AME's Grand Jury members are known for creating impactful results-driven work for prominent brands makes them respected globally for their award-winning campaigns. The jury panel includes some of the world’s most creative and strategic minds in advertising, marketing communications, and brand building from around the globe.Their stellar reputations and commitment to both creative and effective work set the benchmark for innovation.

2025 Grand Jury member Amy Pollok is a Group Strategy Director hailing from Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand. She currently works at FCB Aotearoa on some of the nation’s most beloved brands, including Air New Zealand and Pak’NSave.

Prior to FCB she spent almost a decade at Colenso BBDO, winning Effectiveness awards nationally, regionally and internationally, including a WARC Grand Prix. During her time at Colenso, they were named New Zealand’s most Effective Agency multiple times.

In the interview below Amy Pollok shares her perspective on t purpose driven advertising, new innovations,the qualities that define effective advertising and more. 

AME Awards: From your perspective as a creative strategist, what standout qualities define award-winning, effective advertising today?

Amy Pollok: Ideally, the ability to draw a straight line from the problem, through the strategy, the creative work, and the results. One clear and compelling narrative that delivered significant results for the client or business.

AME Awards: Why are effectiveness competitions like the AME Awards essential for measuring impact and industry growth?

Amy Pollok: Too often, we measure the success of a campaign or initiative in the wrong way. We call something a success or a failure based on internal feedback, or whether the CEO liked it, or a short term sales spike. Effectiveness competitions force us to be clear in our storytelling, linking together all parts of the process from a challenge or opportunity, right through to an ROI. They’re crucial for demonstrating that we understand the commercial and behavioural effects of the work we do (and for justifying ongoing investment).

AME Awards: How do you see purpose-driven advertising evolving in terms of effectiveness? What are some strategies brands are using to resonate with consumers?

Amy Pollok: We are getting much better at measuring the commercial impact of purpose-driven work, and this is an exciting development. It helps establish rigor around purpose, and makes the case for continued investment in this space (when done well).

AME Awards: What future-forward trends and innovations will we see brands adopt for 2025?

Amy Pollok: AI will go from being niche, to table stakes. The watch-out here is that the use of the technology itself won’t set you apart from the competition, instead it must meaningfully contribute to elevating the idea.