Brands
Jessica Apellaniz named jury chair for ABBY Awards 2026 influencer category
Wieden+Kennedy Mexico chief creative officer to lead judging at ABBY Awards 2026 during Goafest
MUMBAI: Jessica Apellaniz, chief creative officer at Wieden+Kennedy Mexico, has been appointed jury chair for the Social Content & Influencer Marketing category at the ABBY Awards 2026 Powered by The One Club for Creativity and The One Show.
The appointment places one of Latin America’s prominent creative leaders at the centre of judging for a category that has rapidly grown in influence as brands increasingly compete for attention across creator-led and social-first platforms.
Apellaniz currently serves as the first chief creative officer of Wieden+Kennedy Mexico, where she was brought in to help shape the agency’s creative identity following the launch of its Mexico City office in 2023. She oversees campaigns for brands including Nike, Ford, Uber and AB InBev.
Before joining Wieden+Kennedy, Apellaniz was chief creative officer for Latin America at Ogilvy, where she led creative teams across the region and worked on campaigns for major global brands including Coca-Cola, KFC, Mondelez International, Mazda, American Express and Nestlé.
Her work has contributed to wins at global creative platforms including Cannes Lions, D&AD and The One Show, while helping Ogilvy Latin America earn Regional Network of the Year recognition in 2022.
Interestingly, Apellaniz began her career behind the camera as a producer, including a stint at MTV Latin America, before moving into copywriting and creative leadership.
The ABBY Awards 2026 will take place during Goafest 2026 from May 20 to 22 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon. The awards continue to expand their global creative footprint through partnerships with international industry bodies and jury participation from across major advertising markets.
For the influencer and social content category in particular, Apellaniz’s appointment reflects how advertising’s creative centre of gravity is increasingly shifting toward culture-first storytelling, creator ecosystems and platform-native campaigns that travel far beyond traditional media buys.
