The AME Awards honors not just campaigns that are creative, but campaigns that hit the bullseye for brands, triumphing in both creativity and effectiveness. AME’s award-winning Grand Jury members have a world-wide reputation for innovation, creative excellence, strategic prowess, and the ability to deliver distinctive and effective results for global brands.

2020 Grand Jury member Houman Yegani is a  freelance Corporate Advertising Strategist /Planner who brings over 15 years industry experience to the judging panel. He has served as a strategist and consultant, advertising manager, and director of public relations and international affairs with various industries including clothing, banking and insurance, food industry, charities, construction and in addition to many prominent brands. In 2009, Houman established a Brand Consulting Agency in 2009, while collaborating with agencies on various projects as a communication strategist as well as collaboration with various brands and companies .

AME Awards: What cultural and/or social changes do you think will influence this year’s work?

Houman Yegani: All the distinctive traits of a group or community, such as the physical, spiritual, or emotional elements of each, can have a profound effect on the trends and direction of advertising and marketing activities. I think given the changes in audience behavior and the reinforcement of content marketing in business strategies, the communication approach is broadly moving towards production and publication of branded content and entertainment; By which, the importance of the idea and designing of a message in the gamification format, has increased dramatically.

AME Awards: Why are effectiveness competitions like the AME Awards important?

Houman Yegani: I think participating in competitions, and awards like the AME is a win-win game for everyone, and there are many reasons for that. in order to win the competition, first of all, the standards and principles of effective marketing and advertising must be respected, and the participant should be able to demonstrate that his/her work has solved a problem for the client, and has had tangible results. Another reason is that the works are judged by the best judges around the world, which makes us work to improve the quality of our work. Winning prizes in addition to creating value for participants also makes brands and customers happy and proud of them, and they can announce this award as an achievement of their proper communication activities. Winning these awards also helps clients work with agencies and freelancers with greater confidence.

AME Awards: Who is your inspiration, and how has this philosophy made you who you are today?

Houman Yegani: Leo Burnett's views and attitudes have always inspired me. He was primarily focused on human behavior. This approach ensures that when people trust a brand, their trust will grow stronger every day. The other person is Ogilvy. This sentence from him is always repeated in my mind: What you say in advertising is more important than the way you express it. And also, in Iran, Master Mirzaei, Master Mostofi, and Master Katouzian, who were among the first generation of modern and avant-garde adverting, are extremely inspiring to me. They are the most important people in the older generation of Iranian advertising history, and with brilliant ads, they have taken the fate of Iranian advertising in a new direction. I still learn from their experiences and knowledge.

AME Awards: What makes you share you time and energy to participate on the AME Grand Jury and what do you hope to learn?

Houman Yegani: I have had some enjoyable experiences since 2018 when I was invited to the jury panel of the New York Festival as the first Iranian. I have judged dozens of international festivals over the years, but I am still excited to see and study briefs, strategies, and results of the best and most up-to-date campaigns and works at the AME Effectiveness Awards competition. Being close to great judges has brought me new connections and great experiences, and I'm very happy about that.