CeraVe and Heinz headline Kantar 2026 winners

Kantar has announced the winners of its 2026 Advertising Effectiveness Awards, recognising campaigns that demonstrate measurable impact based on consumer response.

The awards span four categories — campaigns, digital and social, TV, and print and outdoor — with 36 brands recognised. Among the winners are CeraVe and Heinz, reflecting a mix of creative approaches and media strategies.

A new category highlights integrated campaigns

This year introduces a campaigns category, designed to reflect the growing alignment between creative execution and media planning. The inaugural winner is Electronic Arts for its Japan campaign promoting Apex Legends S22.

The campaign stood out for its channel strategy, prioritising PlayStation, streaming, and social platforms over broadcast TV, with each channel reinforcing the others to build cumulative impact.

Key lessons from winning campaigns

The awards, based on Kantar’s media and creative effectiveness data alongside expert evaluation, point to three themes shaping high-performing advertising.

Blurring lines between creators and celebrities

Campaigns increasingly combine influencer and celebrity roles. CeraVe’s TikTok activity featured Anwar Jibawi in a reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet, while a Hellmann's campaign included a cameo from Sydney Sweeney, extending its reach beyond a Super Bowl TV placement through creator-led content.

Balancing heritage with contemporary relevance

Several winners demonstrate how established brand assets can be adapted for current audiences. Heinz secured the top TV award with a campaign revisiting its It has to be Heinz platform, while Volkswagen Australia drew on its 1960s print heritage to introduce the Tayron model.

Consistency across channels drives results

Campaigns that aligned messaging across multiple touchpoints delivered stronger outcomes. Savanna Premium Cider was recognised in both TV and print/outdoor categories for its Steve Jobe & The Department of Unnecessary Innovation campaign.

Vera Sidlova, global creative director, Kantar: "With AI making it possible for marketing teams to churn out content at unprecedented speed and scale, it’s more important than ever for CMOs to understand what’s actually effective. Otherwise, brands are simply adding to the noise rather than making decisions with confidence. Our winners offer clear lessons from the world’s most effective campaigns, whether that’s putting your brand at the heart of culture, refreshing a proven idea from your back catalogue, or joining the dots between channels to create campaigns that are more than the sum of their parts."

Karen Owen, chief growth officer, European and Pacific Developed Markets, Kraft Heinz: "At Heinz, we approach campaigns by first establishing an overarching idea that serves as the red thread through all our communications. We then identify what matters most to consumers at different touchpoints, ensuring our message connects effectively everywhere. For this campaign, we focused on what we call 'irrational love' for Heinz. It's about those moments when consumers are so lost in enjoying their Heinz tomato ketchup-loaded hotdog - to take this example - that they are not paying attention to anything else around. It's about the true, authentic connection which consumers are telling us they have with our brands."

Recognising effectiveness at scale

Kantar also presented its Effectiveness at Scale award to The Coca-Cola Company, citing the company’s consistent performance across campaigns evaluated throughout 2025.

The awards highlight a broader shift in advertising toward integrated strategies that combine creative strength with channel coordination to deliver measurable business outcomes.

The full list can be accessed here

www.kantar.com

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