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IMAX's Andrew Almendras Takes the 'Always On' Approach
Creating cultural moments in real-time
“Creativity shows up in many different forms,” says Andrew Almendras, vice president of marketing strategy and planning at IMAX. “There’s the traditional sense of creativity our industry is accustomed to: creative advertising. Early on in my career at IMAX, I had the great opportunity to rebuild the in-house creative services department there into an in-house creative agency. This taught me a lot, and I truly enjoyed that experience. At the core, my heart lies in creative problem-solving to create transformation, so the shift I made a few years ago into the strategy space is a natural evolution for me.”
Andrew has spent the last decade at IMAX helping transform one of the world’s most iconic entertainment brands into a culturally relevant leader in premium cinematic experiences. During his tenure, he established a new marketing strategy and planning discipline. In 2025, IMAX reached a record $1.2 billion in global box office. Earlier in his career, he helped grow The Sheppard agency’s revenue by a factor of 15 following the great financial crisis.
Andrew is a Class of 2026 American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement Inductee. That’s one of the industry’s most prestigious honors recognizing professionals age 40 and under. He is also AAF’s 2026 Jack Avrett Industry Service Award recipient and a 2026 ADCOLOR Leader.
In addition, Andrew established and co-led IMAX’s DEI Task Force, serves on the board of the AAF’s Los Angeles chapter and mentors emerging leaders through Adweek, Gold House and Asians in Advertising. For 15 years, he has served as a “Big Brother” through Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters, helping young people realize their potential through long-term mentorship.
We spent a few minutes learning more about Andrew’s background, views and inspirations.
Was there an “a-ha” moment in your life that made you realize what you wanted to do?
My life has been filled with what “light bulb” moments. On a big screen this is where there’s a music crescendo, a spotlight, fireworks … in life, this [actually] happens through a strong feeling we get. For me, it’s been a series of light bulb moments I’ve had the opportunity to experience. They’ve always moved my career towards connection, building and maximizing.
What’s your “off-brand”—e.g., something you do or like that is completely out of character?
I learned how to ski last year. I like my feet grounded, which is probably connected to my obsession with frameworks, systems and creating order. So for someone who grew up in Los Angeles playing summer sports, skiing was absolutely a surprise. However, it’s the perfect balance of technical skill and freedom. There’s also parallels with how I view wins. Some of the sweetest wins in life take work to reach; some of the most gorgeous views take learning a sport like skiing to reach.
What’s a project you’re especially proud of?
Rebuilding the creative services department into IMAX’s first in-house team—and an award-winning team at that. There is something very powerful about having the opportunity to reimagine how a group operates, reestablish their value across the company and create business impact at an entirely new level. I view this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Do you have a secret ritual before a big presentation or brainstorm?
Give me a glass of jasmine green iced tea and I am ready—ha! But pair that with entering a presentation or brainstorm with intentionality and being present in the moment. I find presenting and brainstorming to be interesting experiences because of the relationship between the audience and the person driving the narrative. There’s this balance between ensuring you deliver while adapting your delivery to resonate with your audience.
What non-advertising industry do you learn from?
Fashion. It must transform to continue to remain relevant, often driving trends. The industry experienced significant transformation in the past two decades—from mall culture to fast online fashion to leveraging brick and mortar in a new way to bring brands to life through IRL experiences.
What’s a movie you wish you could experience again for the first time?
One of the most inspirational movies for me as a kid was Free Willy. When I interviewed at IMAX back in 2016, I was asked “Why IMAX?” My answer then is my answer today: movies on the big screen have the power to change lives, shift perspectives and inspire. I was inspired by Free Willy as a kid. It opened my eyes to a world where positive impact can be a possibility.
What’s something audiences want more of from the industry?
Audiences want more originality. I believe the theatrical moviegoing experience is all about an uninterrupted window of time where we have the opportunity to transport people. If they are choosing to shift their attention from a phone screen to an out-of-home experience at the movies, it’s important we continue to give them something that is inspiring, thought-provoking and potentially life-changing.
What’s unique about entertainment marketing?
Movies are always “in season.” We have 52 weeks in a year and screens are always filled with content—there are always consumers looking for escape and inspiration. Fandom is everywhere and new fandom is built all the time. We have the great opportunity to create cultural moments and an “always on” approach to learning from the industry in real time since every weekend gives way to a new film release.
What is something consumers should know about IMAX that doesn’t get enough attention?
One unique fact most consumers aren’t aware of is that we’re a Canadian company and still have one of our key offices there. That Canadian energy has such a resounding positive impact on how we do business and on our culture. There’s a sense of “home” here at IMAX which is something very special. There’s a shared understanding that what we do here daily is magical.
You’ve got 2 minutes with the industry. What’s your hot take?
Shared experiences are healthy on multiple levels. They create connections between humans and a sense of community through fandom and harmony.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
