TBWA HAKUHODO Wins Grand Prix and Four Other Awards at International Advertising Competition 'New York Festivals 2026'

TBWA HAKUHODO Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Wataru Uchida) is pleased to announce that its creative works have won a total of five awards, including the Grand Prix—the highest honor—at the 'New York Festivals 2026 Advertising Awards,' a globally renowned international advertising competition.

Established in 1957 to celebrate true top-tier creativity and promote the vitality and healthy growth of the advertising creative field, the New York Festivals is one of the world’s largest international advertising competitions. This year, over 350 top creatives from around the world conducted rigorous judging.

In the 'THE FUTURE NOW' category, which honors the fusion of cutting-edge technology and creativity, 'RADIO TIME MACHINE,' conceived and developed by TBWA HAKUHODO, achieved a triple crown by winning the Grand Prix, Gold, and Silver awards.

'RADIO TIME MACHINE' is a new AI-powered device that, when set to a past year, automatically generates and delivers audio content resembling a radio program featuring news and hit songs from that year. Utilizing a proprietary system combining text-generation AI and voice-generation AI, it was developed with insights from 'reminiscence therapy'—a non-pharmacological approach to dementia prevention that involves recalling past events. The device is designed to address deep societal challenges such as elderly care in a super-aged society and fostering intergenerational communication.

In a pilot project conducted with Nichii Gakkan Co., Ltd.—a company providing nationwide medical, nursing, and childcare services—the device was introduced into elderly care facilities. Observational studies were conducted with multiple facility users, comparing their behavior during use and non-use periods using facial expression analysis. Results showed an average 8.7% increase in smiling and a 10% rise in gesturing.

The international stage has recognized the team’s visionary thinking in elevating generative AI beyond mere operational efficiency into 'Human Innovation' that enriches human relationships, as well as their technical excellence and strong commitment to real-world implementation.

Additionally, 'CHEER SIGNS' (Japanese: 'Sign-Yell'), which won a Gold award in the 'SPORTS' category and a Bronze in the 'PURPOSE' category, is a new form of visual cheering developed in collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, 5005 Inc., and the NHK Group. Created to mark the 100th anniversary of the Deaflympics, it supports athletes competing in a world without sound. Through co-creation with members of the Deaf community and active Deaf athletes, it overturns the traditional reliance on clapping and vocal cheers, enabling everyone to convey support visually.

Full award details are as follows:

[Winning Work: RADIO TIME MACHINE]

Client: Nichii Gakkan

Grand Prix

・THE FUTURE NOW: BEST USE — Innovation

Gold

・THE FUTURE NOW: BEST USE — Innovation

Silver

・THE FUTURE NOW: Craft & Execution — Generative Audio/Augmented Audio

[Winning Work: CHEER SIGNS]

Clients: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, NHK Enterprises, Inc., NHK Global Media Services, Inc.

Gold

・SPORTS: Best Use — Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Bronze

・PURPOSE: PURPOSE — Unique Partnership for Good

About TBWA HAKUHODO

Founded in 2006 as a joint venture between Hakuhodo and TBWA Worldwide, TBWA HAKUHODO is an integrated advertising agency. It combines Hakuhodo’s philosophies of 'consumer-centric thinking' and 'partnerism' with TBWA’s globally proven 'DISRUPTION®' methodology to create high-quality solutions that drive client business growth. 'DISRUPTION®' represents TBWA HAKUHODO’s philosophy of breaking conventions, challenging the status quo, and uncovering new visions. The agency generates ideas that evolve businesses and brands across all aspects of marketing and beyond, using disruption as a transformative lens.

https://www.tbwahakudo.co.jp