Ten of the industry’s great strategists are set to gather together in Las Vegas for the LIA 2026 Creative Strategy judging session. Monica Radulescu, Senior Strategy Manager OLA – Our LEGO® Agency, Billund, has agreed to lead the room as Jury President.
“Great strategy makes ideas feel obvious. Not because they’re predictable, but because they reveal something that was true all along and hiding in plain sight. The best strategic thinking doesn’t shout about how clever it is. It creates the conditions for an idea to land so naturally that people wonder why no one thought of it sooner. When strategy is doing its job, the work feels inevitable in hindsight—and that’s usually the highest compliment.”, said Monica Radulescu.
With 20 years of experience and having lived and worked across five countries, Monica is a culture-led creative strategist who believes the best brands create conversations and actions—not just ads. She has helped shape work for some of the world’s most recognised brands, including Diesel, Coca-Cola and Heineken, across leading global agencies.
She brings her experience to LEGO, helping shape how one of the world’s most beloved brands stays relevant through creativity, culture and play.
In giving helpful tips on what she is expecting to see, Monica Radulescu said:
- Don’t just tell us what you did—tell us how you got there.
- I have a soft spot for simple insights—the kind that feel obvious, but only after someone has had the clarity to articulate them.
- Tell a clear and simple story. Make the work feel smart, not the author.
- Everyone is talking about culture, but very few actually use it in a meaningful way. I’d love to see ideas that are genuinely rooted in cultural insight, not just riding on trends.
No matter how successful a campaign is, it is more than just the execution. It starts with a great, ground-breaking strategy that recognizes great insights on which the idea is based. The end result – a campaign that connects and resonates with consumers on a deeper level.
A great strategy results in a great creative output. The Apple – Creativity Goes On campaign demonstrates this very well. This campaign was launched during the pandemic. It started with Apple’s belief in the power of creativity. During the time of uncertainty, Apple encouraged people to use their Apple devices to be creative – shoot videos, take pictures, stream content, etc. – in short to find new ways to share their hopes, ingenuity and make connections even when confined to their homes and grappling with isolation. Creativity gave people hope.
“The category is all about approaching the brand problem differently from competitors. And all our jury members excel in that. They will be able to see the unseen strategy through the seen work and award the executions that should be recognized and be held up as the gold standard for 2026,” commented Christina Shaw, VP – Awards Director, LIA.
LIA judging 2026 begins on 25th September through 3rd October. All rounds of judging are held onsite in Las Vegas with all members of the jury present. All jury members have an equal voice in the room. To ensure absolute impartiality and transparency, the judging rooms are open to press, creative excellence members and even Creative LIAisons attendees.
