The Charleston Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) alongside the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Charleston Chapter announce the finalists for its Spark + American Advertising Awards to recognize the outstanding creative achievements of Charleston-area marketers and advertisers.
Finalists are selected from each category and voted on by American Marketing Association Chapter Boards nationwide. The 2026 finalists were voted on by the Tampa Bay AMA Board of Directors. The winners will be announced at the Spark + American Advertising Awards Gala on March 12, 2026.
For the first time, the AMA Spark Awards and the AAF American Advertising Awards have joined forces. See the best of both worlds in one place. See the full list of finalists below.
“The Spark Awards have always been about celebrating results-driven marketing, and joining forces with the AAF American Advertising Awards elevates that celebration to a new level,” Charleston AMA President Mike Compton said. “The finalists this year represent the absolute best in both strategy and creativity. Our community’s talent is incredible, and we look forward to a night of recognizing the individuals and companies pushing our industry forward.”
The winners will be announced at the gala, which will take place on Thursday, March 12 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m at The Harbor Entrepreneur Center in Mount Pleasant. Attendees will enjoy an evening of networking, food and drinks as the top marketers in the Lowcountry are honored. Emilie Zuhowski, host of Palmetto Life on Live 5 News, will emcee the event.
“As a young chapter, AAF Charleston was thrilled with the response in our second year hosting an American Advertising Award competition. A huge part of that was due to the collaboration with Charleston AMA,” said AAF Charleston President Genna Shelnutt. “Our goal as an organization has always been to highlight our community’s creativity and success; the upcoming gala is the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.”
Tickets are on sale now and are $75 for AMA/AAF members and $90 for non-members. For questions about promo codes, sponsorships or donating, please reach out to Taylor Mullaney: taylorm@charlestonama.org. To purchase tickets, visit https://charlestonama.org/
About AAF Charleston: The American Advertising Federation Charleston is the unifying voice for advertising in the Lowcountry, promoting and protecting the interests of advertising. AAF Charleston is committed to professional development, networking, and celebrating creative excellence through the American Advertising Awards. Visit aafcharleston.com for more information.
About Charleston AMA: The Charleston American Marketing Association offers networking and educational events that enable Charleston marketers to enhance their knowledge, refine their skills and advance their careers. For more information, visit charlestonama.org or follow @charleston_ama on social media.
###
Full List of Spark Award Finalists - 82 submissions by 70 organizations:
Abby Oakley & Ellie Rodrigues
ABC News 4
Andreucci Design Studio
Andrew Barton Design
Brandon
Broad St Video LLC
Chernoff Newman
College of Charleston MBA Students
College of Charleston School of Business
Craft Creative
Crimson Park Digital
DK.Design
Drew Somerville Photography
Forst Imaginative Group LLC
In The Black Marketing and Consulting
Isabella Fallon
Jakob Highducheck
KION North America
Koz Films
Live 5 WCSC
Lowcountry Food Bank
Matchstick Social
Nelson Strategic Marketing
Outside Center Consulting
Regan Communications; Kayla Zackular
RMBO
Skyler Majerowicz
Social ABCs
Squeeze Marketing
Stephanie Barrow Consulting
Stingray Branding
VIP Marketing
Wired Island PR
American Advertising Awards - 72 entries by 10 companies:
The Beach Company
Brandon
Buffalo Groupe
Chernoff Newman
Craft Creative
In the Black Marketing and Consulting
Lowcountry Food Bank
Matchstick Social
The MediaBeast Marketing Group
Stingray Branding