San Diego Showed Off at the Sandies Awards 2025, San Diego’s Premier Marketing Awards
San Diego’s marketing stars took center stage at the Sandies Awards 2025, a night packed with creativity, celebration, and serious bragging rights. The Sandies have quickly become the marketing event of the year, shining a spotlight on the brilliant minds shaping our city’s marketing scene.
A Theme Built To Shine!
And this year’s theme? Show Off!
Because when you’ve worked hard, pushed creative limits, and made magic happen for your clients—it’s time to own it.
Show Off! wasn’t just a theme—it was an aura. Thanks to Buchanan Design, the event’s creative sponsor, the theme came to life in bold color, clever messaging, and stunning visuals. Every detail shouted: creativity lives here!
Growth Worth Celebrating
An essential metric to measure the impact of the Sandies is the growth in new participants every year. In 2025, there were 150+ professional entries. This included 23 new participating companies/agencies, of which 15 were finalists. AMA San Diego is proud to sponsor all student entries, giving the next generation of marketers their moment in the spotlight. We received 29 student entries this year, an 81% increase from last year’s 16 student entries. Future Sandies winners, we see you!
The Sandies committee is 100% volunteer-led and relies on the experience and dedication of our volunteers to create a successful event. Planning begins in September for the May event, with building the committee, developing the annual brand kit, and securing the venue. Once these are locked in place, the creativity kicks in with a marketing plan and the overall event design.
Seen here are this year’s student volunteers from San Diego State University.
A Night Of Connection And Cocktails
The evening begins with networking and connection. Guests mingle to live music, capture memories at the 360 Degree photo booth, enjoy curated cheese and charcuterie, and sip on handcrafted cocktails or refreshing beverages. Competition is left at the door—this hour is all about camaraderie and celebration.
At showtime, the Ballroom doors open to reveal elegantly set tables, complete with themed centerpieces. Guests settle in with attentive (but never intrusive) service, pausing to congratulate and connect with peers.
A World-Class Emcee For A Night To Remember
The key to keeping 300+ guests engaged for more than two hours? A world-class emcee. The right host elevates the night, and that was Troy Johnson. Born and raised in San Diego, Troy is a national award-winning food writer, author, and Food Network personality. His humor, tone, and energy levels set the pace for the night ahead.
Recognizing Brilliance In Every Category
When the awards begin, it’s lights, camera, action. Clips showcasing the quality and excellence of the finalists were shown on the big screens. The Gold winner acceptance moments are among the most inspiring of the night. Hearing the story behind a winning campaign—the strategy, the creativity, the impact—gives the audience more than recognition; it sends them home with ideas, inspiration, and a deeper appreciation for the brilliance within our community.
Honoring The Best Of The Best
The Peers of the Year Awards are a category that AMA San Diego prides in, with two new awards – Agency and Trailblazer introduced this year, along with Marketer of the Year. These awards celebrate a San Diego agency, an individual or team, and an individual San Diego marketer, respectively, for their exceptional marketing impact, innovation, and leadership. The 2025 winners are:
- Trailblazer of the Year – SeaWorld Marketing Team
- Marketer of the Year – Alanna Markey, Innovision Marketing Group
- Agency of the Year – Vujà Dé Digital (Picture in the carousel below)
Capturing The Highlights, Happiness, And Honors
Shoutout to our sponsors, Max Lux Media and MisMarissa Photography, for ensuring the night’s many wonderful moments were captured for everyone to revisit. Here’s an interview with Petrucci Marketing, winners in the Social Media category.
Judging The Show-Offs!
From the Bay to the Big Apple, our team hand-selected a record 34 judges for an unbiased, top-tier evaluation process. Submissions were scored on the challenges & objectives, strategy & tactics, and the results of the campaign. Each judge brought a unique perspective and expertise, having had a minimum of 5 years in the marketing or communications industry.
Our judges have currently or previously worked at companies such as Disney, Otterbox, Sony, Sircle Media, and OBI Creative. We are also grateful to our sister chapters, AMA Iowa, AMA Omaha, AMA Lincoln, and AMA Cincinnati, for their ongoing support of the Sandie Awards.
A Huge Thank You To Our Sponsors!
The Sandies won’t sparkle without our generous and wonderful sponsors. As a sponsor, they not only have the benefits and visibility that come with supporting the event, but also gain invaluable recognition by being among San Diego’s premier marketers. A special shout-out to Casual and Nexxen for being a sponsor 3 years in a row! Here’s to many more nights of celebrating the best of San Diego’s marketing community.
Stay Connected With AMA San Diego
Want to join events like these? Follow us to be notified about future events. Become a member to connect with fellow marketers in San Diego and stay on top of your marketing game. As a member, you get AMA-zing benefits that maximize your experience, such as members-only learning resources and events, to name a few.
