The event took place Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Boudreaux’s (7:00–10:00 p.m.)
BATON ROUGE, La. The American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge (AAF-BR) has announced the 2026 American Advertising Awards (AAA®) winners, honoring standout creative work produced locally across advertising, design, marketing, media, and student categories.
Each year, the American Advertising Federation recognizes some of the best creative work in the country through a three-tier competition. Entrants compete first at the local level through an affiliated AAF chapter. Gold and Silver AAA® winners may advance to the AAF District 7 competition, and District winners can advance to the national stage, where honors are presented at the national AAF convention. Entering the American Advertising Awards supports the industry nationwide, with proceeds funding initiatives including public service programs, internships, advocacy, advertising education, and consumer awareness.
AAF-BR has been a celebrated Baton Rouge organization since 1943, and has hosted the American Advertising Awards locally since 1955, spotlighting the region’s top creative talent and rising student voices.
2026 Awards Show Details
The 2026 American Advertising Awards, hosted by the American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge, was held on Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Boudreaux’s Catering, ending in an after party at Pelican to Mars. The event included a “Game of Thrones” theme, adding to the music, show reel and decorations as well as costumes worn by attendees.
The evening began with a networking hour from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., featuring an open bar, and a buffet, offering attendees the opportunity to connect with fellow industry professionals. From 8:00 to 9:00 p.m., guests enjoyed the awards presentation, honoring outstanding creative work and recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the Baton Rouge advertising community. The celebration continued from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. with a live DJ and dance floor. Guests then moved to Pelican to Mars for an after party to keep the festivities going.
Several Baton Rouge-area advertising agencies showed exceptional range across categories.
Top Professional Honors (Best of Show and Special Awards)
AAF-BR’s highest honors recognized exceptional work across disciplines, including Best of Show and Judge’s Awards:
- Best of Show (Overall): AT&T Connectopia (Out-of-Home Installation)
Luminary Design Co for AT&T - Best of Show (Sales): The Promise of Yes (Product/Service Sales Promotion Campaign)
Pavy Studio for Our Lady of Lourdes Foundation - Best of Show (Interactive): That’s Life with Alfie Campaign (Online/Interactive Campaign)
ThreeSixtyEight for Alfa Insurance - Best of Show (Branding): Better in BTR (Integrated Brand Identity Campaign)
MESH for Baton Rouge Area Chamber - Judge’s Award: Miner Work Truck (Direct Marketing & Specialty Advertising)
Miner Design Co. - Judge’s Award: Five Mile Brand (Integrated Brand Identity Campaign)
Pavy Studio for Five Mile Eatery - Judge’s Award: The Spirit of Craftsmanship (Internet Commercial)
The Day Group for Verret Shipyard - Judge’s Award: Visit Baton Rouge (Integrated Advertising Campaign)
MESH for Visit Baton Rouge - Mosaic Award: Blind Grace (Integrated Brand Identity Campaign)
Red Six Media for Blind Grace
SEE ALL PROFESSIONAL WINNERS HERE.
Individual Honors
In addition to recognizing outstanding creative work, the American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge also honors individuals and organizations whose service, leadership, and commitment have had a lasting impact on the advertising profession and the greater Baton Rouge community.
The E. A. Pete Goldsby Silver Medal Award, the highest personal honor presented by AAF-Baton Rouge, recognizes an individual who has made exceptional, long-term contributions to the advertising profession, community advancement, and the development of future industry leaders. Named in honor of the late E.A. “Pete” Goldsby, former advertising manager of the State-Times/Morning Advocate and a tireless advocate for the profession, the award reflects a lifetime of service rather than achievements from a single year.
The 2026 E. A. Pete Goldsby Silver Medal Award was presented to Rebecca B. “Becky” Sadler, Student Engagement and Outreach Manager for the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication. Throughout her career, Sadler has demonstrated a continual commitment to service, education, mentorship, and inclusion at the intersection of advertising and community impact. A longtime leader within AAF-Baton Rouge by serving on the board for over 10 years, she has played a pivotal role in initiatives such as Junior Achievement of Baton Rouge, connecting the Junior Achievement Advertising Pitch Competition with local agencies. She also led the Campaign for Community in a year which helped establish critical marketing materials for The Futures Fund, which provides coding education and workforce pathways for young people. In her role at LSU Manship, Sadler continues to mentor and advocate for students, connecting them with industry professionals and ensuring they enter the advertising field with confidence, opportunity, and support. Her sustained dedication to building both people and programs exemplifies the spirit of the Goldsby Award.
The 2026 President’s Service Award, presented annually to the member who has contributed most significantly to the betterment of AAF-Baton Rouge and its activities during the previous calendar year, was awarded to Heather Gaudin, Marketing Director of WAFB and current Student Outreach Chair on the AAF-BR Board. Gaudin was recognized for her leadership, commitment, and tireless work supporting the organization and the success of the student program. She ensured each luncheon had sponsorships to cover the cost of student attendance so students could network with professional members and learn more about the industry. Gaudin has also been involved in the success of the student conference where professionals give career insight and portfolio support. Time and again, Heather has leveraged her extensive network and media reach to amplify the club’s mission: opening doors, creating opportunities, and strengthening visibility for AAF-BR in ways that would not be possible without her involvement.
The 2026 Mosaic Champion Award was presented to Justin Hutchinson, Vice President of Growth at ThreeSixtyEight. This award is inspired by companies and agencies whose commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident through their creative work and organization-wide initiatives. Justin deserves the Mosaic Champion Award because he drives measurable growth while embedding DEI in operations, advocates nationally for STARs and skills-first hiring, elevates community voices and catalyzes change, models inclusive, accountable leadership. His leadership has helped position the agency as a B Corp and one of Baton Rouge’s “Best Places to Work.”
The American Advertising Federation–Baton Rouge is proud to announce Genevieve Procell of Louisiana Blue as the recipient of the 2026 Unsung Hero Award, honoring the behind-the-scenes professionals whose dedication and impact quietly elevate the entire industry. This inaugural award recognizes individuals who consistently go above and beyond their role, take initiative, and support others without seeking recognition. Genevieve exemplifies the spirit of the Unsung Hero by being a cornerstone with Louisiana Blue (Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana) for more than 20 years, earning numerous accolades for her exceptional creative vision and brand leadership. Her impact is unmistakable: she has played a pivotal role in elevating the brand from a perception of being stable and trustworthy, yet stodgy and bureaucratic, into one that is distinctly Louisiana rooted, human, trusted, consistent and professional, with a casual twist.
The 2026 Company Service Award, honoring the company that has given the most toward the advancement of AAF-Baton Rouge and its mission during the past year, was presented to WAFB. Throughout the year, WAFB demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment, generosity, and collaboration. In addition to serving as both a luncheon sponsor and student conference sponsor, their team went above and beyond by providing professional photography coverage for every AAF-BR luncheon. This invaluable contribution elevated the quality, consistency, and professionalism of AAF-BR’s events, ensuring moments were captured and shared in a way that strengthened both engagement and visibility.
Top Student Honors
AAF-BR also recognized college student work through the Student American Advertising Awards, a national program that mirrors the professional three-tier pathway. Student entries must be created while enrolled (full- or part-time) at an accredited institution and are evaluated through independent scoring; categories may have no winner if entries do not meet award thresholds. Gold ADDYs represent the highest creative excellence, with Silver ADDYs recognizing outstanding work.
This year AAF-BR welcomed an unprecedented number of student entries thanks to the generosity and support of their Past President, Hunter Territo’s company, Xdesign. This support was given in memory of the incomparable legacy of Martin Flanagan, the founder and previous owner of Xdesign. Martin was an integral part of advertising and design growth and excellence in Baton Rouge through client work, teaching and mentorship. Xdesign covered the cost of up to 2 entries per student, and 98 student entries were judged.
- Student Best of Show: Mi: Korean Cuisine (Campaign)
Ara Jo Allen, LSU School of Art & Design - Student Judges Award: Gabble (Campaign)
Abigail Rodrigue, LSU School of Art & Design
AAF-BR’s student winners included multiple Gold and Silver ADDYs across packaging, illustration, campaign work, app design, and more from students representing Louisiana State University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The 2026 American Advertising Awards would not be possible without the support of these sponsors: Platinum Sponsors Lamar Advertising, Campus Federal, and Silver Sponsor Cox Media provided vital leadership and investment in celebrating Baton Rouge’s creative community, including the generosity of Xdesign, sponsoring all student entries. AAF- Baton Rouge also extends sincere appreciation to In-Kind Sponsors—Emprint, Mele Printing, PixelHouse, and Sean Gasser Creative—whose expertise, services, and creative support played an essential role in bringing the event to life.
About AAF-Baton Rouge
AAF-Baton Rouge is an affiliate of the American Advertising Federation, the only national organization representing the interests of the entire advertising community. We consist of local professionals based in the fields of advertising, sales promotion, public relations, marketing, production, social media, web development, printing and the buying or selling of advertising. Our mission statement is: Serving, Connecting and Developing Advertising Professionals.
AAF-Baton Rouge 2025–26 Board of Directors
Executive Committee
- Kris Bordelon, Lamar Graphics – President
- Rachel Harvey, LASERS – Immediate Past President
- Emma Little, Rebel Graphix – Vice President / American Advertising Awards
- Jennifer Berthelot, Louisiana Office of Tourism – Treasurer
- Lisa Thibodaux, MPower Group, LLC – Executive Director / Membership
- Julia Freeman, Rebel Graphix – Ex-Officio
Board of Directors
- Kyley Catalano, STUN Design – Communications
- Bridget DeSilva – Communications
- Cliff Decoteau – Community & Diversity
- Jerilyn Abadie, Louisiana Blue – Community & Diversity
- Emily Tardo, Lamar Advertising – Programs
- Derrick Frazier, Gatorworks – Fundraising
- Heather Gaudin, WAFB – Student Outreach
- Maggie Heller, Miles Partnership – Membership