The 2026 winners of the Guardian Advertising Awards were unveiled at a ceremony in London on Wednesday, 17 June. The awards recognize advertising campaigns that have appeared across Guardian channels over the past year, highlighting outstanding examples of scale, influence, and integrity—the unique combination offered to advertisers by the Guardian.
Event Highlights
The third annual event was hosted by Imogen Fox, the Guardian’s global chief advertising officer, alongside James Fleetham, the Guardian’s director of advertising. Brands and agencies submitted some of the finest advertisements featured on the Guardian across five categories.
Category Winners
- Everyday brands: Andrex and PHD: Permission To Poo
- Brands connecting with big moments: Ring and MG OMD: Ring In The New
- Premium brands: Mastercard, Carat and The Story Lab: Priceless Moments
- Brands doing the right thing: Co-op, Carat and The Story Lab: From Play To Purpose
- Challenger brands: SC Johnson Ecover and T&P: Waste No Space
Grand Prix Winner
The Grand Prix award, given to a campaign that exceeded entry criteria, was awarded to Andrex and PHD for "Permission To Poo." The judges praised the campaign for sparking conversation about the stigma and embarrassment children face when using toilets at school and other public places. They highlighted its warmth, authenticity, and practical advice, noting its ability to drive meaningful change and Andrex's collaboration with the Guardian to address a taboo subject.
Judge and Winner Comments
Alexander Tuffley, media manager at Kimberly-Clark, said: "We are extremely proud of our ‘Permission to Poo’ campaign in partnership with the Guardian. By harnessing their scale, influence, and integrity, we didn’t just drive awareness—we sparked a vital conversation around an issue affecting millions of school kids. Winning both the Everyday Brands and Grand Prix awards is a true testament to the fantastic collaboration between Kimberly-Clark, PHD, and the Guardian."
Peter Field of Field Rogers Ltd commented: "The standard of many of the entries and the quality of the work were deeply impressive, especially the Grand Prix winner, which is truly world class. There is a treasure trove of learning amongst these cases which remind us of the importance of good strategy and insight. They offer eye-catching, memorable and distinctive creatives and show how valuable purpose can be to a campaign, when used intelligently. Most of all, they remind us of the need for great media. In a world increasingly starved of trusted attentive advertising platforms, a great newsbrand shines."
James Fleetham, director of advertising at Guardian Media Group, said: "The awards celebrated the triumph of putting humans at the heart of advertising. From Andrex’s Permission To Poo helping families have important conversations, to Co-op addressing the grooming of young people into cybercrime, to Ring tapping into the excitement and anticipation that comes with buying a home, this year’s winners show the power of campaigns built on genuine human insight."
Judging Panel
The judging panel included: Peter Field, Field Rogers Ltd; David Wilding, EVP strategy, WPP Media; Sharon Dhillon, managing director, Initiative; Heather Dansie, research and insight director, Newsworks; Karen Martin, CEO of BBH; Elliott Millard, CSO Thinkbox; Rachel Hamburger, strategy director, Mother London; Florence Morgan, group media and partnerships manager, Tesco; James Bailey, CEO media at Dentsu, UK & Ireland; Leila Siddiqi, director for diversity and inclusion, IPA; Emily Henderson, director EMEA Media Lab, Google.
For more information, please contact: media.enquiries@theguardian.com
