Conference Awards

Open Competition Paper Award

This award goes to the top three papers submitted to the Open Research category. The top three papers will receive awards of $300, $200, and $100, respectively. Authors are honored with a certificate and monetary award during the annual AEJMC conference.

Past winners:

2026

First Place: The Anthropocentrism Paradox:  How Individual and Brand Frames Intervene with AI Disclosure in Inclusive Advertising

Quan Xie, Steven Edwards, Sidharth Muralidharan, Carrie La Ferle, and Rachel Rodgers, Southern Methodist University 

Second Place: Fit, Value, and Character Integrity:  How Audiences Evaluate Anime-Like Virtual Influencer Endorsements

Yuan Nan & Huan Chen, University of Florida

Third Place: Dietary Supplement Advertising:  A Systematic Review and Research Agenda

Tianjiao Wang, DePaul University

2025

First Place: The Effects of Social Media Involvement and Engagement Metrics on Consumer’s Cognition, Affection, and Conation in Social Media Advertising

Jinhee Lee, Central Michigan University

Second Place: How Does “This Advert is FDA Approved” Shape Consumers’ Pain Medicine Decision Making? An Examination of Unintended Effects of Regulator Ad Endorsement

Paul Koomson, University of Oregon
Francis Marion, University of Oregon
Sylvester Senyo Ofori-Parku, University of Oregon
Kwaku Botwe, University of Ghana

Third Place: The Backfire Effects of Storytelling in Social Media Influencer Advertising: The Impact of Perceived Manipulative Intent and Sponsorship Disclosure

Jingren Li, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Yanni Ma, Oregon State University
Erich Sommerfeldt, Oregon State University

2024

First Place: Inspired by “Greenfluencers”: Young Peoples’ Exposure to Greenfluencers, Compensatory Green Beliefs, and Consumption Behavior
Ariadne Neureiter & Joerg Matthes, University of Vienna

Second Place: Informational and Experiential Antecedents and Trust Outcome of Dataveillance and Data Profiling Perceptions

Ming Wang, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Third Place: Influencer Endorser Response to Negative Publicity: Safeguarding Positive Evaluation amid Brand Transgressions in Live-streaming e-Commerce

Shuai Guo & Mengtian Jiang, University of Kentucky

2023

First Place: When Influencers Compare Brands: Defensive Processing of Sponsored Comparative Messages and Effects on Consumer Responses

Guolan Yang, Oakland University & Lewen Wei, University of New South Wales

Second Place: When Social Media Gets Political: How Message-Platform Match Affects Consumer Responses to Brand Activism Advertising

Xuan Zhou, Chen Lou, Xun (Irene) Huang, Nanyang Technological University

Third Place: Exploring the Relationship between Relevant Multitasking and Persuasion: The Role of Inattentional Screen Blindness, Elaboration, and Flow

Yuhmiin Chang, National Chengchi University

Student Paper Award

This award goes to the top three papers submitted to the Graduate and Undergraduate Student Research category. The top three student papers in this category will receive awards of $200, $100, and $50, respectively. Authors are honored with a certificate and monetary award during the annual AEJMC conference.

Past winners:

2026

First Place: Believing the Honest Brand: How Disclosing Scientific Uncertainty in Commercialized Emerging Technologies Influences Credibility, Sincerity, and Brand Attitude

Yi Liao, University of Utah
Jiaming Zhou, University of Macau
Baoying Fu, University of Utah
Wenyuan Li, University of Miami

Second Place: How Transparency Cues Bring Trust in Conversation-Related Advertising: Examining the Roles of Surveillance Beliefs and Perceived Surveillance

Kaiyi Yu, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Jiakun Liang, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Jikai Sun, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Third Place: The Effects of Humor and Anthropomorphism on Virtual Influencer Perceptions and Consumer Behavior

Peixin Hua, Pennsylvania State University
Temilade Adeeko, Pennsylvania State University
Yanan Wu, Pennsylvania State University
Rehab Alayoubi, Pennsylvania State University

2025

First Place: “Sad to say I have a problem”: How Online Support Communities Navigate and Counteract Gambling Advertisements

Teodora Tavares, University of South Florida

Second Place: Beyond Surveys: A Systematic Literature Review of Biometric Tools in Advertising Effectiveness Research

Carrie Xiao, University of South Carolina

Third Place: Keeping the Crown: How Advertising, PR, and Marketing Leaders Can Remain Ahead of AI

Alexandra Kendall, Quinnipiac University

2024

First Place: Reclaiming Premium Brand Equity: Establishing A Post-Pandemic Framework for Theatrical Film Advertising on Social Media

Chris DeFelice, University of Florida

Second Place: I Bet You Think About Me: Determining Factors that Influence Social Media Influencers Engagement

Nichole Santee & Kyle Stanley, Louisiana State University

Third Place: Empowering Ads, Empowered Responses: Unveiling the Emotional and Behavioral Impact of Femvertising in China on Social Media

Wenwen Cao, The University of Melbourne

2023

First Place: Does Eye Contact Matter: Emotional Responses to Candidate’s Direct and Indirect Address in Political

Jocelyn McKinnon-Crowley, Syracuse University & Di Mu, Washington State University 

Second Place: Match-up Hypothesis in Advertisement: Gender Stereotype of Male Endorser and Advertising Attitude

Xinran Sheng, Jingyu Wu, & Siyang Tan, Macau University of Science and Technology

Third Place: “One Size Fits All” or “All Fit in One Size”? An Analysis of the Branding and Advertising Strategies of Brandy Melville

Huahua Dong, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Special Topics Paper Award

This award goes to the top paper submitted to the Special Topics category. The top paper in this category will receive an award of $100. Authors are honored with a certificate and monetary award during the annual AEJMC conference.

Past winners:

2026

Authentic Innovation or Corporate Shortcut? 
How Consumers Interpret AI-Generated Advertising

Yuan Nan, University of Florida Xinyi Zuo, University of Florida
Huan Chen, University of Florida

2025

Deepfake Humans in Advertising: Effects of Product Type and Message Appeal on Perceived Fit, Message Credibility, and Ad Attitude

Bismark Owusu-Yeboah, University of Oregon
Jing Yang, Boston University

2024

From Toddler to Teen: The bit to byte growing-up narrative effect of a virtual influencer on consumer perceptions and brand choice

Jeongmin Ham, Sitan Li, Hyunji Kim, & Matthew Eastin, The University of Texas Austin

2023

Does Consumer Environmental Concern Matter in Green Advertising? The Importance of Cause Proximity in China

Cen Wang, Jaejin Lee, & Kyeongwon Kwon, Florida State University

Professional Freedom & Responsibility Paper Award

This award goes to the top paper submitted to the Professional Freedom & Responsibility (PF&R) category. The top paper in this category will receive an award of $100. Authors are honored with a certificate and monetary award during the annual AEJMC conference.

Past winners:

2025

Can a Virtual Influencer Help Save the Planet? The Interplay of VI Age, Race, and the Stereotype Content Model in AI-Powered Pro-Environmental Campaigns

Hui Shi, Xinyu Zhao, Zhengyan Li, Sophia Mueller-Bryson, Regina Ahn & Chen (Crystal) Chen, University of Miami

2024

Racialized Environmental Injustice and Green Advertising: Investigating How Color-Conscious and Colorblind Strategies Influence Majority and Minority Americans’ Cognition

Minjie Li, University of Tennessee

2023

Application of Virtual Reality for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training in Advertising and Public Relations

Vaibhav Diwanji, Hyunjin Seo, & Jeff Conlin, University of Kansas

Teaching Paper Award

This award goes to the top paper submitted to the Teaching and Pedagogy category. The top paper in this category will receive an award of $100. Winners are honored with a certificate and monetary award during the annual AEJMC conference.

Past winners:

2026

Is Your Teaching Keeping Pace With the Real World?: A Typology Framework to Strengthen Advertising Education Amid Transformations

Sara Champlin, North Texas, Denton
Kasey Windels, Florida
Xiao Liang, Miami
Sarah Karl, Florida
Summer Shelton, Cincinnati
Mezabahnur Masum, North Texas

2025

Enhancement or Replacement: Impact of Experiential Teaching Interventions of Generative AI on Students’ Literacy and Critical Thinking

Jiun-Yi Tsai, Janice Sweeter, Amy Hitt, Martine Follestad Jutilla & Claire Ewert, Northern Arizona University

2024

Going to the other side of the world: Teaching social justice campaigns to make a difference

Pam Morris, Loyola University Chicago

2023

New Approaches for Teaching Advertising: Looking through Lens of Social Justice to Affect Career Behaviors

Pamela Morris & Minjin Rheu, Loyola Chicago

Best Reviewer Award