Dead Ad Society Announces Winners of Year Two Awards

Advertising’s strangest resurrection ritual returned to The Mint in Los Angeles, as the Dead Ad Society celebrated its second annual awards.

Founded by international production company hungryman, the 'anti-award show award show' digs up the best ad scripts that died too soon and gives them a second chance at life. From more than 250 submissions, the top 16 scripts were shortlisted and performed live on stage by six SAG actors, while the judges deliberated in real time.

The result was a raucous night with more than 200 attendees that proved once again that some of the sharpest ideas in the industry end up buried before they ever reach the screen.

The winners of the 2025 Dead Ad Society Awards are:

• Gold: 'All Grown Up' – Jagger Moore
• Silver: 'Ruin Their Lives' – Jason Rappaport
• Bronze: 'Nay' – Anthony Cardenas

The Gold winner — 'All Grown Up' by Jagger Moore — will now see their script fully produced by hungryman, with the support of Dead Ad Society’s partners: Antfood, ARC Creative, Synapse Virtual Production, Sonic Union, Work Editorial, and SAG-AFTRA.

Last year’s Gold-winning script, 'Dig' by William Spencer and Mitchell Ratchik, was brought to life by hungryman director LJ Johnson earlier this year. The resulting spot proved how a dead idea can rise again into a polished piece of work. You can watch it here.

Building on that momentum, hungryman and all the Dead Ad Society partners are excited to continue elevating these once-killed ideas while celebrating creativity in its purest form.

“The Dead Ad Society’s second year proved that this wasn’t just a one-off experiment,” said Caleb Dewart, Managing Partner of hungryman. “The energy in the room, the performances, and the calibre of scripts all pushed the bar higher than before. The crowd, the actors, and all the west coast agency folks brought a new electricity to the night. What excites me most is seeing how quickly the industry has embraced the idea that these lost ads deserve a second life. The conversation around creativity and craft in advertising keeps growing and hungryman is proud to be fueling it in our own irreverent way.”

“Thanks to the necromancers at hungryman for coming up with the coolest award concept in the industry,” said gold-winner Jagger Moore, a senior copywriter at Innocean. “It was so fun to see everyone’s ads on stage last night and I can’t wait to resurrect this one properly."

Rachel Pegram, an LA-based comedian, writer, and actor, anchored the event as MC, bringing her signature wit and energy to guide the evening. The 2025 entries were evaluated by a distinguished panel of industry leaders:

• Guto Araki: Founder and creative director at Biite, previously at TBWA\Chiat\Day, Deutsch LA, and Media Arts Lab. His work has shaped culture for brands like Adidas, Apple, Taco Bell, and Hulu, and has been recognised at every major global award show.
  
• Chad Broude and Mark Gross: Co-founders and co-chief creative officers at Highdive. Together, they’ve turned the agency into one of the most awarded in the US, including multiple #1 finishes on USA Today’s Super Bowl Ad Meter and Adweek’s Breakthrough Agency of the Year.
  
• Perrin Anderson and Hobart Birmingham: SVP group creative directors at RPA, behind long-running campaigns like Farmers Insurance 'We Know a Thing or Two' and Apartments.com 'The Place to Find a Place.'
  
• Jason Karley: Executive creative director at Artists Equity, whose Bud Light 'Swear Jar' won an Emmy and became one of YouTube’s first viral hits. His work for brands like DIRECTV, The GRAMMYs, and Taco Bell has been honoured at Cannes, D&AD, and One Show.
  
• Ryan Lehr: Co-chief creative officer at Deutsch, where he’s shaped long-running platforms like Dr Pepper’s 'Fansville,' helping the brand surpass Pepsi as the #2 soda in the US His portfolio spans Taco Bell, NerdWallet, Canada Dry, and more.
  
• Felipe Ribeiro: Chief creative officer at Wieden+Kennedy Portland. Previously CCO of W+K São Paulo, he’s led global campaigns for Budweiser, Ford, and Nike, with accolades including Cannes Grand Prix and Titanium Lions.
  
• Jason Sperling: Chief creative officer at INNOCEAN, credited with redefining the agency’s creative output. Known for Apple’s iconic 'Mac vs. PC' campaign, named Adweek’s Campaign of the Decade, and honoured with Cannes Gold Lions and an Emmy nomination.
  
• Lena Beug: hungryman director whose grounded yet surreal storytelling has fuelled campaigns for Google, Walmart, GMC, and Vodafone. A former MTV art director, her branded shorts and commercials have earned acclaim from Adweek, Harper’s Bazaar, and Rolling Stone.
  
• Jon Wolanske: Creative director and associate partner at Goodby Silverstein & Partners, with award-winning work for Cheetos, Doritos, Got Milk?, SONIC, and Comcast. Also a teacher, performer, and long time improv comedian turned ad creative.
  
• Ashton Rose: Group creative director at 72andSunny LA, with award-winning work for the NFL, United Airlines, and Activision. His career spans BBDO and Co:Collective, with a résumé filled with both celebrated campaigns and much-loved dead ads.
  
• Erika Madison: Head of production at Anomaly US, where she’s built coast-to-coast production capabilities. Formerly at Wieden+Kennedy Portland, she produced campaigns like P&G’s 'Thank You, Mom' and Nike’s 'Find Your Greatness.'

This year also marked the launch of Dead Ad Society’s first-ever Producer of the Year award, spotlighting the often-overlooked heroes of production — the people who keep the chaos from collapsing and still let everyone else take the credit. Entrants submitted a reel of their work along with bold, creative letters written by creatives on their behalf.

The inaugural winners were Melissa Moore (Innocean) and Lora Schulson (72andSunny).

“What a hilarious, insane, community building event. And to win an award for Producer of the year – hell yeah!” said Lora Schulson, global chief production officer at 72andSunny. “Producers are often the unsung heroes, and I love when a spotlight is given to our contribution. I’ve been a producer for 20+ years and am still deep in the work, but as my role has evolved, I more so produce the people. I have a team of Producers who can make anything happen, and who make the work better in the making! I was recognized because they are a force in production.”

“I’m honoured to be named the first-ever Producer of the Year by the Dead Ad Society,” said Melissa Moore, VP, director of content production at INNOCEAN USA. “This recognition is a proud milestone, and the show was a fun reminder of why I love this industry as much as I do. Thankful for my team, partners, clients, and the meaningful work we get to create every day.”