Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the Latvian Art Directors’ Club (LADC) is taking a significant step by transforming the Latvian creative excellence festival ADwards 2026 into the largest regional advertising industry event in the Baltics. For the first time, this will give creative teams from Lithuania and Estonia the opportunity to submit their work and compete for the ADwards.
The expansion of ADwards is marked by the festival’s theme for 2026 — Bursting Bubbles —, which was chosen with the aim of promoting a broader and more global view of the creative industry, fostering cooperation and growth in the Baltic states. «The 20th anniversary of LADC is the perfect moment for a historic milestone — we are opening ADwards to the Baltics. In our opinion, truly strong and globally competitive excellence in the creative industries can only be achieved when we cross borders and come together to work not separately, but together — stronger and bigger. The expansion of the festival into a Baltic-level event is a natural strategic step — together with our neighbours from Estonia and Lithuania, we can talk about creativity that inspires, crosses national borders, and raises the competitiveness of the region, » says Ināra Šumeiko, director of LADC and head of Naked studio, emphasising the strategic importance of the decision.
«The theme Bursting Bubbles is a direct and bold call to the entire Baltic creative community. Creativity often develops within the boundaries of our usual thinking. In order to create truly outstanding works and new achievements, we need to let in fresh air and step outside our comfort zone. This year, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of LADC, we choose to burst these bubbles. ADwards 2026 will become a unified platform that demonstrates the ability to think internationally and creatively, defining a new standard of excellence for the entire Baltic region,» explains Oskars Cirsis, creative director of the digital creative agency Wrong Digital and author of the ADwards 2026 concept.
Expansion is not the only change to come to the festival. In 2026, ADwards is planned to span two days — May 14 and 15 — offering an engaging programme for industry professionals, students, and representatives of various creative fields. In addition, the organisers promise other new features. You can follow the latest news about ADwards on the competition website.
Viedokļi