TBWA HAKUHODO's Cheer Signs Wins 8 Awards for Deaf-Inclusive Sports Campaign

TBWA HAKUHODO's "Cheer Signs" campaign, a visual cheering system co-created with deaf athletes for the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, has won eight awards across Spikes Asia 2026 and ADFEST 2026, making it one of the most decorated inclusive marketing campaigns in Asia-Pacific.

Campaign Co-Created With Deaf Athletes, Launched One Day Before Deaflympics Opening

The project was announced on November 14, 2025, one day before the Deaflympics opening ceremony in Tokyo. The 2025 edition marked the event's 100th anniversary.

Commissioned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, with NHK Enterprises, NHK Global Media Services, and 5005 Inc. as collaborators, Cheer Signs replaced sound-based cheering with three visual gestures rooted in Japanese Sign Language (JSL). The three gestures, "Go!," "You Can Do It!," and "Grab the Medal!," were co-created directly with deaf athletes and creators, not designed by hearing professionals on their behalf. Vibrant colored gloves were used during Deaflympics demonstrations to make the gestures more visible inside stadium environments.

At Spikes Asia 2026, Cheer Signs won Gold in Design / Inclusive Design, Gold in Innovation / Societal Innovation, Silver in PR / Cultural Engagement, and Bronze in Entertainment / Diversity and Inclusion in Sport. At ADFEST 2026, the campaign added Silver Lotuses in Entertainment / Diversity and Inclusion, PR / Breakthrough, and Design / Inclusive Design, among other recognitions.

Cheer Signs Contributes to TBWA HAKUHODO's Strategy and Effectiveness Agency of the Year Title

TBWA HAKUHODO was named Strategy and Effectiveness Agency of the Year at Spikes Asia 2026, winning a total of seven awards and two Grand Prix at the festival. Cheer Signs contributed directly to that result.

The agency also won a Grand Prix in Product Innovation at Spikes Asia 2026 for "Smart Eye Camera," an accessible eye diagnostics tool. That win, alongside Cheer Signs, spans both sports marketing and healthcare product design, indicating the agency has applied a similar co-creation approach across multiple categories.

TBWA HAKUHODO presented on inclusive sports marketing at Advertising Week Asia, signaling the agency is positioning this approach as an ongoing practice area rather than a single campaign.

Government Mandates and Consumer Demand Shape Asia-Pacific Inclusive Marketing Landscape

The Cheer Signs campaign reflects a broader shift in how inclusive marketing briefs are being generated across Asia. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's role as the commissioning client shows that public sector disability policy is now directly driving agency creative work.

Research from iStock by Getty Images indicates 62% of consumers feel unrepresented in advertising. Between 18% and 24% of populations in Australia and New Zealand live with disabilities, representing a significant audience that remains underserved by mainstream campaigns.

Parallel developments in sports infrastructure point to the same trend. Hong Kong's Kai Tak Sports Park was designed with 80% retractable seating, prayer rooms, multi-generational family seating, and Chinese characters on seats, illustrating that inclusive design in Asian sports contexts now extends from marketing campaigns into physical venue planning.

TBWA HAKUHODO Builds on Multi-Year Record of Culturally Specific Work in Asia

Campaign Asia named TBWA HAKUHODO Japan/Korea Agency of the Year 2024 across creative and event marketing categories, establishing a track record that predates the Cheer Signs campaign.

The agency's Cheer Signs wins span four distinct creative disciplines at Spikes Asia alone, covering design, innovation, PR, and entertainment. That breadth of recognition signals that inclusive design is now being evaluated across the full range of creative categories, not only in social impact or CSR classifications.

TBWA HAKUHODO has not publicly announced specific future campaigns under the Cheer Signs framework at this time.