2025 marked significant rollbacks in diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, with major brands following federal orders and cutting funding for their programs. However, some brands have continued, or even advanced, the cause, and The Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF) has recognized them in its 2026 Impact 50.
The list celebrates brands’ commitment to recognizing the Asian American consumer, and its release coincides with AAPI Heritage Month. It features a varied group of 50 brands, including Coca-Cola, United Healthcare, Alaska Airlines, Chase, Disney, Instagram, LVMH, McDonald’s, and more.
“For years, Asian Americans were lumped into broad categories, and the result was simple: our buying power was overlooked by the very brands that should have been paying attention,” Giancarlo Pacheco, vp of 3AF and CEO and founder of Plan C Agency, told ADWEEK. “That’s finally starting to shift. More brands can now clearly see what this audience means to their bottom line. But the ad industry has been slower to move, and that disconnect is exactly why we created this.”
3AF marketing experts made the selections, with nominations from a select group of industry leaders.
“Brands had to demonstrate active engagement in 2025 across advertising, media, influencer, and/or experiential marketing. Each was vetted through a combination of media monitoring tools and creative submissions,” Pacheco explained.
For brands not on the list, Pacheco said the opportunity is “wide open.” He cited the success of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters and Coachella’s line-up of nine Asian acts as recent evidence that the Asian American market is still growing.
“It’s important for brands to understand that the API market with outsized cultural influence, strong purchasing power and a measurable impact on mainstream trends,” he said.
