Inspiration has a way of popping up at the worst times…but when it comes, you have to heed the call. This year’s Pele Awards honors the true creative spirit—and the people who unabashedly drop everything to capture the idea, nail down the concept, and transform an assignment into award-winning work.
About the Pele Awards
The Pele Awards have been a part of Hawaii’s advertising and design community for more than 40 years. The Pele Awards is one of fifteen National District Competitions for the American Advertising Awards (also known as the ADDYs). The Pele Gold winners in all national categories are sent to the National Finals of the American Advertising Awards Competition to represent District 13. It’s designed to recognize excellence in advertising and design in the State of Hawaii for the past calendar year.
2023 Pele Show
Meet the Judges
Matt Fera
Creative Director, Eversana
Chicago
David Mesfin
Creative Director
Innocean USA, Huntington Beach, California
Tricia Ting
Global Creative Director, ViewSonic
Taipei, Taiwan
Carla Butwin
Creative Director, Doner
Detroit, Michigan
Brian Chin
Group Creative Director, VaynerMedia
New York City
Kiran Koshy
Director
Los Angeles, CA
Susan Mersch
Executive Creative Director, VMLY&R
Detroit, MI
Ad Person Of the Year
2022 AD 2 HAWAII PERSON OF THE YEAR
PRISCILLA ZHENG
Marketing Specialist, Hickam Federal Credit Union
AAF-HAWAII 2022 EXTRA MILE AWARD
DAVID SATO
Director of Photography, UPSTREAM HAWAII
AAF-HAWAII 2022 AD PERSON OF THE YEAR
KEVIN YIM
Vice President of Marketing & Communications, FCH
AAF-DISTRICT 13 2022 SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE
CHUCK COHEN
Former VP of Media, ANTHOLOGY MARKETING GROUP
AAF-DISTRICT 13 2022 SILVER MEDAL AWARD
PAUL LAM
President—Media Buy Paul, LLC
Help Nominate the 2023
Ad People of the year!
2022 Pele Winners Reel
Save the Date
All “Professional” work entered in the 2023 Pele Awards Competition must have first appeared in media between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022.
All “College” work entered in the 2023 Pele Awards Competition must have been created between January 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023.
Please see 2023 Pele Information Guide for specific entry rules, guidelines, and categories.
- ONLINE CALL FOR ENTRY ACCEPTANCE DATE
- November 2022
- FINAL ONLINE ENTRY DEADLINE
- Tuesday, February 28, 2023
- ALL PAYMENTS DUE
- Thursday, March 2, 2023
- PELE AWARD JUDGING
- March 6 to 19, 2023 (virtual)
This section is for the Professional and College Division.