2026 Finalists
Top scoring finalists for each category are listed in no particular order.
Branding:
SD County Power Brand Refresh
Vacancy
Hyphn Pulse Vol. 5. Connection is the New KPI.
Cause Marketing/Non-Profit: In-House
The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank
Food Bank/Intesa Fight Summer Hunger
San Diego Unity Fund
Carlsbad Educational Foundation & Groundmaking
Robopuffs Rising: Powering the Future of STEM Through Story, Equity, and Impact
Cause Marketing/Non-Profit: Agency
J. Walcher Communications + Jewish Family Service of San Diego
Jewish Family Service x J. Walcher Communications: Filling the Gap: Emergency Drive-Thru Food Relief
10 Years of Belonging: Reigniting Donor Engagement for PANA’s Next Chapter
CHOC Walk 2025
Digital Marketing
CHOC Research Institute Awareness Campaign
Visit Rainier – Pierce County 2025 Tourism Campaign
Enlyte Pharmacy Solutions Drug Trends
Mixte Communications + BoatUS Foundation
Before You Boat: A Digital Campaign for Smarter Boating
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
MMIP San Diego: Elevating Indigenous Voices
Verily Storyworks Champions Jim Thorpe’s Story
SEAL English Language Arts/Development (ELA/ELD) Campaign
Event Marketing
San Diego International Airport
San Diego International Airport’s New T1: Opening Gala Celebration
SeaWorld Summer Spectacular Concert Series
San Diego Tourism Authority + Visit Oceanside + Visit Carlsbad
A Taste of the San Diego Region: Exclusive Dinner at Platform by the James Beard Foundation
Experiential Marketing
San Diego Tourism Authority + Disney CreativeWorks
SDTA x Nat Geo ‘Portraits of San Diego: A Culture of Happiness’
SeaWorld Summer Spectacular Concert Series
Winter Wonderland at Lakehouse Resort
Snow at Town and Country Resort
Influencer Marketing
The Creator First Influencer Model
Huey Magoo’s Influencer Campaign Turns Tenders into Trends
The Shipyard + San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Influencer Campaign
Integrated Campaign: Agency
The Shipyard + San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Join the Herd
Islands Restaurant + Bachelor in Paradise
Shea For Real Life
Integrated Campaign: In-House
OOLY x Peanuts Collection
Send Face Pics Instead
Fifty & Forward: Campaign for the Next 50 Years
Public Relations: Agency
Clearpoint Ensures Consistent, Top-Tier Media Coverage for Options Data Provider in U.S. & Internationally
Curebound Concert for Cures: Elton John Supports Ticket Sales and Mission
Father’s Joe’s Villages & Mixte Communications
Owning the Narrative: Elevating Father Joe’s Villages as a Trusted Voice on Homelessness
Public Relations: In-House
Game On Capturing Mexico’s Sports Tourism
Hyphn Pulse Vol. 5, Connection is the New KPI
University of San Diego College of the Arts and Sciences
USD Arts & Sciences Magazine
SEO/SEM:
From Invisible in Google and AI Search to Top Ranking in 60 Days
From Page 5 to Page 1: How SolarTech Built a 30x Organic Growth Engine
Turning Search into Scalable Revenue
Bagmasters: Full-Funnel Paid Media Transformation
Social Media:
Small Budget, Big Impact: Building Awareness for Carlsbad’s Educational Foundation
University of San Diego College of Arts and Sciences
USD Honors Program Social Media
Right Message, Right Moment: How the Flower Fields Spent Less and Earned More
Video
The Shipyard x San Diego Tourism Authority
SDTA ‘Guides to the Kids Stuff’
San Diego International Airport
Taking Flight: A Live Cinematic Opening for Terminal 1
The Shipyard x San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Join the Herd – San Diego Zoo & Safari Park
Website: Agency
27% More Traffic, 37% More Leads. One Smarter Website.
The Humanization of Data: Creating a Digital Platform for Global Pancreatic Cancer Research
From Static Listings to a Scalable Coffee Marketplace
Website: In-House
Retirement Center Website Transformation
The New SanDiego.org
San Diego International Airport
A Digital Transformation of SAN.org
Best of Show
Best of Show will be awarded on May 21 to the highest scoring entry across all categories.
Agency of the Year Nominees
Marketer of the Year Nominees
Jen Pellegrini, Illumina
Mike Matamala, Enlyte
Steve Marcou, SolarTech
Theresa Nakata, San Diego Foundation
Trailblazer of the Year Nominees
Giselle Campos, InnoVision Marketing Group
Karen Devlin, Ignite Visibilty
Khalil Kanbar, Kanbar Digital
Top scoring finalists for each category are listed in no particular order.
Student Project Creative: Individual
Regina Gonzalez
USD AMA Website
Hannah Hajj
Bitchin’ Grip
Zadie Nguyen
USD Career Development Center – Summer Internship Award Magazine
Student Project Creative: Group
Lauren Nutter
WavePoint Marketing: Operation Fleet Science Center
Talia Proctor
MCG Campaign for the San Diego Air and Space Museum
Julianna Guel, Nahomi Garcia, Naomi Bradford, Georgia Russell, Monique Anne Dedicatoria
The Ordinary AI App
Student Project Digital Marketing: Individual
Isabella VanderYacht
Casa de Amparo
Hannah Hajj
Bitchin’ Grip
Kristiana Phillips
USD Pre-Vet Club Video
Student Project Digital Marketing: Group
Annitha Krishnan, Giovanna Morales
Classy Casita’s Sip & Swap Event
Bella Stone, Kristiana Phillips
My CAS Story: Briana Burton
Taylor Peet
Formed
Student Project Marketing Research & Strategy: Individual
Zadie Nguyen
Stylara: Transforming TV Advertising from Intuition to Data-Driven Growth
Riley Gustus
Akinyi Digital Marketing Plan
Amanda Awaya
Akinyi Digital Marketing Plan
Student Project Marketing Research & Strategy: Group
Avery Felter
Depop Marketing Campaign
Isabelle VanderYacht
Maritime Museum of San Diego Marketing Plan
Maha Al Sager
How Can Stanley Maintain its Current Popularity and Continue to Grow Against its Competitors
Thank You to all 2026 Participants.
We extend our deepest gratitude to every participant who submitted their work. This year brought a record-breaking number of entries, each reflecting an exceptional level of creativity, strategy, and execution.
The caliber of submissions set a new standard, and the margin between winners was remarkably close—proof of the extraordinary talent within our community.
Thank you for raising the bar and inspiring what’s next.