MullenLowe Guatemala and Castillo de If Take Gold and Silver at Luum Awards 2026

Two Guatemalan advertising agencies collected four awards at the Luum Awards 2026, a global festival that recognizes purpose-driven communication, placing the country's creative services sector alongside work from markets such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and France.

Publicidad Comercial MullenLowe and Castillo de If each took home two distinctions in the festival's sixth edition. The results, reported on Nov. 9, add to a growing record of international recognition for Guatemalan agencies as the local creative industry pushes to sell more of its services abroad.

Two Agencies, Four Awards

Publicidad Comercial MullenLowe won a Gold award in the Health & Wellness category for "Merry Kittens," a campaign created for veterinary brand Tu Vet. The agency also earned a Silver in the Essence of the Message category for "100 days to understand Benito," developed for Natura's.

Castillo de If secured two Silver awards for "memos," a campaign for hearing-technology company Cochlear Latam, in both the Essence of the Message and Health & Wellness categories. The firm, which describes itself as an agency of ideas, has now been among the festival's winners for three consecutive years.

The Guatemalan entries competed in a field that this year produced 113 awards for agencies and brands from 26 countries, including four Grand Prix, 49 Gold, and 60 Silver distinctions. The jury met in Geneva in late October to decide the top honors, after an online first round was held.

A Festival Built for Access

Luum was founded in 2021, inspired by acts of solidarity during the Covid-19 pandemic. It does not charge entry fees, which allows independent and mid-sized agencies to compete on equal terms with global networks.

Entries pass through an initial review by international professionals before a specialized jury selects the top awards. Organizers describe Luum as the first fully paperless global creative festival, and since 2024 it has held award events in countries of the Global South paired with social and environmental volunteer work.

For Guatemalan firms, the zero-cost model lowers a key barrier to international exposure. Award recognition at global festivals often serves as a credential when agencies pitch regional and multinational clients.

Creative Exports Gain Momentum

The awards arrive as Guatemala's creative economy seeks a larger role in services exports. According to Banco de Guatemala balance-of-payments data cited by AGEXPORT, exports of creative services reached USD 19.14 million in 2025, up 2.6% from 2024, with growth sustained for five consecutive years. Cumulative exports reached USD 9.27 million through the second quarter of 2026.

The sector already supports more than 40,000 direct jobs and sells services in more than 15 countries, led by the United States, Mexico, and Central America, according to AGEXPORT's Orange Economy Commission. Advertising, strategic communication, audiovisual production, and digital animation are among its main lines of business.

AGEXPORT hosted Expo Creative Hub 2026 and the sixth Orange Economy Forum, with sessions on artificial intelligence in creative work, international brand positioning, and audiovisual production. José Eduardo López, president of the association's Orange Economy Commission, has framed creative services as tools that help companies present products and communicate solutions to clients.

The global backdrop is supportive. UNCTAD data show that worldwide creative services exports hit a record of about USD 1.7 trillion in 2024, up 12% year over year and equal to 20% of total services trade. Guatemala's broader economy provides a stable base for that expansion. The Banco de Guatemala projects GDP growth of 4.1% for 2026, following 4.3% in 2025, with inflation expected to close the year at 3.75%.

For agencies such as MullenLowe and Castillo de If, international honors offer a visible signal to foreign clients that Guatemalan talent can compete on strategy and execution. As the creative sector targets new export markets, recognition at festivals like Luum strengthens the country's case as a regional hub for high-value communication services.

Source: Guatemala.com