HMC ANNOUNCES 2026 STRATEGIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHORTLIST
AS PROGRAM MARKS 20-YEAR MILESTONE
Fairfax, Va. (MARCH 31, 2026) – The Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) announced the short list for the 2026 Strategic Excellence Awards Powered by Collage Group, the industry’s only competition honoring strategic excellence in Hispanic and multicultural marketing. Now celebrating its 20th year, the awards recognize breakthrough cultural insights, superior strategic thinking and effectiveness in engaging Latino audiences and driving business growth.
Representing 35 breakthrough campaigns rooted in cultural insight, strategic rigor and creative excellence, 21 companies will vie for bronze, silver and gold honors. Winners will be announced at the HMC 2026 Annual Summit on April 23 in New York City, where the Grand Prix/Best in Show winner will also be revealed.
“The Strategic Excellence Awards celebrate culturally fluent marketing communications that activate cultural insights towards exponential growth and innovation,” said Awards Chair Victor Paredes, Executive Director of Multicultural Strategy, Collage Group. “The campaigns on this year’s shortlist prove the power of Hispanic consumers as an impactful and imperative source of growth and ingenuity. This is the work that moves markets, builds brands, and sets the standard for our industry.”
This year, HMC has partnered with FIAP (Festival Iberoamericano de Creatividad) to further amplify and showcase U.S. Hispanic marketing excellence. All participating Strategic Excellence Awards winners will automatically shortlist at the FIAP festival, representing the United States Hispanic market on an international stage and further elevating the global visibility of culturally fluent marketing developed in the U.S.
THE SHORT LIST*
Best Hispanic Cultural Insight
Campaign | Company | Client | Brand, Product or Service |
Dulce de Leche | alma | McDonald’s | McDonald’s |
El Regalo de Enseñar | alma | Kroger | Kroger |
Insulin-Free Song | BeautifulBeast | Avocados From Mexico | Avocados From Mexico |
¡Gracias Toyota! TV Campaign | CCOM Group | Southeast Toyota | Toyota |
The Last of the Non-Cafecito Lovers | Casanova//McCann | Nestlé | Coffee mate |
The Power of Us | Casanova//McCann | U.S. Bank | U.S. Bank |
Cero Miedo, Maximum Reach | Dieste | Cricket Wireless | Cricket Wireless |
Ni Perdón, Ni Permiso | Lopez Negrete Communications | Heineken USA | Dos Equis |
MLB Baseball Origin Stories | Remezcla Agency | Major League Baseball | MLB |
La Gente Have Spoken | Barkley OKRP and MARCA Hispanic | UnitedHealthcare / Sanitas | Sanitas Medical Centers |
2025 Lincoln Wish List Hispanic Campaign | Zubi | Lincoln | Lincoln |
Ford Capability & Trust | Zubi | Ford Motor Company | Ford |
Creative Ingenuity
Campaign | Company | Client | Brand, Product or Service |
Cuentas Claras – Univision x Ally | Ally Financial | Ally Financial | Ally |
Insulin-Free Song | BeautifulBeast | Avocados From Mexico | Avocados From Mexico |
Corridos Rescue Corridos | Casanova//McCann | Multiple Partners | LGBTQ Homelessness Relief |
El Corazón de las Fiestas | Lopez Negrete Communications | H-E-B | H-E-B |
Neighborhue | My Code | Coca-Cola | vitaminwater |
Mainstream Impact
Campaign | Company | Client | Brand, Product or Service |
Insulin-Free Song | BeautifulBeast | Avocados From Mexico | Avocados From Mexico |
Sanitas Campaign | Hispanic Group | UnitedHealthcare | Sanitas |
Life Unlimited Brand Platform | INFUSION by Castells | Charter Communications | Spectrum |
Adiós / Hello | alma | Topo Chico | Topo Chico Hard |
Cause Marketing
Campaign | Company | Client | Brand, Product or Service |
Insulin-Free Song | BeautifulBeast | Avocados From Mexico | Avocados From Mexico |
Mom’s Heart | BeautifulBeast | Fundación Cardiológica Argentina | Cardiovascular Awareness |
Corridos Rescue Corridos | Casanova//McCann | Multiple Partners | LGBTQ Homelessness Relief |
Covered California Hispanic | Sensis | Covered California | Covered California |
mitú Walmart Filmmaker Mentorship Program | NGLmitú | Walmart | Walmart |
Media Connections & Content Strategy Impact
Campaign | Company | Client | Brand, Product or Service |
Sprite Noches Buenas | Canela Media | Coca-Cola | Sprite |
Sanitas Campaign | Hispanic Group | UnitedHealthcare / Sanitas | Sanitas |
MLB Baseball Origin Stories | Remezcla Agency | Major League Baseball | MLB |
Ford Capability & Trust | Zubi Advertising | Ford Motor Company | Ford |
Content Creator & Consumer Engagement Strategy
Campaign | Company | Client | Brand, Product or Service |
Mom’s Heart | BeautifulBeast | Fundación Cardiológica Argentina | Cardiovascular Awareness |
Southeast Toyota Affordability Social Media | CCOM Group | Southeast Toyota | Toyota |
Non-Cafecito Lover Anti-Influencer | Casanova//McCann | Nestlé | Coffee mate |
Made for Me – Maria | INFUSION by Castells | Charter Communications | Spectrum |
Made for Me – Kev & Melissa | INFUSION by Castells | Charter Communications | Spectrum |
Un Paquete. Mil Posibilidades | Lopez Negrete Communications | Unilever | Natura’s |
NYC Care Influencer Campaign | d expósito & Partners | NYC Health + Hospitals | NYC Care |
Impact on Innovation
Campaign | Company | Client | Brand, Product or Service |
Club Canela | Canela Media | Canela Media | Club Canela |
MariVi, the Master Navigator | MariVi & Company | MariVi | MariVi |
Refresh the Game | alma | Molson Coors | Coors Light |
Impactful Multicultural Research
Campaign | Company | Client | Brand, Product or Service |
America Now 2026 | Collage Group | Collage Group | Multicultural Research |
Culture Decoded | LatiNation / ThinkNow | LatiNation | Research Study |
Music Makes You Unstoppable | Lopez Negrete Communications | Texas Music Educators Association | TMEA |
Shopper and/or Experiential Impact
Campaign | Company | Client | Brand, Product or Service |
Latinos Don’t Snack. We Botaneamos | CIEN+ | Kellanova | Cheez-It |
El Corazón de las Fiestas | Lopez Negrete Communications | H-E-B | H-E-B |
Neighborhue | My Code | Coca-Cola | vitaminwater |
Ford Capability & Trust | Zubi | Ford Motor Company | Ford |
Refresh the Game | alma | Molson Coors | Coors Light |
For more information, visit hispanicmarketingcouncil.org and follow the HMC on LinkedIn and Instagram at @hmchispanic.
*These awards are open to all U.S.-based companies. Only submissions where the media ran between January 2025 and February 2026 were eligible.
About HMC: Founded in 1996 as the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, the Hispanic Marketing Council is the national trade organization of all marketing, communications, and media firms with trusted Hispanic expertise. For more information, visit hispanicmarketingcouncil.org and follow HMC on Linked in, Facebook and Instagram at @hmchispanic.