2026 Winner
GoldHealth and Wellness Education and Advocacy
SilverSocial Media
SilverFilm Single
SilverCampaign Led by PR
SilverBranded Content
SilverInfluencer/Talent Marketing
White Ribbon
"My Friend, Max Hate"
Bensimon Byrne/Narrative XPR
"My Friend, Max Hate"
Bensimon Byrne/Narrative XPR
Online misogyny is increasingly shaping how young men understand masculinity, yet
many adults remain unaware of its influence. “My Friend, Max Hate” set out to expose
this hidden dynamic by making it visible and emotional. The campaign centred on a
short film following a young boy drawn into the orbit of a charismatic puppet influencer
who subtly promotes harmful beliefs, illustrating how algorithm-driven content can
normalize misogyny through humour, relatability and repetition. Designed to live natively
on platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, the work blurred the line between
fiction and real influencer content, sparking debate and engagement within the same
environments where these ideas spread. The campaign generated over 3M views, a
52% engagement rate and 99% positive sentiment, while driving a national conversation
around media literacy, masculinity and the cultural impact of online influence.
many adults remain unaware of its influence. “My Friend, Max Hate” set out to expose
this hidden dynamic by making it visible and emotional. The campaign centred on a
short film following a young boy drawn into the orbit of a charismatic puppet influencer
who subtly promotes harmful beliefs, illustrating how algorithm-driven content can
normalize misogyny through humour, relatability and repetition. Designed to live natively
on platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, the work blurred the line between
fiction and real influencer content, sparking debate and engagement within the same
environments where these ideas spread. The campaign generated over 3M views, a
52% engagement rate and 99% positive sentiment, while driving a national conversation
around media literacy, masculinity and the cultural impact of online influence.
Credits
Chief Creative Officer: Joseph BonniciAgency Producer: Michelle Pilling
Executive Creative Director: Debbie Chan
Creative Director: David Mueller
Associate Creative Director: Ana Segurajauregui Sanchez
Art Directors: Zoë Gray
Writer: Nate Houseley
Senior Strategist: Pat Martini
Program Director: Oliver Glover
Account Director: Cole Douglas
Senior Account Manager: Samantha Sartor
Account Manager: Kanishka Punjabi
Account Manager: Aaron Short
Executive Producer: Amanda Morrison
Director: Angie Bird
Director of Photography: Mat Barkley
Line Producer: Kailey Shanque
Producer (Offline): Sam McLaren
Editor (Offline): Michelle Czuker
Editor Assist (Offline): Matt Blakely
Producer (Online): Andrew Tavares
Editors (Online): Saba Zahir, David Whiteson
Colourist: Eric Whipp
Shoot/Edit (Social): Marco Libretti
Producer (Audio): Julia Vasiliev
Director (Audio): Jared Kuemper :Marcel Hidalgo, Tyler Young
Engineers: Jared Kuemper, Marcel Hidalgo, Tyler Young
Editorial Company: Rooster Post Production
Editor: Michelle Czukar
Assistant Editor: Matt Blakley
Editorial Executive Producer: Sam McLaren
Production Company: Westside
Producer: Kailey Shanque
Agency: Bensimon Byrne
ECD: Debbie Chan
Creative Director: David Mueller
ACD: Ana Segurajauregui Sanchez
Copywriter: Nate Houseley
Director of Production: Michelle Pilling
Online & Colour Company: Alter Ego
Online Artist: David Whiteson
Executive Producer: Hilda Pereira
Senior Producer: Andrew Tavares
Music & Audio Company: Berkeley Inc.