AKQA recognised with four Grand LIA and nine Golds for bold cultural strategy
AKQA celebrates 16 awards at the London International Awards, led by three Grand LIA for Levi’s, The Cover-Up, alongside one Grand for Dove, r/eal reviews. Spanning ambient activation, real-time engagement and creative strategy, the recognised work reflects how AKQA and its partners use creative agility and consumer insight to build authentic connections with audiences.
The London International Awards is one of the world’s premier honours celebrating creative excellence across advertising, digital, design, craft and technology. Judged globally by leading creative practitioners, LIA recognises ground-breaking work that defines industry standards and shapes contemporary culture.
Grand, Ambient & Activation
Grand, Creativity in PR
Grand, Design
Levi’s The Cover-Up
During the 2026 World Cup, strict FIFA sponsorship rules required non-official sponsors to cover their branding at host stadiums, including the prominent Levi’s logo at Levi’s Stadium. Organisers draped a large white sheet over the sign, but covering the logo didn’t hide it. The fabric tightly traced the silhouette of Levi’s legendary Batwing, creating a physical outline so recognisable that fans knew instantly what was underneath.
Instead of treating the restriction as a limitation, Levi’s and AKQA embraced it. The brand posted a video of the covered logo paired with TikTok’s viral “How would they know? They’re gonna know” audio, turning FIFA’s cover-up into an inside joke the internet quickly embraced. Levi’s then expanded the moment into a global campaign, redacting social profile avatars, covering flagship store signage worldwide, censoring the mention of Levi’s during stadium fit checks and launching a limited-edition t-shirt featuring the covered logo. In just weeks, Levi’s proved that an iconic silhouette doesn't even need a brand name to be seen.
The work, developed by Levi’s, AKQA and BETC Paris, also earned five Gold and one Silver across the Ambient & Activation, Creativity in PR, Design and Creativity in Media categories.
Grand, Creators & Social Platforms
Dove r/eal reviews
To prove the power of the Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum Mask, Dove and AKQA went where most beauty brands fear to tread: the unfiltered world of Reddit. Rather than relying on traditional marketing claims, the campaign embraced the platform’s legendary honesty, turning real, unscripted reviews from the internet's most discerning critics into the campaign itself.
Created in partnership with DAVID London and WPP Media, this commitment to radical transparency turned authentic consumer opinions into a powerful driver of trust, establishing a new benchmark for how beauty brands build credibility with modern audiences.
The project also received four Gold LIA and one Silver across Creative Strategy, Creativity in Media, Creators & Social Platforms and Direct categories.
