The One Show Names Code and Theory 2026 AI Pioneer

Code and Theory wins The One Show’s 2026 AI Pioneer Pencil

NEW YORK, NY, May 18, 2026 - Code and Theory has been named the winner of The One Show’s AI Pioneer Pencil. The One Show, one of the advertising and design industry’s most prestigious awards programs, has recognized Code and Theory for building AI systems and tools that help brands move from experimentation to scalable, real-world marketing and experience transformation.

For 25 years, Code and Theory has treated disruption as an invitation. While much of the market debates what AI replaces, Code and Theory has focused on building the systems, workflows and experiences that help organizations apply the technology to create measurable business impact.

A defining example is The Machine, an agentic marketing operating system built for Stagwell and debuted at CES 2026. Designed for teams constrained by fragmented tools and disconnected processes, The Machine makes existing tools intelligent rather than replacing them, enabling faster, more connected ways of working while reinforcing human judgment’s role in creative decision-making.

Code and Theory has also debuted the Creative Intelligence System (CIS) at Adobe Summit. CIS helps marketers learn before they launch by leveraging synthetic personas to make informed decisions before it’s too late. This is the first solution from the three-year co-development effort between Code and Theory and Adobe’s Partner Solutions Group.

Over the past year, Code and Theory’s AI-led work has helped clients capture first-mover advantage across brand, performance and experience, including:

• JBL, which pioneered an AI-powered AEO strategy months before other brands optimized for LLM discovery, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday driving 10x the revenue of its next-highest holiday period.
• Microsoft, whose “Yours to Build” campaign reframed the brand as an AI ecosystem for developers and outperformed engagement benchmarks by 37%.
• TIME, where an AI-enabled digital overhaul helped unlock a century of journalism for richer reader and advertiser experiences.
• NY Scores Network, where “Find Your Feet” became the first fully AI-generated campaign for a nonprofit, showcasing how AI-powered storytelling can help mission-driven organizations empower youth in underserved communities.

Framing change as an opportunity rather than a threat has created a compounding advantage, supporting a streak of new-business wins and strong client and employee retention. It’s also made Code and Theory the winningest agency of the AI era. From 2024 to the present, Code and Theory has received 19 top agency accolades. Most recently, it was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, chosen as Adweek’s first-ever innovation agency of the year and appeared on the Ad Age A-List.

Dan Gardner, Co-Founder of Code and Theory, says: “For 25 years, we’ve built for moments when the old playbook stops working. AI is one of those moments. We see this as the golden age of creativity. The advantage now belongs to companies that view technology through the lens of creativity. That mindset creates growth opportunities for our clients who want to lead rather than follow, and for our talent, who are obsessed with building what hasn’t existed before.”

Michael Treff, CEO of Code and Theory, says: “We’ve spent the last several years transforming ourselves so we can help our clients transform themselves. That means building for where the industry is going, not retrofitting AI into systems and models built for the past. Change has always been part of who we are, so to be recognized for continuing to evolve alongside our clients is genuinely an honor.”