Global creative festival celebrates standout work across advertising, branding, digital, media, craft and positive impact
The White Square International Festival of Creativity has announced the winners of its 2026 edition, celebrating a new generation of creative work that combines bold ideas, strategic thinking, innovation and strong execution.
This year’s festival received 1,115 entries from 40 countries, with submissions representing Europe, North and Latin America, the MENA region, Asia, Africa and other markets around the world. The international response further underlines White Square’s position as a global platform for creative excellence and industry exchange.
The festival brought together eight international jury line-ups covering Branding, Marketing & Digital, Creative, Craft, Media, Mass Media, Clients and Grand Jury. Jurors represented more than 45 countries and included experienced practitioners and award-winning professionals from across the global creative industry.
Two Campaigns Take the White Square 2026 Grand Prix
The top honour of the festival went to two standout campaigns:
“Whiskas® loCATor” — Ogency / Jam / CITIX
and
“Dalah’s Spoiler Billboard” — VML Thailand
Both campaigns demonstrated how creative ideas can turn everyday media and consumer behaviour into engaging brand experiences.
“Whiskas® loCATor” also received Best of Contest in Media, highlighting the strength of its media strategy and execution. The campaign won Gold for Use of Media, Digital Tools, and several other categories across the festival.
“Dalah’s Spoiler Billboard” was similarly one of the festival’s strongest performers, taking Best of Contest in Efforts & Achievements as well as Gold awards for Brand Experience & Activation, Live Advertising & Events, and Print/Outdoor Media.
Best of Contest Winners
Beyond the two Grand Prix winners, White Square 2026 recognized outstanding projects across its major competition areas.
The Best of Contest, Creative award went to “For Winning Tomatoes, It Has To Be HEINZ.” by Heaven&Hell.
The Best of Contest, Marketing Services award was awarded to “Humanity Chain” by Progression CA.
“Whiskas® loCATor” also took Best of Contest, Media.
In Craft, “The Wings of Love” by Zebra Hero was selected as Best of Contest, while “Labyrinth” by Voskhod and “SOS Songs” by Binder were recognized in Mass Media.
Meanwhile, “Dalah’s Spoiler Billboard” was named Best of Contest in Efforts & Achievements.
Creativity Meets Real-World Impact
The winners reflect a broader shift in the creative industry toward ideas that go beyond traditional advertising formats.
Several of the year’s strongest campaigns combine technology, media innovation, social purpose and cultural relevance. White Square noted that the winning work demonstrates how creativity can create lasting value for brands while influencing markets, culture and society.
Among the notable examples is “Garuda Rakshak” by Dentsu Creative India, which won Gold in Innovations and Gold in Social Projects. The work also received a Silver in Technology and a Bronze in Brand Loyalty.
“The Uncomfortable Cup” by Showpony was another standout, winning Gold in Health & Safety, Brand Experience & Activation and Low Budget Campaign categories.
In environmental communications, “The Breathing Wall” by FCB Almaty earned Silver in the Environment category, while also receiving recognition in Print & Outdoor and Communication.
Strong Showing Across Digital and Technology
Digital creativity continued to be a major focus at White Square 2026.
“Korol i Shut at Yandex.maps” by Re-ev Moscou won Gold for Digital Tools and also received Bronze in Digital & Mobile Campaigns.
“The Most Iconic Kit” by Next DC won Gold in Digital Campaign, while “THE PINK CODE” by YDM Thailand received Bronze for Branded Tech & Innovations and Gold for Gender Equality.
Social and influencer-led creativity also performed strongly, with “Ice unpacking” by RoRe Group taking Gold in the Digital & Mobile Social & Influencer Campaign category.
Craft Remains at the Heart of Great Advertising
White Square 2026 also placed strong emphasis on executional excellence.
“The Wings of Love” by Zebra Hero emerged as one of the festival’s major Craft winners, taking Gold for both Direction and Art Direction. It also received recognition for its script and won Best of Contest in Craft.
“Death of A Salesman” by BBDO Bangkok won Gold for Film Script, while “For Winning Tomatoes, It Has To Be HEINZ.” by Heaven&Hell won Gold for Print & Outdoor Art Direction.
These results underline an important aspect of the festival: while technology and new platforms continue to reshape advertising, strong ideas still depend on storytelling, craft and execution.
Media Innovation Takes Centre Stage
The 2026 winners also demonstrate how brands are increasingly turning media itself into part of the creative idea.
“Whiskas® loCATor” won Gold for Use of Media, Use of Channel Integration, and Media Campaign, reinforcing its status as one of the festival’s most successful media-led ideas.
“Dalah’s Spoiler Billboard” meanwhile won Gold for Print/Outdoor Media and Brand Experience & Activation, showing how an unconventional outdoor execution can become a larger cultural and audience experience.
A New Generation of Creative Work
The White Square 2026 winners collectively point toward an advertising landscape where creativity is increasingly connected to technology, culture, social responsibility and measurable impact.
From AI and digital tools to outdoor innovation, entertainment, social initiatives and purpose-led campaigns, the winning projects demonstrate that the most effective ideas are no longer confined to a single medium.
As White Square puts it, the winning work does more than reflect current industry trends — it helps define them.
With 1,115 entries from 40 countries, the 2026 edition has once again positioned White Square as an important international showcase for creative communications and the ideas shaping the future of brands.
Key White Square 2026 Winners
Grand Prix
- Whiskas® loCATor — Ogency / Jam / CITIX
- Dalah’s Spoiler Billboard — VML Thailand
Best of Contest – Creative
- For Winning Tomatoes, It Has To Be HEINZ. — Heaven&Hell
Best of Contest – Marketing Services
- Humanity Chain — Progression CA
Best of Contest – Media
- Whiskas® loCATor — Ogency / Jam / CITIX
Best of Contest – Craft
- The Wings of Love — Zebra Hero
Best of Contest – Mass Media
- Labyrinth — Voskhod
- SOS Songs — Binder
Best of Contest – Efforts & Achievements
- Dalah’s Spoiler Billboard — VML Thailand
Source: White Square International Festival of Creativity — Winners 2026.
