Ad Stars 2021 announces final jury, Nkgabiseng Motau to represent SA

#CannesLions2021: "SA brings a unique cultural sensitivity" - Nkgabiseng Motau

Jessica Tennant  24 May 2021

Ad Stars has also welcomed John Mescall and Gabriela Scardaccione to the final jury. As global executive creative director and global creative council president at McCann Worldgroup, based in New York, Mescall will oversee the Film and Video Stars categories. Whereas Gabriela Scardaccione, global creative director at Mother based in London, will oversee the Design and Print categories.

They join Merlee Jayme (global president, dentsu mcgarrybowen), Ali Rez (regional ECD, Impact BBDO, UAE) and Natalie Lam (CCO for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at Publicis Groupe) on this year’s Executive Jury.

“I’m excited to join the Ad Stars jury. It’s a global festival that’s based in a corner of the globe that’s renowned for innovation, technology and culture, and I’m curious to discover ideas I’ve never imagined from creators I’ve never encountered before,” says Mescall.

Before relocating to New York in 2014, he was CCO of McCann Australia, leading McCann Melbourne to become the world’s most awarded agency in 2013. Today, he provides creative leadership across McCann's global brands, and works closely with the network’s creative and strategic leaders across all markets.

Gabriela Scardaccione

Scardaccione adds: “I’ve heard that Ad Stars is different from other awards shows – the festival has an interesting purpose and seems committed to supporting creatives by offering an awards platform that’s free to enter. I’m sincerely looking forward to experiencing the show for myself, it’s an honour to join the 2021 Executive Jury.”

She joined Mother in its earliest days when the agency was first founded in London. She launched Madre in Buenos Aires in 2005, and today – back in London – she is part of the Global team and is responsible for spreading Mother's vision around the world.

Here, the complete line-up of final judges:

Film & Video Stars Jury

• John Mescall, Global Executive Creative Director and Global Creative Council President, McCann Worldgroup, USA (Executive Judge)
  
• Yukyung Joo, Creative Director, Innocean Worldwide, Korea
  
• Kazuhide Adachi, Creative Director at Dentsu Inc., Japan
  
• Rajay Singh, Co-Founder/Director, Directors Think Tank, Malaysia
  
• Remy Aboukrat, Creative Director, Marcel Worldwide, France
  
• Jin Yang, Executive Creative Director, Leo Burnett Taiwan
  
• Tista Sen, Regional Creative Director, South Asia at Wunderman Thompson, India
  
• Frederico Roberto, Executive Creative Director, Interweave Agency, UK

Design & Print Jury

• Gabriela Scardaccione, Global Creative Director, Mother, UK (Executive Judge)
  
• Sompat Trisadikun, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Group Thailand
  
• Ana Noriega, Chief Creative Officer, FCB México
  
• Syeda Ayesha Ikram, Executive Creative Director, BBDO Indonesia
  
• Christie Cooper, Creative Director, DDB Aotearoa, New Zealand
  
• Ricardo Adolfo, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Japan
  
• Sheng Jin Ang, Executive Creative Director, MullenLowe Singapore
  
• Jody Xiong, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, The Nine, China

Diverse Insights, Outdoor, Public Service Advertising, Pivot, Place Brand, Radio & Audio Jury

• Ali Rez, Regional Executive Creative Director, Impact BBDO, United Arab Emirates
  
• Rebecca Carrasco, Principal, MADEBY-AND, Australia
  
• Herbert Hernandez, Creative Partner, GIGIL, Philippines
  
• Juliana Paracencio, Global Creative Director, Ogilvy UK
  
• Ruchi Sharma, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, HumanSense, Sri Lanka
  
• Shota Hatanaka, Creative Director, Hakuhodo Kettle, Japan
  
• Florence Ng, Creative Director, AKQA, China
  
• HSAd, Korea (TBC)

Interactive, Integrated, Innovation, Mobile, Data Insights, Social & Influencer Jury

• Natalie Lam, Chief Creative Officer, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at Publicis Groupe, Hong Kong (Executive Judge)
  
• Sue Lee, Executive Digital Planning Director, TWBA Korea
  
• Alfred Wee, Group Creative Director, McCann Worldgroup, Singapore
  
• Breno Cotta, Chief Creative Officer, MoveDesign Vietnam
  
• Jason Romeyko, Worldwide Executive Creative Director, Serviceplan International, Germany
  
• Aste Gutiérrez, Creative Director / Writer, Droga5 USA
  
• Kimmy Liu, Executive Creative Director, Cheil Pengtai, China
  
• Seamus Higgins, VP Chief Creative Officer APAC, R/GA, Australia

Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Ecommerce, Direct, Media, Pr Jury

• Merlee Jayme, Global President / Chairmom, Dentsu Mcgarrybowen / dentsu jayme Syfu (Executive Judge)
  
• Jamal Hamidi, Managing Director, Creative and Content, DDB Group Hong Kong
  
• Youngki Hong, Show Lead Producer, Cheil Worldwide, Korea
  
• Akae Wang, Executive Creative Director, Tencent, China
  
• Nkgabiseng Motau, Co-Founder / Chief Creative Officer, Think Creative Africa, South Africa
  
• Andrea Siqueira, Creative VP, BETC HAVAS São Paulo, Brazil
  
• Vincent Osmond, Creative Director, Special Group Sydney, Australia
  
• Erick Rosa, Chief Creative Officer, Beacon Communications, Publicis Groupe Japan

Headquartered in South Korea, Ad Stars is welcoming entries free-of-charge to the Ad Stars 2021 Awards until 15 June. This is the final deadline extension before the Preliminary Jury – made up of over 240 creative professionals globally – will vote on this year’s finalists. A shortlist will be announced on 16 July, after which the final jury will select this year’s winners.

Now in its 14th year, Ad Stars is one of the fastest-growing creative industries festivals in the world with over 20,000 entries received in 2020. The Ad Stars 2021 Online Festival will run from 25 to 27 August, and all winners will be announced on 27 August 2021.

To enter, visit adstars.org.