NYF Advertising Awards

What does the future of the agency model actually look like?

On this episode of State of the Biz, Paul Marobella sits down with Eric Bertrand, CEO of Mod Op, to talk about AI, agency consolidation, B2B marketing, private equity’s growing role in the industry, and why integrated services are becoming essential for brands.

This clip is just one part of a much bigger conversation on where agencies are headed next.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/abJvoyWyUWw

Final deadline to enter the 2026 New York Festivals Advertising Awards is May 15.

Finding the “crazy” is easy. Proving it works is harder.

Lucas Bongioanni, Chief Creative Officer at GUT New York, cuts straight to what separates good from great.

The work that stands out is not just bold. It is brave with purpose. Ideas that carry through with consistency and show real business impact.

That is what the New York Festivals jury process is built to uncover. Work is pushed, questioned, and tested until only the ideas that truly deliver remain.

Final deadline to enter: May 8.

“Brutal” in the best way. Niraj Zaveri, Executive Creative Director at VML New York, describes the New York Festivals jury room exactly how it is: direct, honest, and focused on the work.

No fluff. No soft scoring. Just a clear question repeated again and again
Was the idea right, and did it make an impact?

At New York Festivals Advertising Awards, the process is built to challenge every entry. Strong debate. High standards. Real scrutiny. The kind of judging that pushes the best work to the top and leaves nothing unchecked.

Final deadline to enter: May 8.

At GenJam last week, Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO of , sat down with Oriel Davis-Lyons, CCO of , to unpack the tension between data and instinct in modern creative work.

One key takeaway: what measures well isn’t always what connects. Campaigns can check every box, hit every metric, and still miss the audience entirely. As discussed, brands can get “lost in the tangibles” and forget what people actually come for, something emotional, something felt, not just something optimized.

The challenge now is knowing when to trust the data and when to push past it.

If you’re making work that people actually feel, submit it. NYFA deadline: May 8.

Last week at GenJam, we gave teams a Mother’s Day brief and not much else.

Inside , things escalated quickly. Concepts turned into finished work fast using .studio, with in the mix for support.

In partnership with , it was all about making, not overthinking.

Winners drop this week. Stay tuned.
And if you’re thinking about winning work, NYFA submissions close May 8.

Sharp instincts. No shortcuts. Just knowing what’s good.

Doerte Spengler-Ahrens, Chairwoman of Jung von Matt and 2026 Executive Jury Member at the New York Festivals Advertising Awards, on what separates good from great. In a city that runs on bold ideas, that standard matters.

New York doesn’t reward safe. It rewards right.

Final deadline to enter: May 8.