As part of the 2026 Strategic Excellence Awards, the Hispanic Marketing Council, in partnership with the Ad Council, challenged undergraduate teams across the country to tackle a real-world brief: create a culturally resonant campaign that drives social impact. The results? Smart, strategic, and deeply rooted in culture.

Gold: University of North Texas
Silver: University of Florida
Bronze: Drew University
Honorable Mention: Southern Methodist University, Florida State University

The winning campaigns took on the Ad Council’s High School Equivalency initiative—proving that when culture leads, impact follows. From insight to execution, these students demonstrated what our industry needs most: culturally fluent thinking that builds trust and drives action.

As HMC Education Chair Victor Paredes put it, “Building the future of marketing starts with building the right pipeline—and these students are setting the standard early.”

The takeaway for marketers: Cultural competence isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a must-have. And the next generation already gets it.