ALDI Australia has been awarded Brand and Retailer of the Year at the 2025 Real Media Awards, presented by the Visual Media Association (VMA).

The retailer was recognised for its combination of creative, multi-channel integration, and strategic campaign execution. Among ALDI’s successful entries was ‘Go a Little Extra – Christmas 2024’, produced by BMF, showcasing the retailer’s ability to “merge emotion, entertainment, and efficacy into one of the most memorable campaigns of the year”.

“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,” says ALDI Marketing Executive Manager Kylie Warnke.

“A huge thank you to the VMA for continuing to champion the benefits of catalogue advertising and for this amazing recognition.”

Celebrating excellence across over thirty categories, the Real Media Awards recognise creativity and efficacy in retail marketing, packaging, loyalty, design, and media innovation across Australia and New Zealand.

“Supermarkets are one of the most dynamic and competitive categories we have in the awards,” says VMA CEO Kellie Northwood.

“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.”

Physical media

According to Ms Northwood, the awards continue to reflect the strength of physical media in the retail marketing mix.

“With 90% of Australians checking their letterbox weekly, 46% prefer purchasing from in-store promotions and 82% recycling their fibre-based packaging following consumer conscious purchasing behaviors, print is well and truly an established staple in every retailer and brand’s marketing schedule,” she says.  

“Further we know, when print and digital are paired there is a 28% increase in conversion rates, and triple digit improvement in ROMI.”

‘Outstanding contributions’ from supermarkets  

Ms Northwood congratulates all supermarket finalists for their “outstanding contributions”.

“There’s not a supermarket chain not delivering catalogues, letterbox and digital to consumers weekly,” she says.

“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.”

Now in its thirty-third year, the Real Media Awards continue to bring together the full marketing ecosystem – clients, agencies, printers, and producers – to celebrate effective, creative advertising and marketing.