Aftellen naar ADCE Awards met Grace O'Brien (LePub Amsterdam)

Gaan Fitzroy, Happiness en Buck naar huis met een ADCE Award? Vanavond krijgen we antwoord op die vraag, want dan worden de Europese creativiteitsprijzen uitgereikt in Barcelona. Voordat de champagne ontkurkt wordt, tellen we nog één keer af met het laatste jurylid dat namens een Nederlands bureau jureert: Grace O'Brien, Executive Creative Director van LePub Amsterdam in de categorie Integrated & Innovation.

How do you view the position and potential of the ADCE Awards within the already quite crowded international awards landscape?
Grace O'Brien: "The ADCE Awards is a wonderful opportunity to spotlight the incredible diversity that exists within Europe, and to celebrate European values. We don’t often get the opportunity to deeply consider or learn about what’s happening in each other’s backyards, and shows like the ADCE Awards play a role in that. They create the space for deeper learning."

How does the quality of the Dutch finalists this year compare to previous editions?
"The Netherlands was well represented in the Integrated & Innovation category this year, and my fellow judges were blown away by work like ANWB’s Racing Offers and Marktplaats’s Nothing as lovely as another child's toy. I was incredibly proud of the work and the people behind it. More fun stuff and human insights, please!"

"It will be interesting to see what else creatives will do with this medium; it still feels so untapped"

To what extent are we keeping up with other European countries in terms of creativity?
"We’re definitely keeping up and giving them a run for their money, to borrow an old English expression."

The category Integrated & Innovation

What trends stand out to you in this year’s finalist work within your category?
"I noticed quite a lot of the work involved tapping into gaming - either by embedding brands and campaigns within existing games, creating in-game experiences or spaces, or creating original games with AR technology. It will be interesting to see what else creatives will do with this medium; it still feels so untapped.
Another thing I noticed was that while a lot of work was created using artificial intelligence in some capacity, there were very few ideas where AI was central to the concept or execution. The most loved pieces of work actually felt very analog, like IKEA’s Hidden Tags or Razom’s Air Raid Alarm Clock, for example. It’s a nice reminder that a good idea can be enhanced with tech, but can also be incredibly strong without it."

What makes your category challenging or interesting to judge this year?
"Putting Integrated and Innovation together into one category made things a bit challenging; at times it felt like we were having to compare apples with oranges. Our industry is also at such a turning point and things are changing so fast - what does it mean to be integrated these days? When does something become ‘truly integrated’? These are questions we repeatedly posed as a jury."

Tip & closing question

What is your most valuable, concrete tip for makers who want to submit a case in 2026?
"Jurors come from all around the world and may not understand your cultural context, or your language. So spend time explaining the context behind your work. Subtitle your case materials. Tell them the brief and the problem you were trying to solve. Use your supporting materials to enhance your story. The more you can help juries understand, the more considered they can be when they evaluate your work."

.I’m going to Barcelona and I’m bringing… Which item can’t be missing from your suitcase to ensure a smooth judging experience, and why?
"I’m looking into my bag now and all I see is a jumble of charger cables, headphones, a half-eaten muesli bar, and a toy airplane for my kid. That about sums up my week/life."