Thank you to everyone who entered work to Creative Best 2025. Congratulations to all of this year’s professional and student winners!

The complete digital Awards Book, with an option to purchase a print copy, will be available on Friday, December 12th.

Creative Best 2025 Winners

Special Awards

Best of Show No School, No Lunch Made By Things
Judge’s Choice: Stacey Fatica No School, No Lunch Made By Things
Judge’s Choice: Jay Fletcher Thermasol Rebrand Understated Studio
Judge’s Choice: Travis McCleery ?on For A Life Jay Hubbard

Professional Category Winners

Professional: Animation

Best of Category No School, No Lunch Made By Things
Excellence AES Invisible Energy Spacejunk
Merit DTFA Boo Books 2025 Spacejunk

Professional: Campaign

Best of Category RTRX 2024 Studio Dixon
Excellence The Little Grand Flat Black Commercial Visuals
Excellence West Elk Aviation Bonfire Red
Merit Integra // Hiring Campaign bond creative + marketing
Merit DSW: Fall 2025 Campaign Spacejunk
Merit Kids Mental Health Foundation 2025 Campaign Spacejunk
Merit New York Bakery : Bake it til you Make it Understated Studio
Merit Pelotonia 2025 FORT
Merit The Modern’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony The Modern College of Design
Merit Goodwill Columbus Do Good Loyalty Program Campaign Origo Branding
Merit COTA Midnight in Motion Hunter Marketing

Professional: Copywriting

Best of Category Indiana Tech Brochure Gregor Gilliom, Versatile Words
Merit Thermasol : 2025 Price Guide Understated Studio
Merit DesignGroup Website Gregor Gilliom, Versatile Words

Professional: Environmental

Best of Category Simpson Strong Tie MA Design
Excellence The Goizueta Children’s Experience at the Atlanta History Center Roto
Excellence Abercrombie & Fitch Historic Displays Meyers+Associates
Merit Sarnova HQ, Environmental Graphics, Environmental Graphics MA Design
Merit Converse Electric WSA
Merit GISA, Upper Academy WSA
Merit Maymont Park Signage Bonfire Red

Professional: Greater Good

Best of Category Goodwill Columbus Do Good Loyalty Program Campaign Origo Branding
Excellence Black Men Build Poster Campaign Marshall Shorts – Artfluential
Excellence YWCA Columbus Women of Achievement 2025 Spacejunk
Excellence Kids Mental Health Foundation 2025 Campaign Spacejunk
Merit The RESTORE Project Lydiary Design
Merit Kids Mental Health Foundation Teacher Kits Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Merit “Finish Your Meal” Trash To Treasure Painting Ayuka Shichinohe

Professional: Identity

Best of Category Tamale Box Brand Identity Rooney Design Co
Excellence The Pink Feather Oddball Design Co.
Excellence Niles Investment Management Studio Dixon
Excellence Brother(hood) Dance – Brand Identity & Digital Design Artfluential
Excellence Thermasol Rebrand Understated Studio
Excellence Milo’s Deli WSA
Excellence Goodwill Columbus Do Good Loyalty Program Brand Strategy Origo Branding
Excellence West Elk Identity System Bonfire Red
Excellence Saige Brand Identity Holden Ellis
Merit Swoon FORT
Merit Foam to Fit Studio Dixon
Merit CCAD Youth & Community Learning Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit BioProtect Brand Strategy Origo Branding
Merit Minnesota Sexual Health Hotline Rebrand SIDE Studio

Professional: Illustration

Best of Category AP African American Studies: From Slavery to Freedom Cover David Hovey, McGraw Hill
Excellence Black Men Build – Rest During Wartime Marshall Shorts – Artfluential
Merit I’m Not Your Doll Charlie Cunningham
Merit Precision in Motion Nymbl
Merit Weiland’s Bunny Bonanza Weiland’s Market

Professional: Interactive

Best of Category Holden Ellis Website Holden Ellis
Merit NAI Ohio Equities website FORT
Merit DesignGroup Website Bonfire Red
Merit VPL Website Holden Ellis
Best of Category Patioweather Design Studio Katelyn Ratajczak
Excellence Gridstorm Studio Dixon
Merit Fireside Chat WSA
Merit Event Marketing Strategies Event Marketing Strategies

Professional: Motion Design

Best of Category VPL Brand Video Holden Ellis
Excellence Garland Theater Title Intro Rooney Design Co
Excellence YWCA Columbus Women of Achievement 2025 Spacejunk
Merit Gridiron Air In-Flight Announcements – Animation Series Bonfire Red

Professional: Packaging

Best Lillybandits “at thirty three and a third” Album Reissue Gestalter Visual Communications, Keith Novicki
Excellence Echo Spirits – Elusive herbal liqueur Zach Wilke
Merit Vertex Cassidy James

Professional: Photography: Lifestyle

Best of Category MARKER Brand Portraits Holden Ellis
Excellence When the Sun Sets Nicholas Bungart
Merit Dancing Skies Nicholas Bungart

Professional: Photography: Product

Best of Category The Vagelos Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania Brad Feinknopf
Excellence New York Bakery : Bake it til you Make it Understated Studio
Excellence Dancer Brad Feinknopf
Excellence The Portsmouth Abbey Student Center Brad Feinknopf
Excellence VIA Interiors Brad Feinknopf
Excellence VIA Exteriors Brad Feinknopf
Excellence The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Brad Feinknopf
Excellence Guest House Brad Feinknopf
Merit GISA WSA
Merit University of Cincinnati Football Indoor Practice Facility Brad Feinknopf

Professional: Print Long-Form

Best of Category Urban Adventurers Calendar Bonfire Red
Excellence Thermasol : 2025 Price Guide Understated Studio
Excellence 2025 Urban Outcomes Report FORT
Excellence ProMusica Chamber Orchestra 2025-2026 Season Brochure Origo Branding
Excellence Bonfire Red Self Promotional Brochure Bonfire Red
Merit 100 Days of Doodles Activity Book Fia Soisson
Merit Columbus Academy THRIVE Magazine VENN

Professional: Print Product

Best of Category Prints & Pints UPRIGHT PRESS
Excellence Ohio Pint Day 2025 Natasha Wheeler
Excellence The Persistence of the Ideological Lie Studio Dixon
Excellence Avalanche Marble Game Upright Press and Woodif Games

Professional: Print Short-Form

Best of Category Big Rock Italian Chophouse Menus Studio Dixon
Merit Maggie Smith Keep Moving Postcards Melissa Jackson
Merit Constellation Invite Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit 2025 Forbes Under 30 Lister Posters JobsOhio

Professional: Social & Digital Media

Best of Category Aerie: Soft Landing Spacejunk
Excellence DSW: Fall 2025 Campaign Spacejunk
Merit Bath & Body Works: Touch of Gold Spacejunk
Merit Aerie: Summer 1 Spacejunk
Merit A Kid Again Social Media Campaign Gregor Gilliom, Versatile Words

Professional: Video Long-Form

Best of Category OSU Victory Bell Spacejunk
Excellence Sam Houston State University Brand Anthem Outsider Video + Motion Graphics
Excellence Southeast Missouri State University | Find Your Fearless Outsider Video + Motion Graphics
Excellence Time Well Spent chemlahyah
Excellence University of Connecticut Anthem Spacejunk
Excellence DTFA Boo Books 2025 Spacejunk
Merit University of Connecticut: Zhou Interview Spacejunk
Merit New York Bakery : Pop-Up Podcast Understated Studio
Merit The Modern’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony The Modern College of Design
Merit 3d DEMO REEL 2025 Tin Fish

Professional: Video Short-Form

Best of Category Sprecher Root Beer | 40th Anniversary | Commercial Outsider Video + Motion Graphics
Excellence P.W. Speaks Spacejunk
Excellence COTA Roadeo Hype Video Hunter Marketing
Merit New York Bakery : Tuesday Night Understated Studio
Merit COTA Zoo Bus Hunter Marketing

Student Category Winners

Student: Animation & Motion

Best of Category Aurora Borealis Natalie Kittle, The Ohio State University
Excellence Principles of Motion Josh Cross, The Modern College of Design
Excellence American History of Gender Identity Dobson Miles, The Ohio State University
Merit Ridley’s Great Scare Madison Bregitzer, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit Orcas & the Beauty of Culture Biaggio Bican, The Ohio State University
Merit The Grinch X Amazon Prime PSA Gabe Salazar, The Modern College of Design
Merit The NXT GEN series Ananya Muddappa, The Ohio State University
Merit Felt’s Dream Precious Garcia, Columbus College of Art & Design

Student: Campaign

Best of Category Vanicare Mariya Dydyk, The Modern College of Design
Excellence Coming Together Duvel Sam Torok, Cleveland Institute of Art
Excellence Power to the People – Ben & Jerry’s Benji Decker, Columbus College of Art & Design
Excellence Mornin’ Mood Branding Campaign Sydney Burgei, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit CDFF Sam Torok, Cleveland Institute of Art
Merit Gardner Chai Ava Ridenour, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit Creative Frequency Jay Hubbard, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit Piada: On The Move Marra Thompson, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit Yoplait Berry Yogurt Brand Faith Bean, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit DISCO.4 Allison Fee, Otterbein University
Merit The March Burrow Audrey Couch, Otterbein University
Merit Abakoma Danielle Amankwah, Otterbein University

Student: Copywriting

Best of Category Plushie Care Cards Fish With Legs, Columbus College of Art & Design

Student: Environmental

Best of Category Fish With Legs pop-up retail shop Ayuka Shichinohe, Columbus College of Art & Design
Excellence CARDCON: Reshuffled Parv Nema, The Modern College of Design
Excellence Conversations with Trees: Connecting the Human Spirit with Nature OSU Visual Communication Design Class of 2026, The Ohio State University

Student: Greater Good

Best of Category Ovulove Eryn Coughlan, Columbus College of Art & Design
Excellence Together We Grow Audrey Couch, Otterbein University
Excellence Save the Bees Micah Hermiller, The Modern College of Design
Excellence REGEN Christian Burlison, The Modern College of Design
Excellence University District Food Waste Drop Off Emerson Lepicki, Jada Davis, Aria Beard; The Ohio State University
Merit Ramadan Advent Calendar Fatima Bashar, Otterbein University
Merit 99 Names of God Fatima Bashar, Otterbein University
Merit Conversations with Trees: Connecting the Human Spirit with Nature OSU Visual Communication Design Class of 2026, The Ohio State University
Merit CUPS CAUSE: Sip Kindness, Carry Love. Jessica Angst, Emma Bergman, Delaney Brown, Alejandro Puente; The Ohio State University

Student: Identity & Logo

Best of Category Evernote Isabel Nixon, The Ohio State University
Excellence Frida’s Frozen Treats – Visual Identity Kitty Kozlowski, The Ohio State University
Merit Sugar Wish Jada Davis, The Ohio State University
Merit Chewy Suyeon Chae, The Ohio State University

Student: Illustration

Best of Category The ABCs of Chickens Sommer Dixon, Columbus College of Art & Design
Excellence A Child’s Need for Sleep Corinne Henslee, Columbus College of Art & Design
Excellence Surfin’ Star Shark Benji Decker, Columbus College of Art & Design
Excellence Beefsteak Adeline Schutz, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit Original Comic Project Redo Brett Fullen, Columbus College of Art & Design

Student: Interactive

Best of Category TruNook Carter Teal, The Ohio State University
Excellence SwimSmart Grace Gabriel, The Modern College of Design
Excellence SideQuest: A fantasy-themed adventure game Dawson Estep, The Ohio State University
Merit Kiln Room App Max Bass, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit Zenth – Campus Wellness and Goal Sharing App Lily Makin, The Ohio State University

Student: Photography

Best My Reality, My Life Clarissa Brown, Columbus College of Art & Design
Excellence Erica – Portrait Series Issa Munoz-Chan, The Modern College of Design
Merit Splash Natalie Dove, Columbus College of Art & Design

Student: Print

Best of Category Starting Roots Kaylee Lade, The Modern College of Design
Excellence Gen Zine Naliyah DeJesus, Jackie Flanik, Daria Hordiushyna, Madelynn Madison, Rosalina Naida, Hollie Price, Ryan Zak; Cleveland State University
Excellence No Yolks Packaging Eco-Friendly Redesign Katie Perdue, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit Cats of Africa Ella Winters, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit ESPN Cleveland Cavs Magazine Issue Mason Brigger, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit Discover Magazine Design: Cover and Layouts Sydney Burgei, Columbus College of Art & Design

Student: Social & Digital Media

Best of Category Heaven, USA Album Teaser Jay Hubbard, Columbus College of Art & Design
Merit Resell Radius Project Josiah Wilson, Columbus College of Art & Design

Student: Video

Best of Category Insomnia Seeun Do, Columbus College of Art & Design
Excellence ?on For A Life Jay Hubbard, Columbus College of Art & Design
Excellence Apple AirPods Pro Josh Cross, The Modern College of Design
Merit LEGO Holiday Stop Motion Brett Fullen, Columbus College of Art & Design