The Advertising Club has officially unveiled the Round 1 shortlist for the highly anticipated ABBY Awards 2025 powered by One Show, drawing the spotlight to some of India’s most dynamic creative powerhouses.

The prestigious list is led by standout agencies such as Leo Burnett, Enormous Brands, FCB, VML, McCann, Famous Innovations and Havas, setting the stage for an exciting countdown to the final awards.

According to an official press release issued by the Ad Club, the shortlisted entries showcase the diversity and depth of India’s creative ecosystem. Alongside leading ad agencies, companies such as Good Morning Films, Tribes Communications, Atom Network, Cheil, Schbang, Mudra Max, Y&H, Grey Group, Hogarth Studios, Vanilla Films, Mindshare, BBH, Tilt Brand Solutions, Bennett Coleman, RedBus, Havas Life, Maitri, and Coral Media have also made their mark in the initial round of jury evaluations.

Digital creativity also shone bright in this year’s shortlist, with Schbang, BC Web Wise, Digitas, Interactive Avenues, Krafton, The New Thing by Talented, Rapidues Technologies, and Social Panga emerging as frontrunners. In the design category, Open Design, Hyphen Brands, and Tree Design have been recognised, while video craft excellence is represented by companies like Good Morning Films, Vanilla Films, Bang Bang, Kitchen Video, and Superfly Films.

The list of clients and brands that earned a place in the shortlist is just as impressive. Leading names include AIS, Jaguar, P&G Whisper, Manifest, The Times of India, Buckaroo, Axis Bank, Coca-Cola, Finolex, Reliance General Insurance, Durex, Flipkart Minutes, Lays, Navneet Education, BGMI, Ikea, Star Cement, RedBus, Samsung, Central Railway, and Dream11. Other notable mentions include Kansai Nerolac Paints, 7Up, Oreo, Spotify, Uber, KitKat, P&G Shiksha, Swiggy, Acko, Apollo 24/7, BMC, MyMuse, Robin Hood Army, Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Rapido, Sebamed, UltraTech, Yatra, CaratLane, Cathay Pacific, Dorset, Honda Motorcycle, Navbharat Times, Neeman’s, Pentonic, Pepsi, The Telegraph, and US Nomads Cafe.

Prominent publishers and broadcasters such as Bennett Coleman, ABP, Jagran Prakashan, Viacom, Star India, Hindu Group, and Zee Entertainment have also found a spot in the shortlist. On the content front, names like Hogarth Studios, Publicis Production, and Ryde Studio stood out. A new wave of talent is also making headlines, with start-up agencies like Y&H, tgthr, Brave, and Believe Trinity gaining recognition.

Ajay Kakar, Chairman of the Awards Governing Council, commented, “The shortlist for the ABBY Awards 2025 — across both Creative and Media categories—is now out. It’s heartening to see the breadth and diversity of agencies, clients, brands, publishers, and broadcasters who have made it through the first round of rigorous jury evaluation. This wide representation is a reflection of the vibrancy and depth of talent in our industry. With the second and third rounds of judging ahead, we now look forward to seeing the best rise to the top. All roads lead to the awards nights between 21 and 23 May.”