DoubleVerify names APAC winners in first regional awards

DoubleVerify has named the Asia-Pacific winners of its 2026 DV Pinnacle Awards, extending the programme to APAC for the first time.

The awards recognise brands and agencies for work in social advertising, streaming television and the use of artificial intelligence in campaign optimisation and brand protection.

Among the APAC winners, Reckitt Philippines and Starcom Worldwide took Gold in the social category, which focused on performance and brand suitability across social platforms. Abbott India and Starcom Worldwide won Silver, while Unilever Thailand and Publicis Groupe took Bronze.

In the AI optimisation category, Mondelēz India and WPP Media won Gold. Daiichi Life Group took Silver, and Unilever Thailand with Publicis Groupe won Bronze.

A separate AI category focused on brand equity in an advertising market increasingly shaped by machine-generated content and invalid traffic. Vivo Mobile and Omnicom Media won Gold, while Unilever Indonesia and WPP Media took Silver, and PepsiCo with Publicis Groupe won Bronze.

A Jury Distinction for Innovation recognised streaming TV and connected TV work by Unilever Indonesia and WPP Media.

Judging criteria included strategic approach and innovation, measurable business outcomes, use of DoubleVerify's tools, quality of execution and collaboration. The panel included Ashik Ashokan, Head of Advisory, APAC, LIONS; Rica Facundo, APAC Managing Editor, WARC; Juliana Chu, Vice President of Digital & Ecommerce, Asia Pacific, Shiseido; and Jessica Gabriel, Senior Manager, Account Management, DoubleVerify.

The expansion broadens the geographic reach of a programme that began in the UK in 2025. The awards reflect growing interest among marketers in proving the effectiveness of spending across social media, streaming platforms and AI-led advertising systems.

Awards focus

The social category highlighted campaigns that balanced performance with brand suitability, a long-running concern for advertisers on large user-generated platforms. The AI categories split that focus between efficiency and return on investment on one side, and controls around ad placement and exposure to poor-quality inventory on the other.

This points to a wider shift in the digital advertising market, where advertisers are under pressure to justify media spending while managing the risks linked to automated buying systems, synthetic content and fragmented video distribution.

Streaming TV has become a particular area of scrutiny as advertisers shift budgets into connected television and on-demand viewing environments. These channels often promise premium audiences but can be harder to measure consistently across platforms. The Jury Distinction category singled out work intended to improve transparency and media quality in that part of the market.

DoubleVerify operates in ad verification and measurement, an area that has gained prominence as brands and agencies seek independent checks on whether digital ads are viewable, suitable and reaching intended audiences. It positioned the APAC awards around measurable media effectiveness rather than creative recognition alone.

Conrad Tallariti, Managing Director, APAC, DoubleVerify, commented on the standard of entries and the regional expansion of the programme.

"We were incredibly impressed by the caliber and breadth of this year's nominations, which reflect the creativity, innovation and ambition shaping the global advertising industry," said Conrad Tallariti, Managing Director, APAC, DoubleVerify. "Expanding the DV Pinnacle Awards to the APAC region has given us the opportunity to recognize even more of the brands and agencies pushing media effectiveness forward. Congratulations to all of this year's winners for setting a high bar and demonstrating how marketers can use technology, data and innovative thinking to create more impactful and effective media."