Creative excellence honoured at Silverback Awards in Kampala

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Uganda’s premier celebration of creativity, the Silverback Awards, returned on Saturday (November 14, 2025) night with its fourth edition at the Golf Course Hotel in Kampala. 

Organised by the Uganda Advertising Association (UAA), the awards recognised outstanding achievements in advertising, marketing, communications, public relations and media across East Africa. Maad McCaan was the biggest winner of the night, with 12 accolades.

Blend, the newest agency on the block, kicked off with gusto. It was recognised for the Isaiah Katumwa 30 Years of Jazz campaign and the EPS Auto-Wrong Number campaign by the works ministry, Uganda Police and Integrated Transport Management System.

Club Pilsener, through Nile Breweries Ltd, together with its creative agency TBWA Uganda, emerged among the night’s standout winners. Their radio advert, “A Lesson in Ugandan Efficiency,” garnered multiple accolades, reaffirming the brand’s creative leadership and the agency’s influence across East Africa’s communication landscape.

The advert earned a Silver award in the Radio category. It went on to dominate the Crafts Awards, taking home Craft Gold and an additional Craft Certificate for Radio and Audio Crafts. The wins highlighted the ingenious use of cultural nuance, sharp execution, and the ability to turn a uniquely Ugandan communication behaviour into powerful brand storytelling.

At the heart of the award-winning craft indicates that Ugandans have a distinctive, incredibly efficient communication style that compresses complex messages into the single syllable “mm.” 

(Courtesy)

"This cultural shorthand, which can express everything from suspicion to excitement to disappointment, became the foundation for the creative idea. TBWA Uganda used this side-by-side placement to position Club Shorty, a smaller-pack variant of Club Pilsener, as the perfect embodiment of “getting the same great outcome from less,” reads a statement released early this week.

The advert’s brilliance added to a growing legacy of using creativity to market Nile Breweries products. Through its long-standing partnership with TBWA Uganda, the brewery has consistently invested in outstanding communication.

TBWA Uganda said the recognition is another milestone in its mission to fuse local insight with outstanding creative strategy, a unique approach that resonates with and appreciates the audience. The partnership with Nile Breweries has continually produced campaigns that resonate with authenticity while pushing conceptual boundaries. “A Lesson in Ugandan Efficiency 2” exemplifies this balance, centred on distinctly Ugandan humour yet executed with sharpness that meets global creative standards.

Launched in 2022, the Silverback Awards were conceived to elevate professional standards and prepare Ugandan talent for global stages, such as the Cannes Lions, where UAA serves as the country’s official representative.

The name draws inspiration from the silverback gorilla, a symbol of strength and leadership, reflecting the awards’ mission to honour industry “godfathers” and trailblazers who have shaped Uganda’s advertising landscape over the past two decades.

Now in its fourth year, the awards have expanded regionally, welcoming entries from Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.

A highlight of the programme was the Young Silverback Competition, which challenged creatives aged 18–30 with fast-paced briefs.

Guest of honour science minister Monica Musenero lauded the role of creativity in shaping Uganda’s international identity.

She noted that Uganda is blessed with an abundance of gifted minds, yet still struggles to project this brilliance to the world.

She emphasised that the evening marked a shift in how the country approaches communication, particularly in highlighting Africa’s scientific and technological breakthroughs. Her remarks re-emphasised the belief that creatives have a critical responsibility to refine and amplify the continent’s most transformative stories.

“I urge everyone to take part in technology for the world has revolved,” she said.

UAA chairperson Jasi Rommel also spoke to the significance of the work celebrated at the awards. He reflected on the immense discipline, collaboration, and often unseen labour that go into producing a successful campaign. Rommel emphasised that these awards honour the “daily grind” behind creative output, noting that innovation usually begins in small, quiet moments before coming to life in public view. His comments served as a reminder that the region’s creative industry is driven not just by inspiration but by consistent, committed craft.

LIST OF THE WINNERS

STUDENT

• Design: The Aesthetic 66.06% (MUK)Nakitto Josemary Kemigisha.
• Digital: Team Meraki 61.45% (MUK) Kwikiriza Abraham Tumwine and
• Film: Locd & Loaded 65.86% (Artfield) lLiadon Mugenyi Lusinga and Kristi Marian Mirembe
• PR: Team Alchemist 70.44% (MUK) Ntege joshua Jonathan and Keinemigisha Elizabeth
• Print: Outlawz 60.36% (Artfield) Bukenya Shafiq and Etimu Jotham.

AGENCY

• Design: Mind Craft (Cocreate)
• Digital: Dream Team (Nomad)
• Marketing: Birdiez (Fireworks)
• Media: Future Cast (Saladin)

BRONZE WINNERS

• Film winner
• The man who would not listen MTN
• Radio and audio
• Ka weekie (Go tv) Maad McCaan
• Public relations category
• Pivot Media and Marketing
• Johnnie walker she walks pivot media and marketing
• Effective Creativity category
• MTN and TBWA (Gaga Everyday)
• Design category
• Maad McCaan Tusker Lite Mr Rwenzori Marathon Kit 2025
• Data and insights
• Maad McCaan ka weekie

SILVER AWARD WINNERS

• Film and film cast
• Gotv ka weekie - Maad McCaan
• Social Good category
• Solooza Always CTA space limited
• Radio and Audio
• A lesson in Ugandan Efficiency 2 TBWA/Uganda
• Integrated campaign
• TBWA/Uganda(Father Christmas side hustle)

GOLD WINNERS

• Radio and Audio Crafts
• A lesson in Ugandan Efficiency
• MTN (man who would not listen)
• Integrated campaign
• Gotv Maad McCaan(ka weekie)
• Social media and Influencer
• Go tv your BFF(football friend) - Maad McCann

SILVER BACK INDIVIDUAL AWARD

• Copywriter of the year — Robert Kizito
• Art Director of the year - Denis Kajura
• Creative Director of the year — Peter Kazibwe
• Marketer of the year — Collin Asiimwe
• Brand of the year — Gotv
• Agency of the year - Maad McCaan
• Grand Prix — Go tv ka weekie