“CHEER SIGNS” and “RADIO TIME MACHINE” Secure Gold at LIA 2026

TOKYO — October 8, 2026 — TBWA\HAKUHODO Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Wataru Uchida) has earned top honors at the London International Awards (LIA) 2026, with its campaigns “CHEER SIGNS” and “RADIO TIME MACHINE” each winning Gold in their respective categories.

Founded in 1986, the London International Awards is a premier global competition celebrating excellence across advertising, design, digital, music, and production. The awards bring together work from agencies and brands worldwide, judged by industry leaders to honor exceptional ideas and craft.

Highlighted Works and Awards

CHEER SIGNS 

Developed in partnership with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, 5005 Inc., and the NHK Group to mark the centennial of the Deaflympics, “CHEER SIGNS” introduces a revolutionary visual cheer style for athletes competing in a silent world. Co-created with Deaf individuals and active Deaf athletes, the initiative reimagines traditional auditory encouragement—such as applause and shouting—into visual expressions, allowing anyone to convey their support visually. 

• Gold: Cultural Catalyst — Sports 
• Silver: Design — Experiential Design 
• Bronze: Cultural Catalyst — Activations 
• Finalist: Sports — Diversity and Inclusion 

• Clients: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, NHK Enterprises, Inc., NHK Global Media Services, Inc. 

RADIO TIME MACHINE 

“RADIO TIME MACHINE” is an innovative AI device that automatically generates and plays custom radio-style audio content featuring historic news and hit songs when tuned to a specific past year. Combining text- and voice-generation AI, the device draws on Reminiscence Therapy—a non-pharmacological intervention that stimulates brain activity by recalling past events to help prevent dementia and enhance emotional stability. The project tackles major societal challenges, supporting senior citizens in a super-aging society while fostering rich, intergenerational communication. 

• Gold: Audio & Radio — Craft: AI Sound / Music / Audio 
• Finalist: Health & Wellness — Innovation 

• Client: Nichii Gakkan Co., Ltd. 

Both campaigns received high praise at LIA 2026: “CHEER SIGNS” for promoting social inclusion and diversity, and “RADIO TIME MACHINE” for elevating generative AI into a tool for human innovation that enriches interpersonal connections.

Driven by its core methodology, Disruption®, TBWA\HAKUHODO remains committed to approaching social and human challenges from fresh perspectives and creating work that brings positive change to the world.