Epica Awards Puts Press-Only Jury in the Spotlight with Havas Paris

The Epica Awards is doubling down on what sets it apart — a press-only jury.

The 2025 Call For Entries stars creative heavyweights Sir John Hegarty, Co-Founder and Creative Director of The Business of Creativity; Vicki Maguire, CCO of Havas London; and Marco Venturelli, CEO & CCO of Publicis Conseil.

In this witty campaign crafted by Havas Paris, the trio donned disguises in a bid to sneak onto the jury, despite the rule that only journalists make the cut.

“We felt from the start that we should play on the unique feature of the Epica Awards, which is the jury. Then we imagined the ways creatives might try to gain access so they could have their say. We’re delighted that Sir John, Vicki and Marco agreed to play the game,” said Havas Paris Chief Creative Officer Stéphane Gaubert and Executive Creative Director Etienne Renaux.

The campaign uses light humour to remind entrants that the Epica Awards press jury is independent, objective and immune to industry politics.

The journalists on the jury are all experienced writers in the areas of advertising, design, PR and digital, as well as specialist sectors like production and photography. The jury’s objectivity even extends to the fact that jurors are not allowed to vote for work from their own country.

“We’re constantly stressing that our jury is only open to journalists, but every year we’re contacted by creatives who’d like to join. Stéphane and Etienne captured this in a really clear, fun way. Having such famous creative names on board is a real thrill and honour for us, too,” added Epica Awards Editorial Director Mark Tungate.

The Epica Awards are now open for Early Bird submissions until September 1, with the regular entry deadline on October 4.