Arnya Karaitiana’s LIA Non-Traditional jury Diary: The best work often lives where two threads meet – people and place together

Arnya Karaitiana, Creative Director & Kaiārahi Māori at Special Aotearoa is representing New Zealand on the LIA Non-Traditional jury in Las Vegas. Karaitiana, along with many other jurors and young Creative LIAisons attendees, reports on her experiences at LIA and highlights the winners that stood out for her.

Today was the first day of judging at the London International Awards in Las Vegas, where I joined the Non-Traditional jury. 270 entries. 270 case studies. One long, inspiring, jet-lagged blur.

Our jury is a collection of voices from all over the world — France, Japan, Peru, Los Angeles, Germany, New York, the Philippines, and me, from Aotearoa New Zealand. A mix of cultures, perspectives, and experiences, all coming together in one room to reflect on where creativity is heading.

Day one wasn’t about declaring winners. It was about listening, learning, and celebrating the diversity of thinking and unique ways of communicating. The conversation was fluid, energised, sometimes sharp, sometimes humorous.

I thought it would be interesting to take soundbites from the commentary in the jury room — these were some comments that were interesting for me and ideas I drew intrigue to:

‘Non-Traditional is… What’s next.
‘Creative is King. Yet strategy is Queen’…she breathe life into every creative idea.
‘Remember to be human, be present, Ai has the ability to learns from what’s been created…but Creatives shape what comes next.’
‘Gotta get through to get to.’
‘Don’t get in your head, get to the point’
‘I need a creative solution for my sleepiness.’
‘No time difference here. It’s Vegas.’

It felt like a tapestry of insights — part philosophy, part pep talk, part comedy. What it highlighted for me is that “Non-Traditional” is less about rules and more about energy, curiosity, and daring to push into spaces where newness lives. A good day to remind ourselves to be bold, give things texture, always add nuance…believe in your ability, where you come from and who you are.

Tomorrow, the debates will sharpen as we start shaping gold, silver, and bronze. But for today, it was enough just to take it all in.

DAY 2

Las Vegas is a place that doesn’t believe in silence. Slot machines humming, endless carpets, neon fighting for your attention even in broad daylight. It’s a surreal backdrop for judging creativity — perhaps the perfect place for “Non-Traditional.”

Layers upon layers. Texture on texture. Everything here is trying to make a statement, to be bigger, brighter, louder than the thing next to it. And in a way, the work we’re judging feels like that too. Every idea pushing to stand out and to be remembered.

But today, as a jury, we started to narrow our view. To look past the noise. To ask: which ideas don’t just dress themselves up as “different,” but genuinely shift the way we see, feel, act — and carry purpose beyond the surface?

A theme emerged. Many of the ideas wrestled with the environment — climate change, sustainability, the relationship between people and planet. Brands looking to nature for inspiration, and for redemption. Some of these attempts felt like clichés, tired patterns in shiny new wrapping. But others carried real weight. Genuine connection. Human brilliance meeting natural wisdom.

From my perspective, these are the ideas that strike a deeper chord. In Te Ao Māori, we are never separate from the land, from the environment. Our stories, our survival, our future – they all flow from this relationship. So when I see work that moves beyond and genuinely respects that interconnection, it feels more than creative. It feels necessary. And it’s not just about our bond with place – it’s about our responsibilities to each other as people. Care, reciprocity, whanaungatanga. The best work often lives where those two threads meet: people and place, together.

Today we started to find those threads, beginning the debates and weighing the bold against the beautiful, the strategic against the soulful. Day Two was about finding the texture, the nuance, and the rare ideas that truly step outside the box, not just decorate it. Tomorrow, the decisions get sharper, and the shine gets handed out.

THE FINAL DAY

As day three came to a close, it was time to pause, reflect, and honour the work that had truly impressed us over the past three days. Being in the room together, kanohi ki kanohi, reminded me of the power of people: unique voices, shared energy, and perspectives that challenge and inspire. What stood out most was the way creativity can connect us to each other and to the world around us – the kind of work that honours people, place, and purpose. For me, that’s the essence of non-traditional: not just what’s next, but what matters.

AXA ‘Three Words’ (Grand LIA, Gold, Silver, Bronze)
Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris

AXA’s ‘Three Words’ is the kind of work that reminds us what creativity is for. It’s not about decoration, but transformation — taking something as rigid as an insurance policy and turning it into a lifeline. In the jury room we spoke about purpose, connection, and ideas that shift the way people live, not just how they look at a brand. This is that in action. For audiences in New Zealand and Australia, it’s a powerful reminder that the most enduring creativity is deeply human — it protects, it uplifts, it gives people a way forward.

My three favorites (in no particular order):

Lidl ‘Lidlize’ (Bronze)
Agency: Marcel, Paris

“Lidlize” stood out for its craft and playfulness. The idea wasn’t necessarily new — but it was non-traditional in shifting brand perspective and its execution was immaculate. It was visually compelling, participatory, and invited people to create alongside the brand rather than just consume it. That shift, from audience to co-author, is what made it special. In Aotearoa, where we pride ourselves on innovation that’s hands-on and collaborative, this felt like a reminder that design and craft still matter. Non-traditional isn’t defined by invention alone, but by the craft and care that weave people, technology, and creativity into something unforgettable.

Heineken ‘Pub Succession’ (Silver, Silver, Bronze)
Agency: LePub, Milan

“Pub Succession” had charm, heart, and cultural resonance. It tapped into something bigger than marketing — the preservation of whakapapa: lineage, names, and community identity. In Ireland, that means keeping family names above the pub doors. For us in Aotearoa, it echoes our own values of whānau, place, and heritage. It’s a smart business move, yes — but at its core, it’s about connection: honouring the past while ensuring the future. That’s what made it shine in the room — it wasn’t just clever, it was meaningful.

HERALBONY Morioka/Iwate ‘HERALBONY’ (Silver)

“HERALBONY” was a powerful reminder that creativity can come from anywhere, and anyone. The initiative elevated artists with intellectual disabilities, not as charity cases, but as creators of value, whose work deserved recognition and economic independence. What I liked about it is that it echoes the belief that every person carries unique skills, gifts, and taonga — and that our role is to create space for those gifts to be seen and thrive. In a category full of bold and technical entries, this one felt quietly radical: it dignified people, celebrated differences, and proved that ability takes many forms. Very deserving of its place on the podium.