Distilleri Group Wins Four Awards at Agency of the Year Awards 2026, Led by Sustainability Communications Gold

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Singapore-based ICOM member Distilleri Group has taken home four honours at the Agency of the Year Awards 2026: Gold and Local Hero for Sustainability Communications Agency of the Year, Bronze for Consultant Agency of the Year, and a separate Bronze for SilverStreak SG in the Sustainability Communications category. The Local Hero award recognises the highest-scoring local agency within each category.

Of the four, the Gold means the most to the team. “It is testament to our belief that communications can have a positive impact on society,” said Junren Xiao, General Manager at Distilleri Group.

Distilleri’s award entry made the case that sustainable societies depend as much on active aging, mental wellbeing and social participation as they do on environmental targets. That philosophy shaped several 2025 campaigns: for grovve, Singapore’s first integrated mental wellness centre for youths, the agency’s communications and space design helped reduce barriers to engagement, with the centre recording 13,726 visits against a 6,500 target within nine months, and 62,261 digital interactions against a KPI of 20,000.

For the Agency for Integrated Care’s Age Well campaign, Distilleri reframed retirement not as decline but as continued community participation. The agency also supported the National Council of Social Service on Community Chest, Social Service Tribe and President’s Challenge.

“It wasn’t a deliberate pivot,” Junren said of the agency’s growing sustainability specialism. “Some of the most meaningful opportunities lie in the social dimension — helping organisations build stronger communities, improve wellbeing and create lasting positive impact.” Across Singapore and the wider APAC region, Junren sees stakeholders demanding more than talk:

Communications has evolved from amplifying sustainability initiatives to helping shape them from the outset — ensuring they’re grounded in real human insight, encourage meaningful participation and ultimately build long-term trust.

The Bronze for SilverStreak SG recognised Distilleri’s own investment in Singapore’s ageing population — a platform that has grown to more than 131,000 active users and built highly engaged WhatsApp communities. Since the award entry, SilverStreak ran its first live event, SilverFest, from 3–5 July 2026, bringing together older adults, caregivers, community organisations and brands around healthy living, lifelong learning, financial wellness and social connection. The event drew more than 3,000 visitors, and SilverStreak’s WhatsApp community has since almost doubled in size. The team is already planning to expand the festival — and potentially add satellite festivals across Singapore — in 2027.

The platform’s direction has also been shaped by three senior hires, all over 50, brought on as Business Director, Business Development Manager and Editor. “It worked out exactly as expected,” said Junren. “An authentic take from a silver’s perspective, greater credibility and relatability.” Brand partners including Sony Singapore and Avalon Waterways have already engaged with SilverStreak’s communities, and Distilleri is in advanced talks with another global technology brand for a similar collaboration.

Looking ahead, Junren positions SilverStreak as “a primary source of silver audience insight,” with growth focused on events and festivals alongside the existing content platform.

The Bronze for Consultant Agency of the Year recognised Distilleri’s upstream strategic capabilities — what the agency calls its distillation process: Take (finding the truth behind the brief), Break (reducing problems to their purest form) and Make (building communications that move people). The agency also opened an office in Malaysia on 1 July 2026, expanding its strategic communications offering in the region.

Since launching in 2020, Distilleri has built itself as an integrated communications consultancy, and Junren sees this year’s wins — spanning creative, social, PR, events and now consultancy — as proof the agency is delivering on that original vision.

“This award is also a reminder of the value of sharing ideas across markets,” said Junren. “While every country faces different social challenges, we all share the opportunity — and responsibility — to use communications as a force for positive change. We look forward to continuing those conversations and learning from one another.”

Congratulations to the entire Distilleri Group team on this well-deserved recognition.