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# Uber Eats wins Australia's Grand Effie as Special takes agency title
- URL: https://www.promptthemarket.com/uber-eats-wins-australias-grand-effie-special-agency-title/
- Published: 2026-10-11T19:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-11T18:59:59.000Z
- Description: The delivery brand and its agency also took the top US prize in May. McDonald's was named advertiser of the year in the week it pulled its Birdie ad.
- Author: Editor News
- Tags: Advertising, Australia, Uber Eats, #author-xaviery-malinao

By **Xaviery Malinao** · 2026-10-11

TLDR

Uber Eats won the 2026 Australian Grand Effie with Special Australia, which was also named Effective Agency of the Year. Special US and Uber Eats won the US Grand Effie in May for a separate campaign. McDonald's Australia was named Effective Advertiser of the Year.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Special Australia won both the Grand Effie and Effective Agency of the Year at a single ceremony on 9 October 2026.

02Judges cited growth in revenue, market share and profit return on investment.

03Special US and Uber Eats also won the US Grand Effie in May, for a separate campaign.

04McDonald's Australia was named Effective Advertiser of the Year, worked on by Wieden+Kennedy, Akcelo and OMD.

05Advertising Council Australia chief executive Tony Hale said entries hit a record this year.

Uber Eats won the Grand Effie at the Australian Effie Awards in Sydney on Friday night, and its agency, Special Australia, was named Effective Agency of the Year.[\[1\]](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/news/2026-australian-effie-award-winners-announced/?ref=promptthemarket.com)

The winning entry, How Uber Eats Embraced "Almost" to Become an "Anything" Delivery Brand, also took Gold in the Long-Term Effects category for services and retail.[\[2\]](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/List%5FAustralian-Effie-Winners-2026-1.pdf?ref=promptthemarket.com)

"In an industry increasingly focused on short-term results, Uber Eats showed the conviction to back long-term brand building," the jury said.[\[1\]](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/news/2026-australian-effie-award-winners-announced/?ref=promptthemarket.com)

Judges pointed to growth in revenue, market share and profit return on investment, and to the way the brand moved beyond takeaway food without losing its identity, Mumbrella reported.[\[3\]](https://mumbrella.com.au/uber-eats-takes-the-2026-grand-effie-940409?ref=promptthemarket.com)

A 2026 spot in the "Get almost, almost anything" campaign, with Jim Courier, from Uber Eats' YouTube channel.

## The same pairing won in New York

It's the second Grand Effie for Uber Eats and Special this year. Special US won the top prize at the US Effies in New York on 27 May for Uber Eats' "Football is for Food".[\[4\]](https://www.thestable.com.au/effies-us-winners-grand-effie-to-special-us-mischief-no-fixed-address-is-most-effective-agency/?ref=promptthemarket.com)

The two are separate campaigns, judged by separate juries. Special Australia's own haul on Friday included a Gold for Kitchen Warehouse, How Kitchen Warehouse Mumnipulated Mother's Day, in Media-Led Ideas, plus three Silvers.[\[1\]](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/news/2026-australian-effie-award-winners-announced/?ref=promptthemarket.com)

## McDonald's named top advertiser

McDonald's Australia was named Effective Advertiser of the Year on aggregated scores across winning entries from Wieden+Kennedy, Akcelo and OMD.[\[1\]](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/news/2026-australian-effie-award-winners-announced/?ref=promptthemarket.com)

The title lands in the same week McDonald's [pulled its Birdie ad](https://www.promptthemarket.com/mcdonalds-pulls-birdie-ad-six-weeks-in-after-ruling-it-targets-kids/) six weeks into its run after a ruling that it targeted children.

DiDi ANZ and Sunday Gravy won the new Best New Entrant award, sponsored by Google, for Yes, I took on Goliath, DiDi. Personalised Plates Queensland, with Publicis Australia and Publicis Edge, took Best State, and the Colin Wilson-Brown Award went to Vanuatu Tourism Office, with Apparent and GTI Tourism.[\[1\]](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/news/2026-australian-effie-award-winners-announced/?ref=promptthemarket.com)

Judges handed out seven Golds, 25 Silvers, 35 Bronzes and six special awards, recognising 32 agencies and 33 clients.[\[1\]](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/news/2026-australian-effie-award-winners-announced/?ref=promptthemarket.com)

"A record number of entries this year tells us something important about where the industry is heading," Advertising Council Australia chief executive Tony Hale said.[\[1\]](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/news/2026-australian-effie-award-winners-announced/?ref=promptthemarket.com)

SOURCES & CITATIONS

1. [Advertising Council Australia: 2026 Australian Effie Award winners announced](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/news/2026-australian-effie-award-winners-announced/?ref=promptthemarket.com)
2. [Advertising Council Australia: List of Australian Effie winners 2026 (PDF)](https://advertisingcouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/List%5FAustralian-Effie-Winners-2026-1.pdf?ref=promptthemarket.com)
3. [Mumbrella: Uber Eats takes the 2026 Grand Effie (10 October 2026)](https://mumbrella.com.au/uber-eats-takes-the-2026-grand-effie-940409?ref=promptthemarket.com)
4. [The Stable: Effies US winners (29 May 2026)](https://www.thestable.com.au/effies-us-winners-grand-effie-to-special-us-mischief-no-fixed-address-is-most-effective-agency/?ref=promptthemarket.com)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What did Special Australia win at the 2026 Australian Effie Awards?

Special Australia won the Grand Effie for its Uber Eats 'Almost to Anything' campaign and was also named Effective Agency of the Year on the same night, 9 October 2026.

Why is the 2026 Grand Effie win notable for Special and Uber Eats?

Special US and Uber Eats won the US Grand Effie in May 2026 for 'Football is for Food'. The October Australian win means the same agency network and client held the top effectiveness prize in both countries in the same calendar year, across two separate campaigns and two separate juries.

Who was named Effective Advertiser of the Year?

McDonald's Australia was named Effective Advertiser of the Year, with Wieden+Kennedy, Akcelo and OMD among its listed agency partners.

How many awards were handed out at the 2026 Australian Effies?

Seven Gold, 25 Silver, 35 Bronze and six Special Awards were presented, recognising 32 agencies and 33 clients.

[Xaviery Malinao](https://www.promptthemarket.com/xaviery-malinao/)

Xaviery Malinao writes for Prompt the Market on how brands and agencies are adapting to answer engines, drawing on Bushnote's work with clients across search, AI search and content.