This comes back off a strong run for Special Group. The agency, which now employs 160 staff across four offices, launched into the US with the opening of its Los Angeles office last year.
The agency was started in Auckland in 2008, before expanding to Sydney and Melbourne.
"The advertising industry loves awards," said Special Group co-founder Tony Bradbourne in a statement. "But to win a global award of this scale and prestige, from such a revered and established institution, against some of the biggest advertising firms in the world, is certainly worth celebrating."
Bradbourne added it signified a shifting power dynamic in the industry.
"For too long we have been dominated by international conglomerates, and now we've been able to unanimously prove that New Zealand creativity shines on the world stage – alongside other creative industries like film and our music," he said.
In their comments, the judging panel noted how impressed they were by Special Group's performance in a year afflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"[Special Group] opened two new offices, one in Melbourne and one in Los Angeles, and won 40 new pieces of business including Uber Eats in North America and Canada," the judges said.
The agency's strong track record has continued recently, with the local arm winning the Kiwibank account and the team in Australia landing ANZ.
