ADWEEK can reveal the finalists for the 2026 ADWEEK Media Plan of the Year awards.
For over 20 years, these awards spotlight the media strategy behind the most recognizable campaigns in the world, celebrating teams that ensure a brand’s message is landing with its intended audience.
These finalists have been selected by a jury of industry leaders. The final winners will be published in the August issue of ADWEEK on August 4, 2026.
Congratulations to the agency and brand teams responsible for some of the most impactful media campaigns in the past year.
Media Plan of the Year 2026 Shortlist
Total Campaign (less than $500,000)
- “Fries Compensation” | KFC, Arena Media Spain
- “Turning Awareness Into Appointments During BCAM” | Hologic 3D Mammography, Helen + Gertrude
- “UV Tattoo to Learn” | ISDIN, Havas Play Spain
Total Campaign ($1 Million – $5 Million)
- “For a Fractious Nation, PBS Unites Audiences with Ken Burns” | Public Broadcasting Service, SwellShark
- “Marathon Season” | Nike, Wieden+Kennedy Portland
- “Off the Clock with Indeed, starring Jenny Slate” | Indeed, EssenceMediacom USA
- “Regency Revived” | Audible, Wavemaker
Total Campaign ($5 Million – $10 Million)
- “Breakfast Ketchup” | Kraft Heinz, Carat
- “Hulu’s King of the Hill Revival” | Hulu, Publicis Imagine
- “The Zespri KiwiBrothers” | Zespri, Mindshare USA
- “TurboTax: Respawned” | Intuit TurboTax, Wieden+Kennedy Portland
Total Campaign ($10 Million +)
- “America’s Best Network” T-Mobile, Initiative
- “Born to Run” | Unilever (Dove), Mindshare USA
- “Relax, It’s a Blood Test” | Novartis, Starcom
- “So Win” | Nike, Wieden+Kennedy Portland
Best Cause Marketing Campaign (less than $1 Million)
- “Face the Difference” | Maybelline New York, Bustle Digital Group & Gold House
- “FireCatchers” | Sapeurs-Pompiers de France, Havas Play France
- “The Sensory Sanctuary” | GMF, Havas Play France
Best Cause Marketing Campaign ($1 Million +)
- “Stand Up to All Hate” Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, Mindshare USA
- “Born to Run” | Unilever (Dove), Mindshare USA
- “Making Skills the Main Thing” | Indeed, EssenceMediacom USA
Best Use of AI / Machine Learning
- “Ditching the Algorithm” Humana, Spark Foundry
- “VYVGART Hytrulo PFS: “Precision HCP Media at the point of Decision” | VYVGART Hytrulo, Real Chemistry
- “In-Ad Commerce Module Technology” | Klickly, Klickly, Inc.
Best Use of Alternative Media
- “Greatness is Watching” | Jordan Brand, Wieden+Kennedy Portland
- “Heinz Verified: Turning Consumer Love into B2B Growth” | Kraft Heinz, Salt XC
- “The Wienie 500” | Oscar Mayer, Carat
- “UV Tattoo to Learn” | Isdin, Havas Play Spain
Best Use of Branded Content/Entertainment ($2 Million +)
- “Battlefield 6: The Comeback,” Electronic Arts, Mindshare USA
- “Born to Run” | Unilever (Dove), Mindshare USA
- “Google Search Saves Christmas” | Google, EssenceMediacom USA
- “The Zespri KiwiBrothers” | Zespri, Mindshare USA
Best Use of Experiential (less than $500,000)
- “I.V. O’Clock” | Liquid I.V., Zambezi
- “KFC vs. AI” | KFC, UM
- “RushLUX” | reVive Light Therapy, Lewis
- “The Sensory Sanctuary” | GMF, Havas Play France
Best Use of Experiential ($500,000 +)
- “G.O.A.T. Launch” | Trojan, Wavemaker
- “Kleenex x Mr Doodle” | Kleenex, PHD UK
- “OOH That Plays Back” | The Lego Group, Starcom
- “The Wienie 500” | Oscar Mayer, Carat
Best Use of Insights
- “Fries Compensation” KFC, Arena Media Spain
- “Look Familiar?” Kraft Heinz, Carat
- “Real Spirits Inside” Cutwater Spirits (AB InBev), Starcom
- “Relax, It’s a Blood Test” Novartis, Starcom
Best Use of Out of Home ($500,000 +)
- “Aerie “The REAL Ones” Bra Campaign” Aerie, Ovative Group
- “Look Familiar?” Kraft Heinz, Carat
- “OOH That Plays Back” | The Lego Group, Starcom
- “Think of an Ice Cream” | Frigo, Havas Play Spain
Best Use of Social
- “adidas Football Festival: Winning Gen Z & Alpha on Roblox” | adidas, Gamefam
- “Cultural Brewprint” | The Starbucks Coffee Company, Spark Foundry
- “Vaseline Verified” | Unilever (Vaseline), Mindshare USA
- “Making Skills the Main Thing” | Indeed, EssenceMediacom USA
Best Use of Streaming Media / OTT
- “Booking.Yeehaw” | Booking.com, Mindshare USA
- “FireCatchers” | Sapeurs-Pompiers de France, Havas Play France
- “Making Skills the Main Thing” | Indeed, EssenceMediacom USA
- “We Speak Pork.” | Smithfield, Kelly Scott Madison
Best Use of Voice
- “Coors Light x Unfiltered Soccer” | Molson Coors (Coors Light), Ad Results Media
- “Miller Lite x The Dan Patrick Show” | Molson Coors (Miller Lite), Ad Results Media
- “Never Become a Former New Yorker” | StreetEasy / Zillow, Canvas Worldwide
- “Owning the 2026 Tax Season: A Voice Strategy That Delivered” | Boost Mobile, Ovative Group
Winners in the following categories will be announced with the final list in August:
- Total Campaign $500,000 ($1 Million)
- Best Use of AR/Spatial Computing
- Best Use of Branded Content/Entertainment (less than $500,000)
- Best Use of Branded Content/Entertainment ($1 Million – $2 Million)
- Best International Campaign (non-US) (less than $1 Million)
- Best International Campaign (non-US) ($1 Million +)
