University of Hawaiʻi students from Kapiʻolani Community College, UH West Oʻahu and UH Maui College swept the college category of the 2024 Pele Awards held in May in Waikīkī. The Pele Awards is one of 15 National District Competitions for the American Advertising Awards (also known as the ADDYs) to recognize excellence in advertising and design.
The Best of Show award went to Kapiʻolani CC student Cat Daniels Rivero for Voyage Tea in the illustration-campaign category. Rivero also received a $2,500 cash scholarship from the NMG Network and Eleven 17 Creative scholarship program.
“Winning Pele Awards has made me feel like I’m moving in the right direction and has further motivated me to keep working hard,” Rivero said. “That moment was especially heartening because I got to share it with my professors. Knowing how dedicated they are to us (students), when I walked up on stage, I really wanted to grab the mic and give them a big shout-out for all the office hours and weekend Zoom calls they’ve given me!”
Her classmate, Leighna-Ann Lariosa, won the Special Judges Award for her Hou Pressed Campaign in the integrated brand identity campaign category.
UH West Oʻahu Creative Media student Ashley Macho won first place for the American Advertising Federation Hawaiʻi Shining Star Scholarship ($2,000).
The Pele Gold winners in all national categories are sent to the National Finals of the American Advertising Awards Competition to represent District 13.
Melanie Denda, who graduated from UH West Oʻahu in December 2023, won two gold and one bronze Pele Award. One of Denda’s gold-winning projects Lucky Belly Rebranded Logo also advanced to the 2024 American Advertising Awards, where her entry won a silver award.
Denda said she was shocked when she received the ADDY Award and messaged all of her family members and friends that she won.
“I was in disbelief and extremely happy,” Denda said. “It was an incredible and unexpected honor.”
Read more about UH West Oʻahu honorees at Ka Puna O Kaloʻi.
2024 Pele Award Winners
Gold
Cat Daniels Rivero (Pele Gold and Best of Show), Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Voyage Tea
Category: Illustration – campaign
*Winner of a $2,500 Presenting Sponsors Cash Scholarship from NMG Network and Eleven 17 Creative
Leighna-Ann Lariosa (Pele Gold and Special Judges Award), Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Hou Pressed Campaign
Category: Integrated brand identity campaign
*Second place winner of an $800 AAF Hawaiʻi Shining Star Scholarship
Melanie Denda, UH West Oʻahu
Project: Akko
Category: Interactive/online advertising & promotion campaign
Melanie Denda, UH West Oʻahu (also won a silver American Advertising Award)
Project: Lucky Belly Rebranded Logo
Category: Logo Design
Cassandra Neri, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Serene Branding
2 Categories: Point of purchase, Logo design
Julz Calasicas, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Typography Composition
Category: Publication design – cover/editorial spread or feature – series
Mari Seymour, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: The Moon
Category: Website (desktop or mobile)
Sua Lee, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: The Bus Mobile App Design
Category: App (mobile or web-based)
Silver
Cassandra Neri, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Serene Branding
Category: Packaging
Hanna Shibata, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Editorial Design for Kehinde Wiley
Category: Publication design – cover/editorial spread or feature – series
Leighna-Ann Lariosa, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Cropify Mobile App
Category: App (mobile or web-based)
Leighna-Ann Lariosa, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Cropify Logo
Category: Logo design
Cat Daniels Riveros, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Ubud
Category: Logo design
Bronze
Faith Christy Soliven, UH Maui College
Project: The Stay Series: Hawaiʻi is Home
Category: Television advertising campaign
Melanie Denda, UH West Oʻahu
Project: Akko Rebranded Logo
Category: Logo design
James God, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: Odds & Ends, Oil on Canvas 30×22″
Category: Illustration
Hanna Shibata, Kapiʻolani CC
Project: What is H1B?
Category: Animation or special effects
Other Pele Awards honorees included high school division students of UH West Oʻahu Academy for Creative Media alumni Dexter Corpuz and Scott Alquisa, both of whom are now educators at Maui and Waipahu high schools, respectively.
SEO:
Photos: Can we also grab images from the winnerʻs links?
