USA
Celebrating Leadership in Asian American Marketing and Advertising: The Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF) has announced the winners of its 2026 Excellence Awards, recognizing marketers, agencies, industry partners and brands whose work has demonstrated creativity, strategic excellence and meaningful engagement with Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) audiences.
The winners were announced at the 3AF Excellence Awards Dinner in New York City, held as part of the 3AF 2026 Asian Marketing Summit, a major national gathering focused on the influence and potential of the Asian American consumer market.
The annual awards recognize campaigns and individuals demonstrating cultural relevance, authentic storytelling, strategic insight, audience connection and measurable results.
Bill Imada Named 3AF Hall of Marketing Legends Honoree
One of the evening’s major honors went to Bill Imada, founder, chairman and chief connectivity officer of IW Group, Inc.
Imada received the 3AF Hall of Marketing Legends Award, which recognizes an individual who has played an instrumental role in 3AF’s success and/or dedicated their professional career to advancing excellence in Asian marketing and advertising.
His recognition highlights the continuing importance of multicultural marketing leadership and the development of strategies that connect brands with Asian American consumers.
Intertrend Takes Multiple Honors
Intertrend emerged as one of the notable agency winners of the evening, receiving recognition in multiple categories.
The agency won 3AF Media Strategy of the Year for its work with Toyota bZ on the campaign “Impress with New bZ.”
The award recognizes effective media strategies targeting AAPI audiences through audience insights, innovative execution and measurable business or brand impact.
Intertrend also won the 3AF Experiential Marketing & Activation Award for its work with China Airlines on “Step into the Clouds.”
The category recognizes campaigns that create immersive and memorable experiences through live events, interactive environments, activations and digital or hybrid experiences.
The agency’s third major recognition came in the Campaign of the Year category, where its California Lottery campaign “Dancing Ahjussi” won the Gold Award.
Mattel Campaign Wins PR, Influencer and Social Campaign of the Year
Ethnicity Matters received the 3AF PR / Influencer / Social Campaign of the Year award for its work with Mattel.
The winning campaign, “Uno, Lights and Laughs,” was recognized for culturally relevant engagement, creative execution and authentic connections with AAPI audiences.
The award reflects the increasingly important role of creators, influencers and social platforms in helping brands communicate with multicultural audiences.
Industry Partner Recognition
The 3AF Industry Partner of the Year honor was presented jointly to Multicultural Marketing Resources and The Association of National Advertisers (ANA).
The category recognizes organizations whose expertise, collaboration and innovation contribute to the development of AAPI-focused marketing strategies and the broader growth of the Asian American advertising industry.
Campaign of the Year Honors
The Campaign of the Year category featured three levels of recognition.
Bronze:
iTalk BB Media for Toyota bZ — “The Key of Memory – Micro Drama”
Silver:
Plan C for Procter & Gamble — “Get Ready for Diwali”
Gold:
Intertrend for the California Lottery — “Dancing Ahjussi”
The awards recognize campaigns that combine creative ideas with cultural relevance, strategic insight, authentic storytelling, innovation, community engagement and measurable impact.
Focus on Cultural Relevance and Measurable Impact
The 2026 awards come at a time when brands and agencies are placing increased attention on the diversity of Asian American audiences and the need for marketing strategies that move beyond generalized multicultural representation.
According to Genny Hom-Franzen, executive director of 3AF, this year’s judging emphasized campaigns that demonstrated a commitment to specific communities and voices, used deeper audience insights and produced measurable results.
“Congratulations to all the marketers working to realize and elevate the Asian American consumer audience opportunity,” Hom-Franzen said. “In a challenging marketing environment, we applaud the effort and the courage to invest.”
She added that judges valued work that was “committed to a particular community and voice,” combined insight with representation and delivered measurable results.
Recognizing the Evolution of Asian American Marketing
The 3AF Excellence Awards cover a broad range of marketing disciplines, reflecting the evolution of the AAPI advertising sector. Categories this year included media strategy, experiential marketing, public relations, influencer and social campaigns, industry partnerships and overall campaign excellence.
Entries were evaluated using category-specific criteria and a formal scoring process by advertising, media and marketing executives, including professionals with experience in Asian American and multicultural consumer segments.
The awards therefore serve not only as an industry recognition program but also as a showcase of the changing approaches brands and agencies are using to connect with AANHPI communities.
About 3AF
The Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF) is focused on advancing the Asian American advertising and marketing industry while increasing understanding of Asian American consumers.
Its activities include research, consumer insights, education, professional development, networking and industry recognition. Through these initiatives, 3AF works to help marketers and organizations develop stronger and more meaningful connections with AAPI audiences.
The 3AF Excellence Awards are among the organization’s signature recognition programs, highlighting strategic thinking, creative excellence, cultural relevance, innovation, community connection and measurable impact across the Asian American marketing and advertising landscape.
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