AME Awards honors not just campaigns that are creative, but campaigns that hit the bullseye for brands, triumphing in both creativity and effectiveness The 2022 AME Grand Jury is comprised of industry experts whose stellar reputations and industry accomplishments result in extraordinary results for the companies and brands who employ them. They contribute their dedication to excellence, industry expertise, and innovation to campaigns, projects, and iniatives acheiving ground-breaking results.   

2022 AME Grand Jury member Lina Fateen is Managing Director for Momentum Egypt. She brings over 25 years of leadership experience to the jury panel, across the years, has worked closely on mostly every single category, and across different markets, other than Egypt. Namely the Mashreq zone and in recent years, Yemen. Lina specializes in setting up companies; operations, systems, policies, culture & teams.

Working In advertising since 1995, she began her career in TMI (JWT), and walked her way from intern to Regional Account Director Unilever Mashreq in 7 years. Briefly  she served at  Leo Burnett,and then joined FP7/CAI in 2002, and stayed on for 13 years, 8 of which she was the General Manager, leading on business, training, culture, systems & procedures. After which she fully orchestrated the Momentum relaunch in Egypt in 2016.

In the interview below Lina shares her perspective on what creative/effective award-winning work has in common, the evolution of brand positioning, why effectiveness competitions are important, and more.

AME Awards: What stand-out attributes do you recognize in award-winning creative effective advertising?

Lina Fateen: What I recognize first is that it attracted my attention (resonates) amidst the clutter – but then I have to match that effect on the target audience intended for the message and double check the same (relevance) – then comes the amplification of the idea and how it reached me in several ways vs one (campaign-ability and amplification) – and of course comes the results on the brand / consumer (qualitative or quantitative – depending on the objectives)

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

Lina Fateen: Because its simply not about just creativity. What is most crucial to brand health is creativity that works. And celebrating this type of creativity is what aligns the visions of both client and advertising community. 

AME Awards: Speak to the evolution of brand positioning, values, and tone of voice during the past few years.

Lina Fateen: So much has changed in the past few years, which affected brand owners, communication developers, media planners, and even consumers. Whereas brand positioning and values were previously more category skewed, broad statements, long withstanding, that all changed recently to a much more consumer relevant angle, with a life betterment angle as well (at a consumer – country – environmental – social etc. level). Brands are not selfish beings anymore, they are now more inclusive, much more considerate of their environment, and much more adaptable to consumer needs. Their tone of voice has also understood that it has to take on a wider lens in adapting to the various media types that it gets to, and that it needs to have a much less pedestal tone and go into the much more real and relevant tone

AME Awards: Why did you agree to participate on this year’s AME Grand Jury and What do you hope to learn by viewing entries into this competition?

Lina Fateen: It is very important for ones own development that one is always exposed to global best in class campaigns, and that one compares notes to other communication leaders elsewhere in the world for a wider personal lens and feel. The AME Awards gives jurors that opportunity, and gives them the ability to spot global trends, updates, how to look at things differently. Its an enriching experience that will sure reflect on leaders as they go back to their agencies and share learning with their teams.

AME Awards: What advice would offer to potential entrants on earning an AME Award?

Lina Fateen: Certainly to give it their best shot. But it has to start by evaluating their best work. Capturing it at a story level. Not just at a results level. The whole development cycle. Everything can matter, its how its featured in the story. Make the juror feel your journey. Emotions can be much more important than mathematics. And make the jurors see, so entrants need to capture real life reflections of either their work or to consumer reaction to their work, bring it to life. And last but not least, be entertaining. No juror wants to read or watch a boring case.