through collaborative work with partner agencies.

Performics took second place for the Overall Media Usage MARKie, winning three Gold, one Silver and one Bronze. Its winning entries included “Live iconic with DBS jello” and “An act of care: Building money habits that last with POSB” for DBS Bank. The campaigns performed strongly across ‘Most Effective Use – Digital’, ‘Most Effective Use – Specific Audience’ and ‘Most Effective Use – Video’.

Dentsu followed closely with three Gold, three Silver and one Bronze, driven by campaigns developed with partners including :Teeth, AKA Asia, Very Crafty Films, Quantcast, Accenture Song, MiQ Digital Singapore and Ogury.

Other agencies also earned recognition for their work, including VML Singapore, Resolute Communications, GERMS, Construct Digital and OMD Singapore.

This year’s entries reflected a sharper edge of creativity and effectiveness, with marketers leaning into fresher ideas, smarter execution and more purposeful storytelling. The calibre of work underscored an industry continuing to evolve with confidence and intent.

The winners were decided by a 21-member judging panel comprising senior marketers from brands including Arts House Group, Charles & Keith, CIMB Bank, COMO Hotels, Duolingo, Finmo, FWD Group, Health Promotion Board, HSBC, IHH Healthcare, James Cook University, Kimberly-Clark, Kinderland International Education, Little Farms, National Gallery Singapore, OUE Restaurants, Philips APAC, Procter & Gamble, RISIS, Singsaver and Standard Chartered Bank.

The MARKies Awards ceremony was held on 29 April at Shangri-La Singapore, bringing the industry together for an evening of celebration and recognition. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE extends its appreciation to the judges for their time, rigour and insight in evaluating each submission, ensuring a robust and credible process.

Special thanks also go to official beer partners Heineken Silver, Tiger Crystal and Bernini for keeping the celebration flowing.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE congratulates all winners for their achievements across this year’s categories.

To view the complete list of winners, click here.