Volunteer Experience
Be part of the change
Open for entries
Deadline: October 2, 2026
Wakii.org
Luum’s initiative to support small and medium-sized NGOs.
Final entry deadline
(4 submissions free of registration fees):
October 2, 2026
Online Judging:
October 7–10, 2026
Winners Notified:
October 12, 2026
Gathering of Judges
(Geneva, Switzerland):
October 29, 2026
Volunteer Experience:
November 19-20, 2026
About us
The idea for the Luum Awards came together during the pandemic, inspired by the acts of solidarity seen around the world at that time. The festival organizers created the Luum Awards to recognize the creative works that are promoting a better world, firmly believing in the power of communicators to serve as global change agents.
To promote this goal, every year, we put together a team of first-rate judges, made up of leaders of NGOs, brands, and advertising agencies, to evaluate creative and strategic pieces that promote messages related to making the world a better place.
We are the first global creative festival to go zero-paper. Additionally, since 2024, we have held our events in host cities other than Switzerland, where the festival is registered, choosing instead to host our events in the Global South, where we can help communities in need with investment and social/environmental volunteer efforts. By becoming a volunteer, you can help us achieve our goal!
When you participate in Luum you help us support in-need communities. For example, in 2024, we hosted an event in Peru’s Sacred Valley, which resulted in USD $60,000 in direct and indirect investments entering the local economy in a primarily impoverished indigenous region of Peru.
News
The global initiative launched by the Luum Awards
Thousands of associations, communities and small and medium-sized NGOs struggle day-in and day-out to address the world’s social and environmental challenges, without the help of communications agencies or marketing experts. This undoubtedly affects their ability to fulfill their objectives.
Wakii seeks to accompany these NGOs on their missions, so that, with appropriate strategies they can secure more resources and with creativity they can continue to change lives through more powerful messaging.
There are many “invisible” causes that need our attention, while everyone focuses on the same “trending” issues. For example, we need more people talking about forestry, cultural protection of displaced indigenous communities, education for children with visual impairments, lifestyle support for people with spina bifida, care for homeless elderly populations, etc.
If you belong to an agency or brand, you can become a global change agent.
Changing lives with Luum Awards and Wakii
Luum & Wakii 2026 Venues
Hilton Convention Center (Geneva, Switzerland):
Where we will evaluate the festival’s best submissions
Costa Rica:
The Luum Awards has selected Costa Rica as the host country for its 2026 awards ceremony and volunteer experience.
Meet our 2026 judges
We are convinced that creative communications can help us make the world a better place. We CAN be global change agents! To achieve this, we have assembled a first-rate team of festival judges, made up of leaders from NGOs, advertising companies, and creative agencies from around the world.
Jose Rivera
Chief Creative Officer | Circus Grey, Peru
José has more than 30 years of experience in the advertising industry. In 1999, he made history by winning Peru’s first-ever Cannes Lion with a campaign for Procter & Gamble.
His international career includes leadership roles as Creative Director in Miami, Puerto Rico, and Chicago. Throughout his career, he has received some of the industry’s highest honors at Cannes Lions, D&AD, London International Awards, FIAP, El Sol, New York Festivals, Effie Latam, and El Ojo de Iberoamérica.
In 2008, he founded Circus, which quickly became the leading agency in the Peruvian market.
In 2018, he won Peru’s first—and to date only—Grand Effie LATAM. His work for Cemento APU was recognized by Effie Global as one of the world’s most effective brands, alongside iconic brands such as Apple, Google, and Nike.
Since 2022, José Luis has served as CEO at Circus Grey.
In 2024, his campaign Sightwalks for UNACEM received more than 100 international awards, becoming the third most awarded creative idea in the world.
In 2026, together with BCP, he led the SOS POS campaign, which won seven Cannes Lions, including one Grand Prix and three Gold Lions, further cementing Circus Grey’s position as one of the world’s leading creative agencies.
Carol Penido
Executive Creative Director | Filadélfia Comunicação, Brazil
Art Director with a degree in Communications from PUC Minas and a Master’s degree in Design from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in London.
Throughout her career, she has created award-winning campaigns for brands and institutions such as Fundação Mário Penna, including the films Hairless and Clown, which received honors at the Cannes Lions and The New York Festivals; Leo Zap, the first AI-powered platform that creates personalized sung messages in the voice of Brazilian singer Leonardo for Super Frango Alimentos; and Call to No Action for UniBH – Centro Universitário, both recognized by the Clube de Criação (CCSP). She also created Contemporâneo, winner of Brazil’s Profissionais do Ano award. More recently, her campaign Small Great Victories for the Santa Casa Autism Center—part of one of Brazil’s largest public hospitals—received an award at the Lisbon International Health Festival.
She has served as a juror for major industry awards, including the Festival Mundial de Publicidade de Gramado, Clube de Criação de Minas Gerais, and The Lisbon Festivals. In 2025, she chaired the Regional Jury of Clube de Criação (CCSP).
She has also worked with regional and national clients across a wide range of industries, including Claro and TIM (telecommunications), Brazil’s Ministry of Communications, Bem Brasil Alimentos, and Banco da Amazônia.
She is currently Executive Creative Director at Filadélfia Comunicação, where she leads multidisciplinary teams and creative projects for regional and national brands across diverse market sectors.
Marloes Scheffers
Executive Creative Director | Burson, EMEA
Marloes Scheffers is an Executive Creative Director with over 15 years of international experience in digital, social, PR, and above-the-line advertising. Based in Amsterdam, she joined Burson in May 2022 as part of the European hub. Marloes has honed her skills at renowned local boutique and global agencies.
Marloes has a proven track record of leading multinational campaigns and managing multi-disciplinary creative teams within global agency networks. Her campaigns have earned accolades from major industry awards, including Epica, Eurobest, SAN, SJP, D&AD, ADCN, The Drum, and Tomorrow Awards.
She is passionate about creating socially impactful ideas that make the world just that little bit better. She has produced award-winning campaigns for brands and has extensive sector experience spanning various sectors. At Burson, she focuses on developing earned-first, creative ideas rooted in data and insight. Marloes is keen to challenge conventional thought, and elevate strategic and creative quality across digital, social, earned media, and experiential.
As a respected industry leader, Marloes has served as a panelist and judge for prestigious awards like ADCN, The Gerethy Awards, the Global Awards for The World’s Best Healthcare & Wellness Advertising, and the New York Festival Awards. Her work has been featured in top-tier publications such as Campaign, AdAge, Creativity Online, and AdWeek.
An adventurous spirit, Marloes has lived and worked in The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Kenya, Indonesia, the UAE, and the UK. In her spare time, Marloes mentors students at the University of the Arts London (UAL).
Melissa Charland
Executive Creative Director | VML, Canada
Montreal-based VML Canada Executive Creative Director Mélissa Charland creates award-winning work with one simple rule: never lose the fun. She believes the best ideas make people feel something and is driven by bold ideas that are as emotionally resonant as they are strategically sharp. As a juror, she looks for clarity, audacity, and the kind of creativity people remember long after they’ve seen it.
Henrique Tanji
Founder & Creative Director | Bumblebeat, United States
Tanji is an award‑winning composer and creative whose work sits at the intersection of music, strategy and daring ideas a Grammy member and Emmy Sports 2026 nominee. A juror at Cannes Lions and LIA (2024) and named the 6th most awarded creative in the world by D&AD, he co‑founded Bumblebeat, which with its partners has amassed 155 Cannes Lions (including five Grand Prix in Audio), a Grand Clio and Clio Health in Audio Craft, and was crowned Audio Company of the Year in 2026. He’s also a guest speaker at Berklee College of Music.
Henrique crafts work for Porsche, NIKE, Coca‑Cola, Unilever, P&G and a roster of global brands, blending sonic excellence with strategic clarity to make ideas that move people and deliver measurable impact.
Winners that inspire
- Title: Scrolling Therapy
- Agency: Dentsu
- Brand: Eurofarma
- Country: Argentina
- Year: 2023
- Title: Code my Crown
- Agency: Edelman
- Brand: Dove / Unilever
- Country: Thailand
- Year: 2024
- Title: Wildlife Watch
- Agency: Edelman
- Brand: Samsung
- Country: UK
- Year: 2022
- Title: Wasteminster a downing street disaster
- Agency: Method and Madness
- Brand: GreenPeace UK
- Country: Singapore
- Year: 2022
- Title: Dogs without Borders
- Agency: VML
- Brand: SFBO Médicos sin fronteras
- Country: Spain / Brazil / USA
- Year: 2023
- Title: Fighting to Remember
- Agency: McCann
- Brand: Zikaron Basalon
- Country: Israel
- Year: 2023
- Title: Optink
- Agency: McCann
- Brand: Junge Helden E.V.
- Country: France
- Year: 2023
- Title: Morning after Island
- Agency: Ogilvy
- Brand: Grupo Estratégico PAE
- Country: Honduras
- Year: 2022
- Title: Car Parts Of Life
- Agency: Ogilvy / DelaCruz
- Brand: Plaza de las Americas and Stefano Foundation
- Country: Puerto Rico (US)
- Year: 2024

































































































































































































































































































































