The One Club Announces 2026 Creative Hall of Fame Inductees

Jun. 08, 2026

The One Club for Creativity has announced the latest esteemed group of legends in advertising, design, and education to be named as 2026 inductees into the prestigious Creative Hall of Fame in September.

The Creative Hall of Fame has a rich heritage of honoring the lifetime achievements of creative luminaries, starting with the induction of Leo Burnett in 1961.  

This year’s illustrious inductees, with links to their bios, are as follows.

Creative Hall of Fame

• Rosie Arnold, one of the most awarded art directors in British advertising history, spent more than three decades shaping iconic work at BBH and championing creative excellence throughout the industry.
• Janet Champ, Wieden+Kennedy copywriter behind Nike’s groundbreaking “If You Let Me Play” campaign, transformed how brands communicate with women through work rooted in truth, empathy, and cultural impact.
• John C Jay, a visionary creative leader whose influence spans retail, advertising, fashion, and culture, helped shape brands including Nike and Uniqlo while pioneering a new model of culturally driven creativity.
• Caroline R. Jones, formerly of J. Walter Thompson, BBDO, Caroline Jones Advertising, Zebra Associates, and Mingo-Jones, trailblazing copywriter, the first black female vice-president at a major agency.
• Piyush Pandey, widely regarded as the father of modern Indian advertising at Ogilvy, transformed the industry by bringing the language, humor, and humanity of everyday India into the heart of brand storytelling.
• Joyce King Thomas, the creative force behind McCann’s iconic “Priceless” campaign for Mastercard, helped redefine emotional storytelling in advertising while becoming one of the industry’s most respected creative leaders and mentors.

Educators Hall of Fame

• Michael Conrad, former Global CCO at Leo Burnett Worldwide and co-founder of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, helped shape generations of creative leaders while elevating standards across the global advertising industry.

The Creative Hall of Fame is known for the high levels of rigor and integrity of its selection process.  Nominations are open to One Club members, with the broad list of candidates voted on by the organization’s National and International Board, as well as past Creative Hall of Fame inductees.  

A shortlist is determined by the selection committee, and nominators or an appointed advocate do a presentation to the Board in support of their candidate.  A final vote is cast by the Board to select the inductees.

Criteria for being considered is three-fold:

• Impact — Those who have a celebrated body of work. This includes work that has been recognized as the best in the industry over multiple years for multiple brands, can be considered truly innovative and original in thinking and execution, and has an undeniable lasting impact.
• Influence — Those who have used their creativity and leveraged their resources to advance the industry and serve the greater good.
• Inspiration — Those who have had a measurable, positive effect on the next generation of creative leaders, and are known industry-wide as mentors, door-openers, and opportunity-creators.

Pum Lefebure, One Club chair and co-founder, CCO, Design Army in Washington DC said:

"The people we honor this year didn’t just create iconic work—they changed the trajectory of our industry. Their ideas reshaped culture, their leadership opened doors for others, and their impact continues to ripple across generations. We are proud to recognize these creative pioneers whose influence extends far beyond the work itself.”

 

This year’s Creative Hall of Fame black-tie gala induction ceremony will take place on September 16, 2026 at Capitale in New York.  Induction ceremony and ticket details, as well as bio information on this year’s inductees, are available here.

Since The One Club For Creativity is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, individual ticket purchases above $250 and table ticket purchases above $2,500 are considered a charitable donation.  Sponsorship options are available for those unable to attend the ceremony but wishing to support and celebrate the inductees.