No Smiles campaign recognized at all three of the world’s top creative award shows 

 

Tokyo, Japan — TBWA\HAKUHODO is proud to announce that its campaign No Smiles for McDonald’s Japan has been awarded a Best of Discipline Pencil and Gold Pencil honor at The One Show 2025 — one of the highest honors bestowed by the competition and among the most prestigious accolades in international advertising and design.

 

This latest recognition completes a rare and remarkable achievement: earning accolades at all three of the world’s top creative festivals — Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, and The One Show — within a single award season. With this milestone, TBWA\HAKUHODO joins a small and elite group of agencies globally that have achieved this creative trifecta.

 

The awarded campaign, No Smiles, reimagines McDonald’s Japan’s long-standing “¥0 Smile” brand asset through the lens of Gen Z values — shifting the meaning from a corporate courtesy to a deeper conversation around workplace authenticity and emotional labor.

 

Since its launch, the campaign has resonated with audiences across Japan and beyond, collecting major international accolades including a Gold Lion at Cannes Lions 2024, a Grand Clio and Gold at the Clio Music Awards, a Silver and Bronze at the 2025 Clio Awards, and now a Best of Discipline Pencil and Gold Pencil at The One Show 2025.

 

The One Show, produced by The One Club for Creativity, is widely regarded as one of the most influential awards in the global creative industry. This globally renowned competition annually receives tens of thousands of entries from across more than 60 countries. 

 

Through this recognition, TBWA\HAKUHODO reaffirms its commitment to ideas that challenge norms, provoke reflection, and connect with culture in meaningful ways — not just in Japan, but around the world.

 

Award Details: 

 

Campaign: No Smiles (Client: McDonald’s Japan)

◾️ Best of Discipline Pencil 
Music & Sound Craft

◾️ Gold Pencil 
Music & Sound Craft – Artist / Brand Collaboration

◾️ Silver Pencil 
Branded Entertainment – Music Videos

◾️ Merit 
Radio & Audio-First – Craft / Casting 
Social Media – Influencer Marketing / Use of Celebrity

 

For more information on The One Show, visit: 
https://www.oneclub.org/awards/theoneshow