Ellie Bamford Heads Global Jury As NYF Spotlights Power Of Strategy In Creative Effectiveness

Eleven global strategy leaders join Ellie Bamford to define the year’s best in creative effectiveness. Source: Supplied.

NYF has assembled a global panel of respected strategy leaders from top-tier agencies. The visionary jury, led by Ellie Bamford, chief strategy officer, North America at VML, will review the shortlisted Creative Effectiveness entries selected by NYF’s Shortlist Jury to identify the most impactful work of the year that demonstrates the power of insight-driven strategy and creative execution to deliver measurable business results.

Ellie Bamford is an internationally recognised strategy leader known for helping brands translate cultural insight into business growth. Named Media Person of the Year by Ad Age, she has led award-winning work for brands including Nike, Samsung, Pepsi, Uber, Spotify, Sephora, Nestlé, Rockstar Games, and American Express. She currently leads strategy across North America at VML, guiding teams in harnessing emerging technology, AI, and human creativity to build iconic brands and drive measurable business impact.

Bamford adds: “My mission is always to advocate for the value and power of strategy to create work that works. This brand-new category matters because it shines a light on the false choice between art and commerce. Great work isn't a beautiful campaign with a spreadsheet of results stapled to it; it's a single, compelling story. Winners will show that creativity is the most powerful, and measurable, economic multiplier a business and brand can wield."

2026 Creative Marketing Strategy / Effectiveness Executive Jury

Executive Jury Chair - Ellie Bamford, chief strategy officer, North America, VML, United States

• Anibal Casso, chief strategic officer Ogilvy North America/global strategy lead WPP OpenX, Ogilvy, United States
• Priscilla Ceruti, chief strategy officer, Leo Brazil, Brazil
• Jasmine Dadlani, chief strategy officer, McKinney, United States
• Bastian Goldshmidt, partner & chief strategy officer, Grabarz & Partner Hamburg, Germany
• Hoshi Takaya, chief strategy officer, Dentsu, Japan
• Robin Nyak, strategy partner and head of strategy, McCann Singapore
• Malavika Rao, GVP, brand strategy, Razorfish, United States
• Fabio Silveira, chief growth officer, Havas Middle East, United Arab Emirates
• Adrian Tso, chief strategy officer, BBDO, Hong Kong
• Marialejandra Urbina, chief strategy officer, Dieste, United States

“As the industry continues to evolve, strategy and creativity have never been more interconnected,” said Scott Rose, president, New York Festivals. “With Ellie at the helm and this exceptional jury of global strategists, we’re excited to honor the work that demonstrates the power of insight, creativity, and measurable business impact.”

For the 2026 season, New York Festivals continues to elevate its judging experience through an expanded in-person program developed in partnership with the 4A's, reinforcing its commitment to thoughtful, peer-driven judging. Specialty Executive Jury sessions will be held in May 2026.

The deadline for entering the 2026 NYF Advertising Awards is 23 April 2026.