AME's Grand Jury members are results-driven creative strategists and their campaigns for clients have built stronger brands and garnered awards.They understand what it takes to deliver creative and strategic campaigns that move the needle for brands. Their global perspective and years of industry experience ensure that work entered into AME is judged thoughtfully and fairly.
Throughout his career, 2025 Grand Jury member Sergio Marquez has worked at agencies such as Boost Lima, VML Peru, McCann Lima, MullenLowe, and New Normal. He has collaborated with renowned brands like Little Caesars, Nike, Cerveza Cristal, Nosotras, Budweiser, Mead Johnson, Microsoft, Mercado Libre, Backus, Banco Ripley, Banco Cencosud, Universidad Cayetano, among others.
Additionally, his work has been recognized at creative festivals such as Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, New York Festivals, D&AD, FIAP, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, El Sol, Premio Ideas Perú, Effie Latam, and Young Lions.
In the interview below Sergio shares how brands are leveraging short form video and user created content to engage younger audiences, future forward trends, the qualities that define winning work and more.
AME Awards: From your perspective as a creative strategist, what standout qualities define award-winning, effective advertising today?
Sergio Marquez: From my point of view, here are some of the essential qualities an effective idea should have: first, the strategy used to solve a problem should be smart and bold. Then, it is crucial to listen and identify who we are targeting with the message in order to create a real impact on people. And finally, the results speak for themselves: when a campaign is effective, people share it and talk about it organically.
AME Awards: Why are effectiveness competitions like the AME Awards essential for measuring impact and industry growth?
Sergio Marquez: The AME Awards recognize advertising campaigns that contribute to a brand's success, highlighting ideas that truly work and serving as a forum for the global marketing industry. This encourages more clients to take risks with innovative and creative strategies, while also valuing the recognition of the teams that create them.
AME Awards: What future-forward trends and innovations will we see brands adopt for 2025?
Sergio Marquez: We are immersed in a constant expansion of content. Beyond just watching, listening, or reading, we will increasingly feel the urge or need to experience the content. Beyond the tools that amplify reality, people are seeking to redefine everyday life through technology. For this reason, brands will need to adopt an increasingly human approach, where people play an active role with them, at a time when artificial intelligence will compete to imitate human empathy and emotions.
AME Awards: How are brands leveraging short-form video and user-generated content to connect with younger audiences? Are there any standout examples of success?
The most memorable campaigns with a positive impact on people have known how to harness the power of viral content to connect with audiences. One example I highlight is the case of Ocean Spray, which brilliantly took advantage of the viral content of a skater showing their brand while cruising down the road. They immediately turned him into their influencer, achieving the brand's most viral content, which allowed them to connect effectively with a young audience.