Best Brands Awards 2025: A party between warning and advertising clips

The Best Brands Awards is actually about strong brands. But at this year’s award on Wednesday evening at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, the focus was on politics. While supermodel Elle Macpherson (60) had been on stage last year, this year the former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (39) was invited as a keynote speaker.

In her speech, the social democrat, who was voted out in 2023, is reminiscent of around 550 guests from business, trade and media of the challenges and the “dark” times when we are politically. The threat would come not only with Russia from the East, but also from the West with the new government of the United States, warns it and reminds that US Vice President JD Vance had given his notorious speech at the Munich Security Conference just a few weeks ago. In the same room, in which the prices for the best brands of the year are now awarded.

But at the end of her speech, Sanna Marin tries to encourage those present with a little optimism: “There is hope when we act,” she said. “Hope is best achieved through action.” Finnin also has a tip to Germany’s designated Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “Be brave in your actions. It costs so much more in difficult times.”

TV presenter Linda Zervakis (49), which leads through the evening, then the gallant transition from war and crises succeeds back to Lamborghini and Labello. Because strong brands should actually be honored this evening.

In the subsequent award ceremony, the winners of the Best Brands Awards were able to pick up their trophies on stage between advertising clip and advertising clip. The BMW Group was awarded in the “Best Employer” category, the price in the “Best Brand Genz Food & Beverages” category went to ESN – Elite Sports Nutrition. The Swiss family company Patek Philippe took first place in the “Best Luxury Brand” category and the price for the “Best Brand Overall” went to the traditional brand Nivea as in 2024.

After a get-together in the atrium, the guests were also able to celebrate exuberantly: The Berlin DJ Fritz Kalkbrenner (44) will later transform the Bavarian court into Berghain, Linda Zervakis joked at the beginning of the evening. It didn’t get that wild in the face of the audience, but the melodies of the techno legend also attracted one or the other suit wearer to the dance floor.

Among the celebrants were also celebrities like actors Francis-Fulton Smith (58) or moderator Verena Kerth (43). Sanna Marin was already gone – she had to travel to Zurich in the evening, she said on stage in an interview with “Wirtschaftswoche” editor -in -chief Horst von Buttlar. However, she will still have celebrations this year: Marin will be 40 in November and hopes to be able to celebrate the milestone birthday privately with friends for the first time in a long time, she said.