The AARON Awards have revealed the winners of their inaugural global program, recognising those shaping the future of advertising in the age of AI.
With entries from 45 countries, the first edition reflects the rapid evolution of AI as a creative medium and the growing importance of craft, direction and creative intelligence in how it is applied.
The awards spotlight work where human imagination and intelligent systems combine to produce original, high-quality brand communication. AARON evaluates AI as a creative discipline in its own right, recognising creators and teams using AI as a primary creative medium.
The winners were selected by an independent international jury. Entries were assessed on visual output, authorship, craft, workflow design, human–AI collaboration and the originality of the creative approach.
Envato head of brand & creative and AARON jury member, Arlyn Panopio said: “The craft was extraordinary in the sense that everyone was trying to figure out their angle using the tools… the work that really landed made me stop and think about the process and exploration behind it,” the jury said. “The strongest work feels authored, not just generated,”
Australian talent featured strongly across both winners and the broader shortlist, reflecting the country’s growing influence in AI-native creative production. Australian agency Thinkerbell took out Best Hybrid Production for The Last Order. Australian collaborators were also behind the Best Synthography winner Crocs x TLF – Caged Line.
Springboards co-founder and AARON jury member, Pip Bingemann said: “I’ve found that Australia has always punched above its weight creatively. Smaller teams, tighter budgets and more hybrid thinkers. That same instinct seems to be showing up in how AI’s being used here locally with a way from prompt libraries to designed workflows & repeatable, scalable work that stands out on the global stage”.
The jury awarded the inaugural AARON Laureate honour to Kavan Cardoza, recognising his contribution to shaping AI-driven creativity in advertising.
Kavan said: “AI doesn’t replace creativity; it raises the bar for it. The tools make it easier to generate, but harder to stand out. What matters now is taste, ideas and direction. That’s what turns AI from output into something meaningful.”
