INNOCEAN claimed two Grand Prix at the 2025 Epica Awards—marking South Korea’s first-ever Grand Prix win at the journalist-judged competition.
The agency took home the Innovation Grand Prix for “Night Fishing,” a thriller short film shot entirely using the cameras of a Hyundai IONIQ 5, and the Digital Grand Prix for “Camdom: The First Digital Condom,” a mobile app that blocks nearby phones from filming intimate encounters to prevent revenge porn.
But the indie agency story dominated the night. Norway’s TRY swept the agency honors with three wins: Print Grand Prix for IKEA’s “Made For Life” campaign, Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year. Small Norwegian shop Morgenstern shared the Film Grand Prix for “We Need to Talk About Eli,” a hilarious spot about a little girl who’s picked up some seriously bad language from Dad.
South Korea’s first Grand Prix
Na Ri Moon, Creative Director at INNOCEAN Korea, said the Innovation Grand Prix for “Night Fishing” marked a breakthrough moment for the team. “It is especially meaningful to us that the project was recognized by the press jury not merely as an advertisement, but as a new approach to storytelling and a bold technical experiment,” Moon explained. “This acknowledgment has given our team greater confidence and set a new benchmark for our future challenges.”
The 13-minute film starring actor Son Suk-ku became the first branded content to screen in Korean cinemas, using the IONIQ 5’s seven built-in cameras to capture the story from the car’s perspective.
Digital Grand Prix tackles real crisis
INNOCEAN Berlin’s second win came for “Camdom,” created for condom brand Billy Boy in Germany. The app blocks recording functions on phones within proximity during intimate moments—a direct response to the growing threat of non-consensual intimate images used as weapons.
Creative Directors Jose Suaid and Sebastian Pattis at INNOCEAN Berlin framed the recognition from journalists as validation of purpose over hype. “Camdom is not just a product, but a statement for privacy and safety in a connected world,” they said. “This isn’t just creativity—it’s necessity.”
Norway’s indie shops dominate
TRY’s Print Grand Prix for IKEA combined documentary-style photography with clever copy to tell stories about how IKEA products fit into real life. The campaign’s intriguing images and minimal text invited audiences to lean in and engage.
Creative team Caroline Riis and Eirik Sørensen said winning the prestigious Grand Prix meant the campaign resonated beyond Norway’s borders. “It’s such an honor to get the prestigious Grand Prix at Epica, and it means a lot that our campaign resonated so well outside little Norway as well.”
TRY’s triple win—Print Grand Prix, Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year—capped 22 consecutive years as Norway’s best agency.
Small shop, big recognition
Morgenstern, a small Norwegian independent agency, shared the Film Grand Prix with HeimatTBWA\ Berlin. The spot “We Need to Talk About Eli” for Maxbo portrays a young girl innocently repeating her father’s construction site language, creating what the jury called “pure entertainment, perfectly pitched.”
Creative team Bjørnar Buxrud and Torkild Jarnholt called the recognition from top industry journalists “a HUGE deal for a small independent ad agency like Morgenstern.” The agency, founded in 2016, has about 31 employees.
Other Grand Prix winners
The 2025 Epica Awards marked a year of doubles, with two Grand Prix awarded in both Film and Responsibility categories. Other winners included Publicis Conseil for AXA France’s domestic violence insurance coverage, Grabarz & Partner for Deutsche Telekom’s climate change campaign, and McCann Paris for L’Oréal’s documentary about the “Because I’m worth it” tagline.
By the numbers
Canada led participation with 138 entries and topped country rankings with 51 prizes, including one Gold, 17 Silvers and 33 Bronzes. Germany followed with 120 entries and 42 awards—including three Grand Prix, 10 Golds, 18 Silvers and 11 Bronzes. France contributed 101 entries, securing two Grand Prix alongside 15 Golds, 13 Silvers and 11 Bronzes.
Publicis won Network of the Year.
The Epica Awards, founded in 1987, remains the only global creative award judged by journalists covering the creative and communication industries. The Grand Prix debate took place in Paris, with jury president Claire Bridges, founder of the Now Go Create consultancy.
Commenting on the 2025 results, Bridges noted the contrast between problem-solving work like the digital condom and AXA’s domestic violence lifeline, and the imaginative storytelling in the two Film Grand Prix. “This contrast is what made the year so exciting: bold creative thinking that has the power to change a system, and the celebration of a thousand tiny craft decisions that come together to make us engage and care.”
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