AME's award-winning Grand Jury members understand what it takes to deliver creative and strategic campaigns that move the needle for brands.These globally respected executives bring innovation, industry expertise, and a 360-degree global perspective to the judging panel. Their industry experience and strategic expertise provide them with an understanding of the partnership between creativity and effectiveness.

2025 AME Grand Jury member, Anna Bollinger is Executive Planning Director at BMF Austraila. With 20 years’ experience in the industry as an integrated, brand-driven strategic planner Anna has deep experience in QSR, FMCG, banking, service, and retail industries.

Throughout her established career Anna has worked with several blue-chip clients such as, McDonald’s, Mondelez, Qantas, CBA, KPMG and Uber Eats. Before the age of 30, Anna was awarded the APG Planning Idol for top Account Planner and has gone on to have her work lauded at creative and effectiveness award shows across the globe, including Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia, and the Australian Effie Awards. At BMF, Anna leads planning on ALDI Australia and Alinta Energy.

In the interview below Anna shares her perspective on the role of storytelling plays in effectiveness, maintaining effectiveness across global markets, and what defines award-winning effective advertising..

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

Anna Bollinger: At BMF we believe the best campaigns aren’t just ads, they’re Long Ideas - big, enduring platforms that become cultural assets over time. The most effective brands know this and invest in ideas that don’t just grab attention but earn it, again and again.

But effective Long Ideas don’t stand still, they evolve, staying fresh while reinforcing what a brand stands for. They build memory capital, trust, and deep cultural meaning. They become mental shortcuts, not just to recognition, but to relevance and in a world drowning in forgettable work, that’s what makes the difference.

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

Anna Bollinger: Effectiveness awards aren’t about chasing trophies; they’re about setting a higher bar. They force us to ask the right question - not just ‘is this creative?’ but ‘is this actually working?’. They keep us honest, pushing for sharper, results-driven thinking.

As a creative industry, we can’t afford to waste money on forgettable, ineffective work. Playing it safe isn’t safe, it’s a sure way to get ignored. The brands that make an impact are the ones that back bold, strategic creativity, and when they do, the whole industry wins.

AME Awards: In your experience, what role does storytelling play in the effectiveness of a campaign? Are there elements of narrative or structure that make campaigns especially memorable or impactful?

Anna Bollinger: In advertising, attention isn’t given, it’s earned. We have to work our way into living rooms, car stereos, earphones and everyday moments. The brands that win aren’t the loudest - they’re the ones telling stories worth listening to.

Great stories, ones that last, shape culture. The most effective campaigns hold attention by challenging audiences in just the right way. At BMF, we seek a twist in familiar narratives, adding just enough novelty to make them feel fresh - like ALDI’s Good Different or Tourism Tasmania’s Come Down for Air. It’s a balance: too familiar, and its wallpaper; too fresh, and the brain rejects it. The sweet spot? Fresh enough to stand out, familiar enough to stick.

AME Awards: What challenges do brands face in maintaining effectiveness across diverse global markets, and how do you approach creating strategies that resonate across different cultures?

Anna Bollinger: According to BrandZ’s Top 100 study, trust is the biggest driver of brand success - just look at Apple, IKEA, Google, or Airbnb. Trust isn’t built overnight. It comes from a promise, consistently delivered over time. At BMF, we call that a ‘Long Idea’.

But scaling a brand across different markets isn’t easy. Cultural norms, values, and preferences vary, and balancing a unified global message with local nuance is a challenge. The key? Anchoring everything in an authentic brand truth; because you can’t fake it for long. When a brand’s truth is clear, it becomes easier to sustain, defend, and consistently communicate across every touchpoint, in every market.