Transform excited to announce shortlist for North America 2025
Back for an eleventh year, the Transform Awards North America remains the only awards programme on the continent dedicated to celebrating the transformative power of rebranding and brand development.
Last year’s Transform Awards – a pulsating event hosted at the Edison Ballroom in New York City – reflected the transformative power of brand strategy, creativity and design throughout North America.
West Loop Community Organization (WLCO) and Landor, the big winners on that occasion, set the bar high for this year’s cohort of shortlisted entries. Winning the highly coveted ‘Grand Prix’ award, Transform judges marvelled at the project’s remarkable creativity.
Those who made the cut for the 2025 shortlisted will also aim to emulate the success of last year’s ‘Best Overall Identity Award’ winner, LEGO and Interbrand, which followed up that feat by taking home a further four gold trophies.
While all categories are expected to be highly competitive, sparks will fly in ‘Best Use of Copy Style or Tone of Voice’ and ‘Best Strategic or Creative Development of a New Brand’, which play host to as many as seven shortlisted projects. Other categories to keep an eye on include ‘Best Brand Experience’, ‘Best Creative Strategy (Business)’ and ‘Best Audio Brand’.
Each entry was examined by a panel of expert judges who hailed from amongst the region’s top companies, including Microsoft, Netflix and PwC. The judges focused on creativity, innovation, strategic excellence and implementation when determining the best entries throughout each category.
“It was a joy to help chair the judging for the Transform Awards North America and to see firsthand just how excited our judges are about this year’s entries,” says Transform magazine editor Jack Cousins. “The process has teed up what’s set to be another fantastic night in New York City, where the design industry will come together to celebrate the transformative power of rebranding and brand development.
“And let’s not forget our fantastic daytime conference, Transform Live North America 2025, also taking place at the Edison Ballroom. Be sure you grab your tickets now!”
The winners of the Transform Awards North America will be announced at the iconic Edison Ballroom in New York City on October 8. Reserve your table now.
The full shortlist is as follows:
CONTENT
Best Use of a Visual Property
Ladybird and Nimblebot
Prime Data Centers and Starfish Co.
TOI and Living Group
Viiota and Starfish Co.
Yum! Brands and ROWE
Best Brand Architecture Solution
Cargill and Vivaldi Group
CRISIL and Starfish Co.
LS Power and Prophecy
Best Use of Copy Style or Tone of Voice
Axinn and Living Group
Endura and Reed Words
Fairfax County and Monigle
Microsoft 50th Anniversary – Change needs makers
Rize Credit Union and London Los Angeles
Schneider Electric and Creative Business Company
West Monroe and Monigle
Best Brand Experience
Google and Work & Co
Microsoft 50th Anniversary – Change needs makers
Microsoft Pride – Radical Joy
Microsoft Voter Registration – Be part of something bigger
PUMA and SGK
Yum! Brands and ROWE
Best Wayfinding or Signage
ING and Teneo
New York State Parks and Wiedemann Lampe
New York University and Via Collective, Incorporated
Sidewalk RED and Fathom Studio
Best Place Brand
Downtown Denver Partnership and DNCO
Fairfax County and Monigle
PROCESS
Best Internal Communications During a Brand Development Project
Adams & Reese and Starfish Co.
New York Golf Club and Landor
Best Implementation of a Brand Development Project
Ara Partners and Bladonmore
Axinn and Living Group
Flexcon and MetaDesign GmbH
New York Golf Club and Landor
Sizzler and Tavern Agency
Yum! Brands and ROWE
STRATEGY
Best Creative Strategy (Business)
Axinn and Living Group
Confluent Health and Brandpie
Fairfax County and Monigle
Schneider Electric and Creative Business Company
Yum! Brands and ROWE
Best Creative Strategy (Consumer)
Lobos 1707 and Landor
Plano, by Pure Fishing, Inc. and BOLTGROUP
Ugly Stik, by Pure Fishing, Inc. and BOLTGROUP
Vanity Fair Lingerie and M+C Saatchi Consulting
Best Creative Strategy (Corporate)
Baxter International and Starfish Co.
CopperPoint Insurance Companies and Dappersmith
HMH
Best Brand Evolution (Business)
BrainCheck and MetaDesign GmbH
Confluent Health and Brandpie
Flexcon Company, Inc. and MetaDesign GmbH
Onpoint and Fazer
Resmed and Monigle
Best Brand Evolution (Consumer)
Cuisinart and MetaDesign GmbH
Feast and Joe Smith
General Mills, Inc.
Orangetheory Fitness and DesignStudio
The New York Historial and Lippincott
Best Brand Evolution (Corporate)
Bank of America and Lippincott
Belden and Joe Smith
Bluetooth and Tenet Partners
Lincoln Financial and Lippincott
LS Power and Prophecy
Recycled Materials Association and maslansky + partners
Best Strategic or Creative Development of a New Brand
Access and Fazer
BRE Hotels & Resorts and Brand Bureau
Concacaf & Utag, for Concacaf Kick-Off
Elimini and Lippincott
New York Golf Club and Landor
North City and DNCO
Prime Data Centers and Starfish Co.
Best Development of a New Brand Within an Existing Brand Portfolio
Concacaf and WildPigs
Hormel and Smith Design
Microsoft Copilot Expression
Yum! Brands and ROWE
Best Naming Strategy (New Name)
Candescent and Landor
Coinstar and HLK
Johnson & Johnson MedTech and Landor
Yum! Brands and ROWE
Best Naming Strategy (Rename)
Onvida Health and Monigle
Precision AQ and DeSantis Breindel
TYPE
Best Corporate Rebrand Following a Merger or Acquisition
BDT & MSD and Fifty Thousand Feet
Certerra and Design By Structure
Cohesity and The Marketing Practice
CopperPoint Insurance Companies and Dappersmith
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock and Agenda
Best Brand Development Project to Reflect a Change of Mission, Values or Positioning
Ara Partners and Bladonmore
Ascot and Prophecy
Bluetooth and Tenet Partners
ZACH Theater and Northbound
Best Brand Consolidation
CRISIL and Starfish Co.
The Baldwin Group
Best Digital Transformation
Ara Partners and Bladonmore
LS Power and Prophecy
Practising Law Institute and Work & Co
Best Employer Brand
Pariveda Solutions and Sustena, a Pariveda Company
AUDIO
Best Audio Brand
Amica with why do birds and Mother
Docusign and amp
General Mills / Pillsbury and Made Music Studio
Maybelline New York and Sixième Son USA
Northwell Health and Audio UX
Uber and amp
Best Sonic Brand Activation
Marantz and Sonicbrand
Maybelline New York and Sixième Son USA
TD and Sixième Son Canada
Best Sonic Brand Evolution
BACARDÍ and RESISTER
Mastercard and amp
Sound of Shell Team
WRAPPED
Best Use of Packaging (Print and Card)
ANSA Coatings and Brandology Amsterdam
S.M. Jaleel and Brandology Amsterdam
Best Use of Packaging (Other)
Jamesons RTD Pernod Ricard and JDO Global
PepsiCo – Gatorade AI Bottle
PepsiCo – Gatorade Rookie Bottle
Best Use of Packaging (Limited Edition)
ANGOSTURA MIZKAN and JDO Global
Dove Unilever and JDO Global
PepsiCo – Doritos and Feira Preta
PepsiCo – Gladiator II
SECTOR
Best Visual Identity by a Charity, NGO or Not-For-Profit
American Library Association and Landor
Britt and Fiasco
Humane World for Animals and Lippincott
ZACH Theater and Northbound
Best Visual Identity from the Education Sector
HMH
Pearson and Landor
Practising Law Institute and Work & Co
Best Visual Identity from the Energy, Engineering and Utilities Sector
Enerflex and DeSantis Breindel
Greenlane and Lippincott
LS Power and Prophecy
Best Visual Identity from the Financial Services Sector
Bank of America and Lippincott
Carter Bank
Lincoln Financial and Lippincott
Rize Credit Union and London Los Angeles
Best Visual Identity from the FMCG Sector
Colgate-Palmolive
General Mills, Inc.
PepsiCo – Gatorade Hydration Booster
Best Visual Identity from the Food and Beverage Sector
Lobos 1707 and Landor
Redbreast and WMH&I
Yum! Brands and ROWE
Best Visual Identity from the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Sector
BrainCheck and MetaDesign GmbH
Confluent Health and Brandpie
Onpoint and Fazer
Onvida Health and Monigle
Viiota and Starfish Co.
Best Visual Identity from the Hospitality Sector
Becca and Prophecy
BRE Hotels & Resorts and Brand Bureau
Sizzler and Tavern Agency
Best Visual Identity from the Industrial and Agricultural Sector
Bayer and HLK
Flexcon Company, Inc. and MetaDesign GmbH
Best Visual Identity from the Professional Services (Advisors and Consultants)
CRISIL and Starfish Co.
Prosek and Prophecy
West Monroe and Monigle
Best Visual Identity from the Professional Services (Legal and Accountancy)
Adams & Reese and Starfish Co.
Axinn and Living Group
Practising Law Institute and Work & Co
Best Visual Identity from the Retail Sector
Cuisinart and MetaDesign GmbH
Feast and Joe Smith
Ferrous Lighting and Fazer
Best Visual Identity from the Sports and Leisure Sector
New York Golf Club and Landor
Orangetheory Fitness and DesignStudio
Shakespeare, by Pure Fishing, Inc. and BOLTGROUP
Superfeet and MLTI NYC
Best Visual Identity from a Startup
SendVia and Agenda
TOI and Living Group
Best Visual Identity from the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Sector
Bluetooth and Tenet Partners
Cicero and Agenda
GameStop and WMH&I
Prime Data Centers and Starfish Co
Best Visual Identity from the Travel and Tourism Sector
Travly and Fazer
Visit Greater Palm Springs (VGPS) and Starfish Co.
There is no shortlist for the Grand prix. Everyone shortlisted is eligible and the winner will be announced at a very special awards ceremony on 8 October, at Edison Ballroom, New York.
