As the American Advertising Federation (AAF) marks the 75th anniversary of the Advertising Hall of Fame, the organization has announced a landmark Class of 2026 that brings together some of the most influential leaders, brands, and cultural figures in the history of the business.
The honorees will be celebrated at the annual AAF Induction Gala on April 23, 2026, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, with the announcement made fittingly alongside the ringing of the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
Selected by the Advertising Hall of Fame Council of Judges, led by Chair Ross Martin, President of Known, and Vice Chair Rita Ferro, President of Disney Advertising, this year’s class includes six legendary industry leaders, one corporate honoree, and two recipients of the President’s Award.
Meet the Inductees
Gordon Bowen, Founder, mcgarrybowen, Creative Chairman, Dentsu Creative
Gordon Bowen’s impact on advertising is nothing short of legendary. He founded mcgarrybowen to create a new kind of agency—values-led, client-focused, and ego-free—a vision that propelled it to become Madison Avenue’s fastest-growing agency and, today, an integral part of Dentsu Creative.
His storytelling shaped iconic campaigns for brands like American Express, Disney, Verizon, and Intel, including American Express’s “Membership Has Its Privileges,” which Ad Age named “Campaign of the Decade.”
Gordon’s work earned top honors at Cannes Lions and the Super Bowl, and he created the Emmy Award-winning “Light the Fire Within” opening ceremony for the Salt Lake City Olympics—reflecting a lifelong commitment to creativity, shaping talent, and doing well by doing good.
Esi Eggleston Bracey, Global Chief Growth & Marketing Officer, Unilever
What distinguishes Esi isn’t just her marketing and business acumen, but how she shows up as her authentic self in rooms where she’s often “the only” – the only woman, the only African American, the only one with blonde locs.
She discovered this is her superpower, and it’s what’s emboldened her to trailblaze purpose-driven legislation such as the CROWN Act movement on behalf of Dove (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), diversify the face of beauty with the Queen Latifah partnership on COVERGIRL, and become a founding member of BECA (Black Executive CMO Alliance), among other accomplishments. Her pioneering spirit has also led to iconic innovations like the creation of Febreze.
Perhaps all of this can be summed up by the transformation currently taking place at Unilever under her leadership: “A culture that converts.”
Susan Fowler Credle, Global Creative Advisor, Interpublic and Former Chair & Global CCO, FCB
Susan’s ascent is the stuff of legends. Starting as a temp who filled in at the front desk, that modest start marked the beginning of one of the most remarkable creative careers in modern advertising. She helped turn M&Ms into beloved characters, unleashed Allstate’s “Mayhem,” and led a creative renaissance at FCB with her philosophy of “Never Finished.”
From BBDO to Burnett to FCB, Susan has brought clarity, care and conviction to her work, elevated creative standards and driven the industry toward greater inclusion, empathy and endless possibility. Susan’s passion for education and community lifts not just the work, but the people behind it. It’s a mission that, like her best work, is Never Finished.
Susan will also be presented with the David Bell Award for Industry Service, which honors extraordinary, unique contributions and service to the advertising industry as a whole. The award is named in honor of David Bell (Hall of Fame Class of 2007), a visionary leader and mentor to several generations of advertising professionals.
David Droga, Vice Chair, Accenture; Founder, Droga5
David didn’t just achieve the highest levels of creative success; he helped totally redefine and expand the aptitude of what a modern-day creative leader can shape, influence, build and lead. To this day, David continues to push creativity into the highest echelons of business.
He is the single most awarded creative in the history of the Cannes Festival of Creativity, and at 47, was the youngest person ever to be bestowed the Lion of St. Mark honor. But perhaps one of his boldest moves was in 2019, when he sold Droga5 to Accenture and, barely two years later, became CEO of Accenture Song — a resounding statement that the future doesn’t belong to the operators but to the daydreamers. He invented a new operating model and ultimately delivered integration at scale.
In four years, the business has nearly doubled. Now, as the new Vice Chair of Accenture, his mission remains unchanged: to keep imagination alive in the places where decisions are made.
Tim Ellis, Chief Marketing Officer, NFL
During his career, Tim has delivered bold marketing that spans continents, agencies, and some of the world’s most iconic brands, influencing the advertising industry and greater culture. As NFL CMO, he’s cultivated the league into one that’s more human, compassionate and culturally connected. It’s not an overstatement to say Tim is primarily responsible for the NFL brand’s resurgence. Brand perception and game viewership are at all-time highs, and the league boasts its most global and diverse fan base ever.
Previously, Tim served as Activision Blizzard CMO; held marketing leadership roles at Volvo and Volkswagen, creating “The Force,” hailed by TIME as “the ad that changed the Super Bowl forever;” and worked at several agencies. Outside of work, Tim drives positive change in local communities as a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters and Ad Council.
Jim Stengel, President & CEO, The Jim Stengel Company; Former Global Marketing Officer, P&G
Jim is, simply put, the CMO’s CMO. When he was first named Global Marketing Officer at P&G, Jim introduced a radically human idea: brands grow when they serve a higher purpose. And in so doing, he changed P&G’s approach to business…forever.
But Jim didn’t stop there. He took his message on purpose and creativity to the industry: in one bold move, Jim took P&G to Cannes Lions and changed the Festival, P&G, and the industry at large for all time. When Jim left P&G after 25 years, he launched his own eponymous company and has helped hundreds of CMOs and CEOs thrive.
Jim’s show The CMO Podcast has inspired millions since its inception in 2019, and his book, Grow, has encouraged thousands of senior leaders globally to apply a new approach to brand growth.
American Express will be inducted as the corporate honoree, recognized for its 175-year legacy as one of the world’s most trusted and enduring brands. From “Don’t Leave Home Without It” to “Small Business Saturday” and its modern Platinum platform, American Express has consistently shaped culture while backing customers, small businesses, and communities worldwide.
To commemorate the Hall of Fame’s 75th anniversary, the AAF will also present two President’s Awards for the first time. This year’s recipients are Barry Manilow and Marlo Thomas, both honored for their profound impact on advertising and culture despite careers rooted outside the industry.
Manilow began his professional journey composing iconic advertising jingles before becoming a global music icon. At the same time, Thomas has used her platform to shape generations through groundbreaking entertainment and decades of advocacy for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
A portion of the gala’s proceeds will benefit The Manilow Music Project and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, causes closely tied to the President’s Award recipients. As AAF President and CEO Steve Pacheco noted, the 75th anniversary celebration promises to be one of the most significant nights in advertising history, bringing together a true who’s who of industry legends to honor the past while pointing toward the future.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026.
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