I am interested in entering the Effies. How do I enter?
The 2012 North America Effie Awards competition is open for entry. The first deadline is October 11, 2011 and the final deadline is October 31, 2011. Entry fees are based on the date you enter your work, so be sure to review the Eligibility, Deadline, Fees section for full details. Review full entry information for the 2012 competition in the Entry Kit located in the North American Competition section of the website.
If you would like to enter a different Effie program worldwide, refer to the Effie Worldwide section of the site and to the Worldwide Calendar for full details on entry dates.
I want to make sure my entry is completed correctly. Any suggestions?
We recommend that you attend one of the Effie Entry Webinars where the staff will go over the changes to this year’s program and will also walk you through the judging criteria. In addition, we recommend you review past winners that have published their cases online and review the entry guidelines. To view published cases from past winners, simply go to the Winners Showcase page and select ‘Published Cases’ from the drop down list and enter the year you are most interested in reviewing.
When will I find out if I am a winner?
All finalists will be informed whether or not their entry is a winner in April. The level of the win (whether it was deemed a Gold, Silver, or Bronze winner) is announced at the annual gala. The 2012 Effie Awards Gala is May 23, 2012.
I am interested in becoming a judge? How does this work?
We are always looking for new judges. To sign up, please complete the Judging Application and a member of the Effie staff will be in contact with you.
When is an entry considered complete? Will I receive an entry confirmation?
All entrants are to submit their entries using the online entry system. A submission is not considered complete until all information has been completed online and full payment is received at Effie Worldwide. The person listed as the contact person in the online entry area will receive an entry confirmation once all entries have been processed.
Can I enter my case into the competition in more than one category?
Yes. You will need to complete a separate entry form, submit a set of creative samples, and pay the entry fee for each category that you enter.
However, New Product/Service Introductions are not allowed to enter into the Product & Service Categories; they can enter only into the New Product/Service category and, if applicable, into additional Specialty Categories.
Are business to business cases or internal marketing communications cases eligible to enter?
All types of cases are eligible to enter. This includes Business to Consumer, Business to Business, and internal marketing communications cases. Any case, aimed at any audience, is eligible to enter and compete in any Effie category as long as it meets the Effie category definition and can demonstrate results. You can see past winning cases aimed at consumers, at business and at internal audiences in the Effie Winners Showcase.
My case did not run in the United States or Canada. Is it eligible to enter?
Cases that ran in 4 or more countries worldwide are eligible for the Global Effie Awards. Those countries do not have to include the US and/or Canada. The Global Effie uses a separate entry form with different entry deadlines. See the Global section for more information.
Additionally, cases may be eligible to compete in a regional or national Effie competition with one of Effie’s Worldwide Partners if the case ran in the country or region with the Effie program (for example, a case that ran in Brazil would be eligible to enter the Effie competition in Brazil). To learn more about the 40+ Effie competitions worldwide, visit Worldwide Programs.
I have questions about submitting the 4-minute reel of my creative work. Who can I consult?
Read the Creative Reel Instructions in the Entry Kit. Remember to show key work that drove your results on the reel and also showcase your innovative tactics. Judges are looking to see your work on the reel. Call or email Erica Stoppenbach at 212-687-3280, ext. 229 with further questions.
I need an extension to enter. How can I obtain one?
You do not need to request an extension. The first entry deadline is October 11, 2011. We offer two extension deadlines: October 18th and October 31st. Entry fees are based on the date you enter your work, so be sure to review the Eligibility, Deadline, Fees section for full details.
What are your top recommendations for entry?
Read the 10 Rules for Disqualification in the Entry Kit and check your entry to make sure it complies. You can also review recent winning cases in the Winners Showcase.
We also recommend watching the videos of past winners talking about their winning cases and of the Effie staff giving an entry Q&A session at Effie’s YouTube channel.
Finally, download the Effective Entry Guide available here for detailed instructions for each question and tips and issues to avoid from last year’s Effie jury.
When pulling your entry together, be sure to write in a compelling, engaging manner that is concise and includes all important data. Make sure all data in the case is sourced. Submit your key work and your innovative work. Work with your partners and be sure to credit them.
Is the information I include in my entry kept confidential?
The Effie Awards offers entrants the opportunity to have their written case published on the Effie Awards web site, partner web sites and/or other publications as approved by the Effie Awards.
We respect that entries may have information deemed confidential by the client. When submitting an entry, entrants have the opportunity to indicate whether or not publishing permission is granted for the written entry. Entrants may select Yes-Permission Granted; No; or Yes-Edited Version of the Written Case, which allows entrants to submit and edited version of the written case for publication.
However, the creative material and case summary you enter into the competition becomes property of the Effie Awards and will not be returned. Creative materials submitted include your 4-minute video reel, all .jpg images and hard copy examples. The case summary is your 90 word public summary of your case.
Effie Judging Process: All Effie judges sign a Confidentiality Agreement and cannot remove any materials from the judging room. Effie has a strong judge recuse policy – so that judges do not judge cases from their industry category or company. In addition, Effie specifically matches judges with cases that are not from their company or industry category when organizing the judging sessions, to avoid any need for recusal.
Note: If you have concerns regarding submitting your written case, we would be happy to speak with you regarding how data is kept confidential during judging; how to involve key team members in the judging process; and how you can submit indexed data.