Carat picked up two awards at the Guardian Advertising Awards 2026, with Co-op taking 'Brands Doing the Right Thing' and Mastercard claiming 'Premium Brands'.
The annual awards celebrate advertising campaigns that have run across Guardian channels over the past year, recognising what the Guardian describes as the unique combination of scale, influence and integrity it offers advertisers. This was the third year of the event, introduced by Imogen Fox, the Guardian's global chief advertising officer, and James Fleetham, director of advertising.
From Play to Purpose
WINNER: Brands Doing the Right Thing | Co-op
When a £206m cyberattack hit Co-op, it didn't just expose vulnerabilities in their systems, it uncovered something far more troubling: 69% of European teenagers have committed a cybercrime, 20% of under-16s are vulnerable to being groomed into it, and more than 60% of cybercrime suspects started hacking before the age of 16. Cybergangs operate like exploitative cults, targeting curious teenagers on gaming forums with offers of status and belonging. Rather than manage the fallout quietly, Co-op partnered with The Guardian and The Hacking Games to name the problem publicly, commissioning hard-hitting investigative journalism that gave reformed hackers a platform while equipping parents and teachers with practical tools to spot the warning signs early.
Priceless Moments
WINNER: Premium Brands | Mastercard
Mastercard's Priceless platform is built on access, connecting audiences to sought-after experiences across culture and sport. The ambition was to bring that positioning to life within a premium editorial context, aligning the brand with high-impact cultural moments through immersive, human storytelling. Partnering with The Guardian, the campaign needed to deliver both scale and depth while maintaining the craft and credibility that a premium audience expects, a challenge that demanded the right environment as much as the right creative.
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