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 Luum Awards Chooses Costa Rica as its 2026 Host Country: Purposeful Creativity and International Volunteering

Can Volunteering Make You Better at Your Job?

Costa Rica Will Be the Host Country for the 2026 Luum Awards’ Volunteer Experience

Luum: The Creative Festival for Altruists, Registrations Open

Selecting the “110 Independent Creative Agencies to Watch

Tomilli Becomes an Innovative Multi-platform

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

Hall of Fame 2025

Network of the Year 2025: Ogilvy

Agency of the Year 2025: Zubi Advertising, United States

Check out winners of Luum 2025