AME's Grand Jury includes some of the world’s foremost creative and strategic minds in advertising, marketing communications, and brand building, representing agencies across the globe. Recognized for their award-winning campaigns and dedication to pioneering effective work, their ability to consistently deliver distinctive and effective results for global brands ensures that the entries they evaluate receive meticulous attention with an international perspective, aligned with industry standards and trends. Their years of industry experience ensures that the most creative and effective work will be recognized and awarded.
2025 AME Grand Jury member Isadora Prado is a Brazilian advertising professional currently leading the repositioning strategy for Santander at BETC Havas. Throughout her career, she has earned several prestigious international awards, including a Cannes Gold Lion, Effie Global Best of the Best, and Grand Effie, with the highly successful Lu from Magalu campaign during her time at Ogilvy. Isadora has also worked with top agencies such as WmCann and Talent Marcel (Publicis Groupe), crafting strategies for renowned brands like L'Oréal, Coca-Cola, and Oreo.
In the interviw below Isadora shares her perspective on the role of narrative within a campaign and what key qualities define award-winning creative campaigns.
AME Awards: In your experience, what role does narrative play in the effectiveness of a campaign? Are there elements of narrative or structure that make campaigns especially memorable or impactful?
Isadora Prado: If I were to ask a non-advertiser (this detail is important) about a campaign that marked their life, how long do you think it would take them to answer? And if it were the last brand they bought from or were impacted by? Harsh truths: not every effective campaign is memorable.
Depending on the campaign’s objective, it can perfectly solve a business problem without telling any story. However, it is also true that we live in a blender of narratives. The ones that stand out are those we can fill with connections and meanings.
After all, humans are an emotional turbulence: we laugh, get moved, get disappointed, feel proud, and are contradictory. That’s why we love Pixar so much—the conflict attracts us. So, It’s easy to think, "I could be that character." Whether in complex fictions or advertising, if the central idea doesn’t reveal any tension, then maybe it’s just effective at best. No innovation can fix that.
Good narratives save campaigns from being just a “package insert” of benefits.
AME Awards: From your perspective as a creative strategist, what standout qualities define award-winning, effective advertising today?”
Isadora Prado: As I mentioned earlier, not every effective campaign is necessarily award-worthy. Depending on the campaign's objective, it can solve a business problem effectively without needing to tell a big story. However, when it comes to awards, there are other important criteria to consider beyond just results:
1. **Insight** – How relevant and deep is the insight in relation to the target audience? Does it truly resonate with people's reality in a unique and impactful way?
2. **Execution** – How does the quality of the work, including images, editing, soundtrack, and other elements, contribute to the campaign's narrative? Does the execution help tell the story in an engaging and authentic way?
3. **Differentiation** – How does the idea stand out within the category and establish new communication paradigms for the brand? Does the campaign distinguish itself through originality and an innovative approach?
We know the challenge of launching a good campaign. We are constantly interrupted by meetings, adjustments, budget limitations, and other factors. Often, the final result is so far from the initial version that it hardly seems like the same idea. That's why when a campaign manages to address all of these points consistently, it truly deserves special attention.