'Make NZ The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes' Wins Gold at AdFest 2025

The groundbreaking campaign 'Make New Zealand The Best Place In The World To Have Herpes.' for the New Zealand Herpes Foundation has won Gold in the Entertainment Lotus category at AdFest 2025, Asia Pacific’s first major international advertising awards show of the year.

Taking home the only Gold in the Entertainment Lotus category that included finalists from global powerhouses like Netflix, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s is a major moment for a small foundation tackling a big issue.

Launched to break the stigma and change the conversation around herpes, the campaign made international headlines upon release, generating a new type of Herpes conversation. In just eight weeks, it sparked a dramatic shift in public perception, driving open discussion around a topic long considered taboo.

The campaign drove real-world impact at scale. It generated over 22.4 million PR impressions, with more than 10,000 hours of herpes education content watched— equivalent to over a year of continuous viewing. Most importantly, it created measurable change in awareness and stigma levels across New Zealand. With 86%of course participants said they now feel comfortable discussing herpes openly and helping others.

AdFest is held annually in Pattaya, Thailand. Motion Sickness creative director Jordan Stent attended as a jury member and also accepted the award on stage on behalf of Motion Sickness, FINCH, and the New Zealand Herpes Foundation.