Meet the judges of The Drum Awards, which rejoice the most productive in brand-building and artistic technique. Our Judge of the Day collection offers you a more in-depth take a look at the mavens at the back of our prestigious panels. Get to grasp the business leaders who acknowledge excellence in advertising.
At Hasbro, play and creativity aren’t simply central to product building – they’re on the very center of the corporate’s advertising philosophy. For Jessica Murphy, Hasbro’s VP of world business plan and operations, and this 12 months’s vice-president of the jury for The Drum Awards for Marketing (Americas), play represents extra than simply leisure. It’s a automobile for emotional storytelling, community-building and, in the long run, model longevity.
“As an emotion-driven business, we need to remain top of mind by offering something meaningful,” says Murphy. Leaning into the aim of play and spotting its significance has transform crucial to our model’s id.”
But whilst Hasbro stays anchored in play that brings other people in combination, Murphy is turning into increasingly more involved that the wider advertising business is drifting in some other path – towards knowledge dependency, efficiency metrics and algorithmic simple task that, in her phrases, dangers using creativity out of the method.
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“There’s so much churn. Iterate, personalize, but where is the core message? If we lose the human connection, our audiences won’t care,” she warns. “Creative commoditization is real. You can produce a huge volume of decent content using AI, but breakthrough ideas? We’re not there yet.”
Murphy believes efficiency advertising’s obsession with what already works is endangering the originality of campaigns. “Algorithms reward what has already proven effective, which can lead to repetitive and uninspired work. In this kind of environment, it’s easy to blend into the scroll.”
Her viewpoint is formed by way of a profession devoted to protective and raising much-beloved franchises. From Paw Patrol and SpongeBob all the way through her time running at Paramount to Peppa Pig, My Little Pony, Marvel and Monopoly at Hasbro, Murphy has constructed her recognition on cautious, considerate model advertising.
“I’ve worked on Peppa the longest. When I joined, the brand was facing some pretty intense competition and the show was already two decades old. Our challenge was to modernize Peppa without losing what made her so beloved. That meant evolving the visual identity and storytelling to appeal to a new generation, while introducing fresh elements, such as the recent addition of a new baby to the Pig family. That kept the brand feeling contemporary and relevant. At the same time, via our marketing, we were careful to retain Peppa’s tone, values and quirky sense of humor that audiences know and love.”
Integral to that procedure is Hasbro’s ironclad solution to model protection. As the virtual media panorama grows extra unpredictable, keeping up model integrity, in particular in child-focused content material, is a non-negotiable.
“Brand safety is absolutely paramount,” Murphy says. “Everything we release must pass through rigorous legal and brand reviews. Franchise managers will stop creative from going out if it doesn’t align with our values. Someone might say, ‘Peppa would never say that,’ or ‘Peppa wouldn’t wear that.’ These small but critical details ensure we uphold the trust our audiences have in these characters.
“Once you lose brand identity and trust, especially in children’s marketing, it’s not easy to build it back. Our audience expects consistency and emotional authenticity. Brand safety plays a key role in maintaining both.”
Despite her issues in regards to the state of contemporary advertising, Murphy is a ways from proof against innovation. Hasbro is actively exploring AI equipment to beef up workflow and experimentation, together with rolling out Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT equipment to all staff. The corporate’s fresh launches come with Trivial Pursuit Infinite – a trivialities recreation that personalizes content material day by day and an AI model of the Ouija board introduced in time to rejoice Halloween.
Her balanced solution to tech and creativity is mirrored in her appointment as vice-president of the jury for The Drum Awards for Marketing (Americas) 2025. It’s a place she takes significantly, no longer most effective as an evaluator however as a learner. “Judging inspires me. It introduces me to new agency partners, and I get to see ideas we may have considered but didn’t pursue executed successfully by others. I also learn how other teams bring big ideas to life.”
Murphy says the judging procedure sharpens her viewpoint on what makes nice advertising lately.
“I’m looking for distinction. In a world full of smart targeting and infinite content, what makes your campaign truly stand out? Does it show clarity, courage and emotional impact? It teaches me how to craft a compelling award submission. The best entries feature strong visuals, measurable KPIs and a narrative that clearly communicates why the work was original and unforgettable.”
As the promoting global continues to conform, Murphy’s viewpoint serves as a well timed reminder that creativity, emotional connection and model integrity aren’t non-compulsory – they’re crucial. And together with her serving to lead the jury at The Drum Awards for Marketing this 12 months, be expecting a focus on campaigns that steadiness innovation with duty and creativeness with have an effect on.