What exactly is the international marketing award, the Effie Awards?

Typically, advertising awards evaluate ideas and buzzworthiness. However, there exists a unique advertising award that prioritizes the "results" of advertising. That is the Effie Awards, the international prize we introduce here, given for outstanding marketing communications.

So, what exactly is the Effie Award? What are its judging criteria? What should you keep in mind when applying? And what are some actual winning examples?

Dentsu Inc. Creative Director Yusuke Shimano and Communication Planner Michiko Kato, who won the APAC Effie Award for the experiential picture book 'Words to Eat' (Froebel-kan), explain the full picture.

" Words of Eating " (Froebel-kan), Bronze Winner in the APAC Effie Awards "Positive Change Social Good - Brand Category"

This conversation was conducted online.

An award that "prioritizes results" over ideas or buzz

Shimano: We plan to discuss the details of 'Words of Eating' in depth next time, so this time I'll introduce the Effie Awards. The Effie Awards are an advertising award established in 1968 by the New York Marketing Association. With over 50 years of history, it is now known as an advertising-related award attracting entries not only from the US but from around the world.

Depending on the campaign's implementation area, it is divided into the Global Effie, Asia-Pacific (APAC) Effie, Europe (EURO) Effie, and Middle East/North Africa (MENA) Effie, with over 40 countries and regions also having their own local Effie awards.

The most significant characteristic of the Effie Awards is their focus on "effectiveness in marketing activities." They are said to be unique among advertising awards in their rigorous evaluation of whether an activity was effective and whether it contributed to the brand's success over the medium to long term.

The judging criteria are broadly divided into four categories.

[The Four Judging Criteria and Weighting for the Effie Awards]

• "Challenge & Objective" (What challenge was set and what activities were undertaken?)
  Weighting: 23.33%
• "Insight and Strategy"
  Weighting: 23.33%
• "Specificity of the Idea and Its Execution Capability"
  Weighting: 23.33%
• "Results"
  Weighting: 30%

A system where only "Results" are evaluated at a 30% weight, while everything else is evaluated at 23.33%. Just looking at this evaluation weighting alone, you can see it's an award that prioritizes results, right?

Kato: That's right. Incidentally, even the Cannes Lions, considered the most famous award in the advertising industry, has categories like "Creative Strategy" that lean towards marketing. However, those categories ultimately evaluate marketing based on ideas and creative thinking. With the Effie Awards, I feel that purely marketing techniques – specifically "how the brand was developed" – take center stage.

Shimano: Another unique feature of the Effie Awards is their category names. Take the "Carpe Diem" category, for example. It evaluates marketing initiatives that capitalized on unique moments like the U.S. presidential election or the COVID-19 pandemic—things you could only do right then and there. But do you know why it's called "Carpe Diem"?

Kato: Huh? Sorry, I have no idea...

Shimano: Exactly. Apparently, it's actually a reference to a line from a poem by Horace, a famous poet from ancient Rome. "Carpe Diem" means "Seize the day!" or "Enjoy the moment!", and that's why they named the category that. (laughs)

There's also a "David vs. Goliath" category. Goliath was a giant warrior from the Old Testament. This name was given to the category that evaluates how small-to-medium brands compete when entering markets dominated by giant brands.

Among the over 40 categories, having divisions with such unique names and perspectives is part of what makes the Effie Awards interesting and distinctive.

Kato: Indeed, I don't think there's another place where marketing techniques are evaluated with such granularity. Setting aside the naming (lol), it's a very distinctive award with its own unique focus.

"Unforgettable Eco-Bag": A simple yet highly effective award-winning case

Shimano: Now, I'd like to introduce some specific award-winning examples. One I particularly like is the " Unforgettable Bag " initiative by Tesco, a global company, in Malaysia. It won awards in various categories, including the "Sustainability Category," in 2018.

Shimano: In recent years, activities to reduce plastic waste have been increasing worldwide. However, eco-bags—essential for this reduction—were often "the one thing people tend to forget." That's why Tesco created the "Unforgettable Eco-Bag."

At first glance, it's a perfectly ordinary eco-bag featuring a stylish fish design. But look closer, and you'll see the fish's tail is actually a barcode. This barcode functions as a discount coupon for shopping. Knowing "I can shop with a discount if I have this!" taps into that human tendency to want to bring it along no matter what.

The combination of high design appeal and a clever mechanism that taps into consumer psychology led to fewer customers forgetting their eco-bags. Within nine months of launch, Tesco succeeded in reducing disposable plastic bags company-wide by 32%. Not only are they doing good for society, but they're also effectively promoting their own stores, building customer loyalty, and driving foot traffic. I thought this was a very Effie-worthy award example that works effectively over the medium to long term.

Another example I'd like to share is " Re:Scam." This is an anti-email phishing scam campaign implemented by New Zealand's NetSafe. It won in the "IT / Telecom and Brand Experience Services" category in 2019.

Shimano: New Zealand, like Japan, is a country where the financial damage from email phishing scams is enormous. Wanting to tackle this, the company trained an AI tool with tens of thousands of patterns of "examples of responses from people who were scammed" to automatically reply to scam emails.

When scammers read the replies generated by the AI tool, they assume they've caught a "typical easy mark" – essentially thinking, "Perfect! I've got a prime target!" and become overly eager. The scammers, convinced they were emailing a human, continued their exchanges with an AI that could never be deceived. This resulted in the scammers sending over a million emails, effectively wasting about five years of their time. The scheme significantly reduced the financial losses from phishing scams. I find this case very unique and effective in the medium to long term.

Kato: Among this year's Gold Award winners, I particularly liked " levi's Studs," implemented by Levi's Tailor Shop in the Philippines. At this shop, artisans customize jeans and denim jackets. They offered a service where decorative studs (embellishment buttons or rivets) were used to create designs resembling "Braille."

They then released a video showing a father giving his visually impaired son a denim jacket with a message spelled out in studs for Christmas.

Kato: They gave studs—previously used purely for fashion or reinforcement—a new role as braille, transforming them into a stylish, original message. It skillfully demonstrated how to connect with society, instantly elevating the brand's value. It was a project that completely shifted the brand's positioning, leaving a strong impression.

Both the case Shimano-san likes and the one I introduced are actually quite simple in terms of their ideas and stories. They're straightforward and easy to understand, clearly showing "what problem the initiative solved."

Rather than focusing on novelty or creative impact, they're all evaluated based on clarity, sustainability, and results. That's what feels quintessentially Effie-like.

The entry bar is high! That's why only "effective initiatives" make the cut!

Shimano: The Effie Awards completely disregard things like "buzzworthiness," which are often valued in general advertising awards. There's a rule that you cannot mention things like "it was featured in the media" or "it became a hot topic on SNS" in your demo movie.

Results are everything. If the goal is to increase brand favorability, you must submit data showing "how much favorability increased." If the goal is to boost service sign-up rates, you must show "how much the sign-up rate increased." You must submit results tied to the specific challenge as part of your application.

Furthermore, the data submitted must be highly credible, incorporating data from third-party organizations or industry associations. The kind of appeal common in advertising award presentations—where you try to impress with conveniently selected data and sheer momentum—will likely fall flat. When applying, it's crucial to prepare your evidence thoroughly and meticulously.

Kato: When we submitted 'Words of Eating,' we also spent considerable time and effort gathering various social and quantitative data. Furthermore, when explaining "why we undertook this initiative," we must present it not only from the perspective of consumers and clients but also from the viewpoint of its significance for the industry. It's characteristic of marketing-related advertising awards, or perhaps specific to the Effie Awards... In any case, I strongly want to emphasize that you absolutely cannot reuse application sheets or materials from other advertising awards (laughs).

Shimano: Exactly, applying requires real commitment. But precisely because the evidence requirements are so strict, applicants genuinely invest in gathering materials, ensuring only truly effective entries make the cut. I feel immense value in both the act of applying and reviewing the winning entries.

Going forward, we're entering an era where we must take a bird's-eye view of everything—PR, business strategy, management strategy, technology, creative—and think about it all in combination. At that time, I believe the people who will function as the hub are those with a marketing perspective—people who are logical yet can also emotionally move others.

Therefore, whether you're in marketing or not, I hope you'll first take an interest in the Effie Awards and watch the winning entries. I'd be delighted if that experience broadens your view of marketing's potential and future.

Kato: In the ever-evolving world of marketing, where new concepts and frameworks constantly emerge, I personally believe that what ultimately proves most reliable is the planner's intuition. As marketing continues to expand, I want many people to hone their "animalistic instincts" – the ability to respond swiftly to change – and I aim to hone mine as well.

Next time, I plan to introduce 'Words for Eating' (Froebel-kan), which won us a Bronze Effie Award in the APAC region for the 'Positive Change Social Good - Brand' category.

Effie Awards website:
https://www.effie.org/