Welcome to AME's exclusive interview series, where we shine a spotlight on the globally respected members of the AME Awards Grand Jury. Strategic, innovative, analytical, critical thinkers, and creative storytellers dedicated to ensuring brand awareness and equity – these qualities embody AME's Grand Jury. Serving as emissaries of effectiveness, AME's Jury members, recognized globally as industry leaders and award-winning marketers, ensure that every entry submitted to the AME Awards is evaluated with the utmost care and consideration.
2024 Grand Jury member Alison Tilling brings 20 years of industry experience to the jury panel. As Chief Strategy Officer for VML in Australia and Aotearoa NZ she partners with senior clients and team alike, to create a culture of effective Connected Brands that grow and achieve commercial and societal goals.During her career, Ali’s worked across categories from tech and media to retail and financial services, and across brand, commerce, brand architcture and CX-based projects.
Starting at TBWA\London, she’s worked at Wieden+Kennedy, client side at Apple Europe, at Australian independent BMF and now at VML. Ali is a highly awarded strategy leader, particularly in Effies, D&AD, APG and Jay Chiat. She’s also keen on contributing to the future of strategy, having served on juries including Effies Worldwide and Cannes Lions, being an industry mentor and a columnist for Brandingmag and Mumbrella.
In the interview below, Ali shares her insights on future-forward trends, how data analytics and AI are impacting effectiveness, corporate social responsibility, what stands out in award-winning work and more.
AME Awards: Why are effectiveness competitions like the AME Awards important?
Alison Tilling: Because we need our work to work, and more importantly, we need to understand why and how creativity works. Creativity is our superpower, and we need to keep making the case for it as such and advancing it.
AME Awards: As a creative strategist, what stand-out attributes do you recognize in award-winning creative effective advertising?
Alison Tilling: They’re always based on truth with a twist, and they always have a simple but revelatory take on the world, or a category, or a problem, at their heart.
Do you laugh? Cry? Can’t get it out of your head? Smile? Feel jealous? Then you know that this is a case with the goods.
AME Awards: What future forward trends and innovations are brands embracing for 2024?
Alison Tilling: I think we’re starting to harness gen AI tools a bit rather than have them harness us. Interestingly, a lot of brands are focusing on the fundamentals – really mastering the marketing mix, being distinctive and looking at the long-term. For me it’s that mix of the foundations of a strong effect, with a bit of the “right now” thinking, that inspires good work.
AME Awards: How has the use of data analytics and artificial intelligence impacted the effectiveness of advertising campaigns?
Alison Tilling: Well, they’re helping us understand how effectiveness works, how to measure it and think about it, which is great. Has it actually made work more effective? Where it is harnessed to liberate creativity, yes. But as with any tools and frameworks – they won’t do all the hard work for you (yet).
AME Awards: With an increasing emphasis on corporate social responsibility, how do brands effectively communicate their values and societal contributions in their marketing strategies?
Alison Tilling: By not being so earnest about it. By making it visceral not a lesson in morals. I think – not sure if I’m allowed to say this – our FitChix work for the amazing company that is Honest Eggs, is a great example of this.