Forget The Green Jacket. The American Century Championship Just Handed Out The Lab Coat.

The image shows the new bespoke Lab Coat that was handed to the winner of the 2026 American Century Championship.

The ACC Lab Coat is a new American tradition

For the first time, the 2026 golf tournament champion received a special tribute to the medical research at the heart of American Century Investments.

After presenting the scripts, TiNY said, 'And you should make the lab coat your green jacket at the Championship.' I immediately said yes.”

— Wylie Kain, Head of Brand Marketing, American Century

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, July 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The winner of the Masters gets The Green Jacket. At Colonial Country Club, champions don the plaid jacket. But this weekend, the winner of the 2026 American Century Championship – former tennis star Mardy Fish – was presented the coveted Lab Coat.

The Lab Coat is the brainchild of TiNY — the same independent agency that's produced ads for American Century Investments to air during their namesake tournament the past three years. The coat is more than the latest entry in golf-award fashion. It's a cultural icon built to spotlight the purpose at the heart of the premier celebrity golf tournament’s sponsor, American Century Investments.

American Century uses the power of investing to generate returns for clients and for medical research with a vision to help everyone lead a healthy, prosperous life. 40% of American Century's dividends go to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, MO, supporting breakthrough medical research aimed at helping defeat diseases that touch all of us, like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

The idea to introduce the lab coat at the tournament started with a concept for a television commercial.

"We had this classic metaphor idea," says TiNY Chief Creative Officer Mike Rovner. "Every American Century investor is, in a way, a research scientist who could help cure cancer, Alzheimer’s or other diseases. So, for the TV, we put investors in lab coats out in the world."

The metaphor became real in the first client presentation. "After presenting the scripts, TiNY said, 'And you should make the lab coat your green jacket at the Championship,'" recalls Wylie Kain, Head of Brand Marketing at American Century." “I immediately said yes.”

The cinematic spots were shot by Jack Cole out of RSA Films. In one spot, a woman — in a lab coat — finally buys the boat she's been eyeing for years. In another, a father gets a formal fitting for his daughter's wedding. He’s not wearing a tux, but rather, a lab coat. The voiceover lands the idea in five words: they've earned that lab coat.

"Every American Century investor is part of the fight against diseases," said Michael Stoopack, President of TiNY. "They're not just investors, they're helping support scientific discoveries that make a real impact. It's just how American Century is built, and The Lab Coat is the symbol of that."

It's a complex story to dramatize, and TiNY has spent three years finding different ways to tell it. "Nobody pictures medical research when they picture an investment firm," said Rick Luchinsky, Sr. Vice President, Head of Personal Financial Solutions and Marketing. "TiNY found a way to make that core part of our purpose feel personal."

Turning the lab coat into a trophy gives the story a life beyond the media buy. "A campaign usually ends the same day as the media buy. We wanted this one to live forever," said Tom Christmann, TiNY Chief Marketing Officer. "Hand the winner a real lab coat, and 'Prosper With Purpose' extends from American Century’s tagline to a real creative idea with legs. Or, in this case, sleeves."

"Fans watch the Championship every July. Financial advisors recommend American Century every day. We wanted to better connect the two halves of our story for these two audiences," said Kain. "The Lab Coat hands both of them the same image to hold onto."

Tom Christmann
TiNY
+1 646-441-7165
tom@tinyadagency.com
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A New American Tradition: The ACC Lab Coat

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