AAF Announces Inductees Into 2026 75th Anniversary Advertising Hall of Fame

On the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the AAF Advertising Hall of Fame (AHOF), the esteemed Council of Judges, led by chair Ross Martin, president of Known and vice chair Rita Ferro, president of Disney Advertising, has chosen to induct six legendary leaders along with one corporate honouree and two special President’s Award recipients. Honourees will be celebrated at the annual Induction Gala in New York City at Cipriani Wall Street on April 23, 2026. The announcement was made today concurrent with the ringing of the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

“The Advertising Hall of Fame honours industry legends for their globally recognised achievements, groundbreaking innovations and exceptional philanthropic contributions to both the advertising industry and their communities,” commented Steve Pacheco, president and CEO, American Advertising Federation (AAF). “Regarded as the ‘Biggest Night in Advertising,’ this year’s 75th anniversary celebration promises to be bigger than ever with a veritable ‘who’s who’ of industry icons to walk the red carpet and into the Hall of Fame.”

The inductees marking the Class of 2026 include (in alphabetical order):

Gordon Bowen, founder, mcgarrybowen, creative chairman, Dentsu Creative. Gordon Bowen’s impact on advertising is nothing short of legendary. He founded mcgarrybowen to create a new kind of agency—values-led, client-focused, and ego-free—a vision that propelled it to become Madison Avenue’s fastest-growing agency and, today, an integral part of Dentsu Creative. His storytelling shaped iconic campaigns for brands like American Express, Disney, Verizon, and Intel, including American Express’s “Membership Has Its Privileges,” named Ad Age’s “Campaign of the Decade.” Gordon’s work earned top honours at Cannes Lions and the Super Bowl, and he created the Emmy Award-winning “Light the Fire Within” opening ceremony for the Salt Lake City Olympics—reflecting a lifelong commitment to creativity, shaping talent, and doing well by doing good.

​Esi Eggleston Bracey, global chief growth and marketing officer, Unilever. What distinguishes Esi isn’t just her marketing and business acumen, but how she shows up as her authentic self in rooms where she’s often “the only” – the only woman, the only African American, the only one with blonde locs. She discovered this is her superpower, and it’s what’s emboldened her to trailblaze purpose-driven legislation such as the CROWN Act movement on behalf of Dove (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), diversify the face of beauty with the Queen Latifah partnership on COVERGIRL, and become a founding member of BECA (Black Executive CMO Alliance), among other accomplishments. Her pioneering spirit has also led to iconic innovations like the creation of Febreze. Perhaps all of this can be summed up by the transformation currently taking place at Unilever under her leadership: “A culture that converts.”

Susan Fowler Credle, global creative advisor, interpublic and former chair and global CCO, FCB. Susan’s ascent is the stuff of legends. Starting as a temp who filled in at the front desk, that modest start marked the beginning of one of the most remarkable creative careers in modern advertising. She helped turn M&Ms into beloved characters, unleashed Allstate’s “Mayhem,” and led a creative renaissance at FCB with her philosophy of “Never Finished.” From BBDO to Burnett to FCB, Susan has brought clarity, care and conviction to her work, elevated creative standards and driven the industry toward greater inclusion, empathy and endless possibility. Susan’s passion for education and community lifts not just the work, but the people behind it. It’s a mission that, like her best work, is Never Finished.

Susan will also be presented with the David Bell Award for Industry Service which honours extraordinary, unique contributions and service to the advertising industry as a whole. The award is named in honour of David Bell (Hall of Fame Class of 2007), a visionary leader and mentor to several generations of advertising professionals

​David Droga, vice chair, Accenture; founder, Droga5. David didn’t just achieve the highest levels of creative success; he helped totally redefine and expand the aptitude of what a modern-day creative leader can shape, influence, build and lead. To this day, David continues to push creativity into the highest echelons of business. He is the single most awarded creative in the history of the Cannes Festival of Creativity and at 47, was the youngest person ever bestowed the Lion of St. Mark honour. But perhaps one of his boldest moves was in 2019 when he sold Droga5 to Accenture and then, barely two years later, became CEO of Accenture Song — a resounding statement that the future doesn't belong to the operators, but rather the daydreamers. He invented a new operating model and ultimately delivered integration at scale. In four years, the business has nearly doubled. Now, as the new vice chair of Accenture, his mission remains unchanged: to keep imagination alive in the places where decisions are made.

​Tim Ellis, chief marketing officer, NFL. During his career, Tim has delivered bold marketing that’s spanned continents, agencies and some of the world’s most iconic brands, influencing the advertising industry and greater culture. As NFL CMO, he’s cultivated the league into one that’s more human, compassionate and culturally connected. It’s not an overstatement to say Tim is primarily responsible for the resurgence of the NFL brand. Brand perception and game viewership are at all-time highs, and the league boasts its most global and diverse fan base ever. Previously, Tim served as Activision Blizzard CMO; held marketing leadership roles at Volvo and Volkswagen, creating “The Force,” hailed by TIME as “the ad that changed the Super Bowl forever;” and worked at several agencies. Outside of work, Tim drives positive change in local communities as a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters and Ad Council.

Jim Stengel, president and CEO, The Jim Stengel Company; former global marketing officer, P&G. Jim is, simply put, the CMO’s CMO. When he was first named global marketing officer at P&G, Jim introduced a radically human idea: brands grow when they serve a higher purpose. And in so doing, he changed P&G’s approach to business…forever. But Jim didn’t stop there. He took his message on purpose and creativity to the industry: in one bold move, Jim took P&G to Cannes Lions and changed for all time the Festival, P&G, and the industry at large. When Jim left P&G after 25 years, he launched his own eponymous company and has helped hundreds of CMOs and CEOs thrive. Jim's show "The CMO Podcast" has inspired millions since its inception in 2019, and his book, Grow, has encouraged thousands of senior leaders globally to apply a new approach to brand growth.

In addition to these six legendary leaders, American Express will be honoured as this year’s corporate inductee. As a 175-year-old brand, American Express has built a legacy as one of the most recognisable and respected brands in the world, consistently delivering trust, service and security across generations while driving growth. Its marketing has shaped culture, from the enduring impact of “Don’t Leave Home Without It” to the storytelling strength of “My Life. My Card.” and recent “There’s Nothing Like Platinum.” The brand has evolved from a freight forwarding company into the global premium financial and lifestyle company it is today, continuing to innovate for customers to deliver on its brand promise of Powerful Backing. As a trailblazer, American Express has shown a deep commitment to supporting small businesses and helping local merchants and communities stay vibrant, most notably through its creation of “Small Business Saturday.” The company is also a leader in purpose-driven work, with meaningful investments in backing communities and advancing inclusive economic growth.

To mark the AHOF’s 75th anniversary, it was announced in October that for the first time ever two President’s Awards will also be presented. The award is given to public figures whose primary careers are not in advertising, but whose work has made significant contributions to our industry. This year’s recipients include Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning icon Barry Manilow, and Four Time Emmy, Golden Globe winning actress/author and activist Marlo Thomas, who was also awarded the Medal of Freedom by president Obama.

​Barry Manilow is a global superstar who began his career in advertising, producing, composing and recording some of the most iconic commercial jingles of all time for companies and brands. Marlo Thomas has profoundly influenced the culture throughout her career, from TV’S first single working woman, That Girl, groundbreaking Free to Be…You and Me to decades of tireless dedication to the mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which has led to iconic campaigns and raised over a billion dollars in the past 20+ years.

In recognition of this honour, a portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit causes that are close to each President’s Award recipient: The Manilow Music Project and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

For further details about the AHOF Induction Gala, including sponsorship opportunities, visit aaf.org/ahof.