Bahamian-Led agency fusion IMC wins two Silver ADDY awards, marking historic first during International Women’s month
Nassau, The Bahamas – March 9, 2026 – In a defining moment for Bahamian creative leadership, Fusion IMC has become the first Bahamian agency to win two American Advertising Awards (ADDYs) in a single year at the Caribbean level.
The American Advertising Awards are conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the oldest national advertising trade organization in the United States. The ADDYs represent the advertising industry’s largest and most competitive creative competition, receiving more than 25,000 entries annually across a rigorous three-tier judging system.
The Nassau-headquartered PR and marketing firm, founded by Bahamian-born strategist Tyrina Neely-Rolle, earned:
• Silver ADDY Internet Commercial – Single for “Pop The Balloon: The Health Plan Edition”
• Silver ADDY Copywriting for “Pop The Balloon”
The recognition arrives during International Women’s Month, underscoring the growing impact of female-led enterprises shaping regional business and creative industries.
“Winning an ADDY is significant. Winning two in our first year entering is deeply meaningful,” said Neely-Rolle. “But what makes this moment powerful is that the work was rooted in local insight. It demonstrates that Bahamian creativity, when executed with discipline, competes at the highest level.”
Founded in 2012, Fusion IMC was built on a simple conviction: Caribbean markets deserve strategy executed to global standards.
Neely-Rolle began her academic journey studying Business Marketing at the University of The Bahamas before transferring to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where she studied Advertising and Marketing in one of the world’s most competitive creative ecosystems, earning a Bachelor of Science Summa Cum Laude.
Over the course of her career, she has worked alongside internationally recognized brands and institutions, bringing structured strategy and regional intelligence to complex mandates across the Caribbean. She has supported Airbnb in multi-market Caribbean brand activations, led merchant-facing regional executions with American Express, executed out of home campaigns for L’Oréal. In addition, she has advised leading brands in The Bahamas including Bahamas National Statistical Institute, Bank of The Bahamas, FirstCare Medical Plan, University of The Bahamas, The Ministry of Finance and the New Providence Ecology Park.
Each engagement has required executive-level accountability, structured message architecture, and measurable performance standards — hallmarks of the Fusion IMC model.
Reimagining Healthcare Marketing Through Cultural Intelligence
The award-winning campaign, “Pop The Balloon: The Health Plan Edition,” was developed for FirstCare Medical Plan, a Bahamian health and wellness provider.
Healthcare advertising in the region traditionally relies on clinical language and fear-based messaging. Fusion IMC instead applied cultural insight and behavioral framing.
The campaign reimagined the viral “Pop The Balloon” social phenomenon as a satirical health plan showdown — where competing health plan archetypes revealed their own red flags, including hidden costs, limited U.S. coverage, and restrictive access, before being eliminated in real time.
Rather than relying on heavy paid media spend, the concept leaned into cultural relatability and shareability.
The campaign was conceived and strategically led by Tyrina Neely-Rolle, who served as scriptwriter, creative director, and lead strategist. Production was led by Orthnell Dames as producer and director, with videography and technical production executed by Gary Wong.
The measurable outcome was substantial:
• More than 130,000 users reached in a market of approximately 315,000 adults
• 41% penetration of social-active Bahamians
• 37,000+ organic TikTok views with zero paid spend
• Over 1,300 shares and 5,000+ engagements across platforms
Harold Antor, Vice President of FirstCare Medical Plan, noted:
“Fusion IMC didn’t just create a campaign. They identified the cultural pressure points and built a message that traveled organically. The strategy was clear, the execution disciplined, and the reporting reflected executive-level accountability.”
The Significance of the ADDYs
The American Advertising Awards are conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the oldest national advertising trade organization in the United States. The ADDYs represent the advertising industry’s largest and most competitive creative competition, receiving more than 25,000 entries annually across a rigorous three-tier judging system.
Work first competes at the local or regional level — in this case through the Caribbean Advertising Federation (CAF), which has operated for nearly three decades — before advancing to the national stage in the United States. Entries are evaluated by senior creative leaders and industry professionals against strict criteria including concept, execution, and strategic effectiveness.
Winning at the regional level places Fusion IMC’s work within a broader competitive field that includes some of North America’s most established agencies.
For Neely-Rolle, the milestone carries both professional and symbolic weight.
“To stand here as a Bahamian woman who built a firm in this region and receive peer recognition at this scale reinforces what I believed in 2012 — that excellence does not need to be outsourced. It can be built here.”
Built for the Caribbean, Positioned Globally
Headquartered in Nassau, Fusion IMC operates across more than 12 Caribbean markets, advising multinational brands entering the region, financial institutions managing complex communications environments, hospitality operators expanding across territories, and government bodies shaping public discourse.
The firm’s model integrates market intelligence, stakeholder mapping, cross-territory coordination, performance dashboards, and crisis-aware communications protocols.
During International Women’s Month, Fusion IMC’s dual Silver ADDY wins mark not only a milestone for the agency, but a defining moment for Bahamian creative leadership on the regional stage.
For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
Orthnell Dames
Fusion IMC