Scentre Group’s Westfield Olympics and Paralympics – Your Local Games Village campaign has been awarded the 2025 Sabina Rust Memorial Prize for Campaign of the Year at the Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) Marketing Awards. The awards event held at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney on Thursday 30 October, celebrated creativity, innovation, and excellence in shopping centre marketing across Australia.
The winning campaign brought the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games directly to communities across Australia and New Zealand. Westfield partnered with the Australian and New Zealand Olympic and Paralympic Teams to create a Local Games Village, featuring live site activations, interactive activities, and athlete meet-and-greets. Retail partners engaged customers through themed promotions, giveaways, and in-store events, while digital strategies extended the campaign’s reach, driving record-breaking engagement.
Key results from the campaign included:
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Almost 900,000 visitors to live sites
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3.4 million digital interactions
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Record-breaking engagement in Westfield’s membership program
“Marketing is a cornerstone of how we connect with our customers, our retailers and the communities we serve. It’s what brings our centres to life, week in and week out,” said Elliott Rusanow, Chair of the SCCA and CEO of Scentre Group.
“It’s a privilege to acknowledge and congratulate this year’s nominees, finalists, and winners. Our Awards program celebrates your creativity, your commitment and the impact you make. The Gala Dinner is a special opportunity to recognise and honour achievements among teams, colleagues and friends.”
The runner-up for the Sabina Rust Memorial Prize was presented to Melbourne Central’s Clothing The Gaps Pop-Up Experience campaign. In partnership with the Aboriginal-owned social enterprise Clothing The Gaps, the campaign delivered CTG’s first-ever pop-up store in an Australian shopping centre, alongside a monumental Shot Tower projection, a Smoking Ceremony, and a Yarning Circle. Fully funded to amplify First Nations voices, the activation reached 4.7 million people and drove a 7 per cent uplift in traffic, reflecting Melbourne Central’s long-term commitment to supporting First Nations brands year-round.
This year’s awards received 180 nominations, highlighting the energy and innovation across the shopping centre marketing industry. A panel of independent judges, including Alistair Brown (Head of Marketing and Creative, Tarocash), Lucie Jansen (Chief Investment Officer, Spark Foundry), and Louise Laing (VP, USA Marketing, Intrepid Travel), assessed entries across multiple categories.
The Sabina Rust Memorial Prize, now in its 10th year, was established in honour of Sabina Rust following her passing in 2014, and recognises campaigns demonstrating outstanding marketing achievement in Australia’s retail sector.
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