We’ve done it again: Equator named Agency of the Year at the Vertex Awards
We couldn’t be more delighted to share some exciting news. For the second year running, Equator has been named ‘Agency of the Year’ at the Vertex Awards for the second consecutive year, marking our sixth Agency of the Year title overall and topping off an extraordinary haul of 24 wins, including 23 individual project awards.
Even better, we’re celebrating alongside our brilliant client The Fresh Market, who also retained their ‘Retailer of the Year’ accolade – becoming the first retailer to achieve the title two years in a row. Back-to-back wins for both of us. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Why the Vertex Awards matter to us
There are plenty of awards in our industry, but the Vertex Awards are special. They don’t just reward beautiful packaging – they celebrate strategic thinking, genuine consumer insight and creative work that actually performs at shelf. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to every day, so being recognised at this level, two years in a row, means a great deal to everyone here.
The Fresh Market: 15 wins and counting
The bulk of our haul – 15 awards in total – came from our ongoing work with The Fresh Market, spanning everything from pasta and sparkling water to fresh seafood dips across their Everyday Extraordinary and Chef Inspired ranges.
One of our personal highlights was the Silver-winning design for The Fresh Market’s refillable aluminium water bottle. We developed flowing, wavy line illustrations that create real movement across the format – the kind of design that stops you in your tracks. Also picking up Silver were the Everyday Extraordinary Asian sauces, where a bold paintbrush stroke background adds texture and depth, with colours carefully selected to bring each individual flavour to life.
Michelle Beck, Director of Own Brands Merchandising at The Fresh Market, put it perfectly: “We chose Equator as a creative partner because they love our brand as much as we do and share our vision to see it succeed. Our packaging is now delighting and captivating our guests in store.”
A great year across the board
Beyond The Fresh Market, it was a brilliant year right across our client portfolio.
Aldi UK’s Halloween limited-edition range earned both Gold and Silver – the Halloween Aaahmazing!! design system we built landed exactly where we wanted it: playful, family-friendly and full of seasonal personality. Meijer took home two Golds, recognising the redesigns of their Grand Gourmet kitchenware brand and LawnScape lawn care range – two very different briefs, both elevated to credible premium challengers in their categories.
Morrisons earned Gold for their new pre-mixed canned cocktail range – a vibrant identity unlike anything else on their shelves – while Co-op’s Irresistible Alvarinho wine picked up Silver for its contemporary, refined look (we’ll raise a glass to that one). Bronze wins rounded out the haul for Aldi US’s Barissimo advent calendar and Sam’s Club’s silver rum, with its clean, confident Caribbean-rooted design.
What this means to us
Awards are always gratifying, but what really makes us proud is knowing that these designs don’t just win in a judging room – they win at shelf, where it actually counts.
As our SVP & Global Creative Lead Michael Duffy put it: “To retain Agency of the Year for the second consecutive year is a tremendous honour. It’s a reflection of the commitment our team brings every single day, and the trusted partnerships we have with brands who believe, as we do, that packaging can be a genuine driver of growth.”
A huge thank you to the Vertex Awards, and to every client whose ambition and trust makes work like this possible. Here’s to more of it.
