University of North Texas 
Escape Your Habitat is a playful co-branded campaign for a hypothetical partnership
between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. The campaign uses humor and unexpected
animal characters to encourage travelers to break from their routines and explore
destinations beyond their natural surroundings.
Comm Design: Graphic Design Student Wins National Gold ADDY and Special Judges’ Choice Awards
Christina Pearson Cross
Cross also won The Special Judge’s Choice Award at the ADDYs, a highly prestigious,
discretionary honor given by a panel of judges to recognize individual pieces of work
that particularly stood out to them. Unlike Gold or Silver ADDYs, which are awarded
based on a standard point-scoring system in specific categories, the Judge’s Choice
is a special designation where an individual juror hand-picks their absolute favorite
project from all the entries submitted.
Conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation, the American Advertising
Awards is the nation’s largest creative competition. Student entries advance through
the same three-tier process as professional work, beginning with local competition
and moving on to regional and national judging. A Gold ADDY represents the highest
level of creative excellence and is awarded to work judged to be superior within its
category.
Cross received the national honors for "Escape Your Habitat," a co-branded advertising campaign she developed for a hypothetical partnership
between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. Winners were recognized during the
National Gala on May 29, 2026, at the Hilton Austin in Austin, Texas.
"Escape Your Habitat" uses humor and unexpected animal characters to encourage travelers
to venture beyond their familiar surroundings. A beach-going bear, surfing moose,
skiing sea otter and glacier-touring sea turtle appear throughout the campaign, which
spans print, outdoor, direct mail and digital applications. Through vibrant photography, destination-focused storytelling and the tagline "Escape
Your Habitat," the campaign celebrates adventure while highlighting the expanded travel
opportunities that could emerge from an airline partnership.
Cross, who focuses on branding, campaigns, packaging and visual systems, said her
design process begins with understanding the core idea behind a project and building
a cohesive identity that can extend across multiple platforms.
"My work starts with the concept, understanding the idea at its core, and building
a clear, cohesive identity from which it can live across multiple touchpoints," Cross
said. "I approach each project through research, concept development and iteration,
with a focus on building systems rather than isolated visuals."
Through freelance and marketing work, she has developed experience translating brand
goals into visual solutions across print and digital media. She is particularly interested
in how design shapes the way audiences experience a brand.
Cross credits her background as a studio artist with influencing her creative approach.
"Painting and drawing taught me how to see ideas before they fully exist and how to
develop them with intention," she said.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Advertising Federation represents
nearly 35,000 advertising professionals through more than 150 local clubs nationwide.
The organization receives more than 25,000 entries annually across print, broadcast,
interactive and out-of-home media.
For more information about the UNT CVAD B.F.A. Communication Design program, visit
the Department of Design's Communication Design webpage.