University of Hawaiʻi students received top honors for their creative excellence at the 2026 Pele Awards, a statewide competition hosted by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Hawaiʻi to celebrate outstanding achievement in advertising and design.
Students from Kapiʻolani Community College and the UH Mānoa earned awards across multiple categories this year, including packaging, special event materials, interactive media, logo design and animation.
Best of Show
Among this year’s honorees, UH Mānoa graduate Chloe Lavigne received College Best of Show, the top award in the college division, for her “Deconstruct Exhibition Campaign.” Lavigne also earned a Gold award in the Cross Platform Campaign category and another Gold for her “Deconstruct App.”
Students from Kapiʻolani CC also secured top awards, taking home multiple Pele Golds in Elements of Advertising.
“The ‘Istanbul City Logo’ project reinforced my belief that strong design is rooted in empathy and thoughtful exploration,” said Kapiʻolani CC New Media Arts student Vivian Bui, who won a Gold award for her “Istanbul City Logo” project. “I also realized that human-centered design is different from AI because it is shaped by real curiosity, feelings, and understanding, not just quick output. For me, design is not just about making something look good, but about telling a meaningful story that connects with people.”
2026 Pele Award student recipients
- Chloe Lavigne (Best of Show and Gold for Cross Platform Campaign) Project: Deconstruct Exhibition, UH Mānoa
- Chloe Lavigne (Gold for Online/Interactive App) Project: Deconstruct App, UH Mānoa
- Vivian Bui (Gold for Elements of Advertising, Logo Design) Project: Istanbul City Logo, Kapiʻolani CC
- Lucas Stevens (Gold for Elements of Advertising, Digital Creative Technology) Project: CLEAN.exe, Kapiʻolani CC
- Alysha Cayabyab (Silver for Sales Promotion, Packaging) Project: Booyah Bears, Kapiʻolani CC
- Vivian Bui (Silver for Online/Interactive, Website (Desktop or Mobile)) Project: Ao Dai Heritage, Kapiʻolani CC
- Chloe Lavigne and Rachel Wong (Bronze for Sales Promotion, Special Event Materials) Project: Synergy BFA Showcase Invitation, UHt Mānoa
- Lucas Stevens (Bronze for Elements of Advertising, Animation or Special Effects) Project: CLEAN.exe, Kapiʻolani CC
Award-winning video
Kapiʻolani CC‘s campus marketing video, Kūlia I Ka Nuʻu, also won 2026 Pele Awards in the professional category of “Elements of Advertising.” The vibrant montage produced by Kinetic Productions earned silver for video editing and bronze for copywriting.
- Related UH News story: UH Mānoa design graduates win top honors at Pele Awards, May 29, 2026
