Tourism Australia leads System1’s first Australia ad ranking
Creative effectiveness platform System1 has published its first annual ranking of Australia’s favourite advertisements, with campaigns from Tourism Australia, Australian Lamb and AAMI leading the list.
The 2025 ranking is based on results from System1’s Test Your Ad platform, which measures viewers’ emotional responses to advertising in order to predict commercial impact. According to System1, creatives that generate strong positive emotions are more likely to drive long-term brand growth and sales performance.
How the ranking was measured
Adverts are rated on a 1.0-Star to 5.9-Star scale, with only around 1 percent of creatives achieving a score of five Stars or higher. The average Star Rating for Australian television advertising currently sits at 2.4, indicating modest long-term brand-building potential and representing just under half of all global advertising measured by the platform.
System1 notes that emotional strength is a key differentiator among high-performing ads, particularly in categories that are often considered low interest or functional.
Humour and culture dominate the top ads
A clear pattern across the top ten is a strong reliance on humour and national cultural references. The highest-ranked creatives use witty scripts, recognisable personalities and familiar cultural cues to create advertising that feels distinctly Australian and fosters a sense of belonging.
Well-known figures including tennis player Nick Kyrgios, racing drivers Greg Murphy and Marcus Ambrose, and Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn appear across the top-performing campaigns.
Jon Evans, Chief Consumer Officer at System1: “If there’s one thing Aussies absolutely nail in advertising, it’s humour. It’s the single most effective ingredient for making ads memorable, attention-grabbing and genuinely engaging, and Australians use it unapologetically.”
He added: “The top ten ads we tested in 2025 are packed with wit, exaggeration, cultural tropes and parody. Insurance, car parts and automotive might be some of the most neutral categories on System1’s Test Your Ad Competitive Edge platform, but these campaigns are quirky, human and cut through their categories with ease.”
Evans also confirmed he will headline Cairns Crocodiles 2026, pointing to the strong reputation of Australia’s creative industry for both effectiveness and hospitality.
Australia’s top ten ads of 2025
The ranking is ordered by Star Rating, which reflects long-term brand-building potential. Spike Rating, which indicates short-term sales impact, was used as a tiebreaker where scores were equal.
Quantas | 'Come and Say G’Day with Tourism Australia' – 4.3 Stars
Australian Lamb | The Summer Lamb – 3.9 Stars
AAMI | The AAMI Driving Test – 3.8 Stars
Repco | Bringin’ the Bathurst – 3.7 Stars
Kia | Landing Mid-2025 – 3.7 Stars
GWM | GWM Cannon – 3.7 Stars
Australian Pork | Get Some Pork on Your Fork – 3.4 Stars
Mitsubishi | Long Way to the Top – 3.3 Stars
Myer | Christmas at Myer 2025 – 3.2 Stars
Uber Eats | Democracy Sausage Delivered – 3.2 Stars
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