The following categories have been created to address specific circumstances that surround a campaign. Briefs should be written in a way that address how these circumstances provided a unique marketing challenge to the campaign.
African-American
Any effort whose primary audience is the African-American community or a subset of that community. If the entry had multiple audiences, it is necessary to demonstrate results for the African American community. Your entry should be written in a way that identifies how the entry was created and directed to this audience and how it succeeded. Identify cultural nuances wherever applicable.
Note: You must add a 1 page (150 words max.) “Creative Viewing Guide” to your entry form for this category. Use this page to identify the elements present in the creative work you submit that are specifically directed to the African-American community and the significance of these elements. Judges will use this page when viewing your creative reel.
Brand Experience
This category is not for efforts that focused on TV, radio or print ads to connect with a consumer. It is to showcase how you can create a brand experience beyond traditional advertising.
Only work that truly brought a brand or product to life—either literally or virtually—and interacted with a specific target to achieve desired objectives should be entered.
You may have re-invented the product demo, re-imagined the pop-up store, or led a bricks and mortar retail overhaul; you could have created a new game or interactive film experience that effectively showcases a new product or brand personality – it could have been anything. As long as you can prove it truly came alive. And worked.
The winners of this award will be the work that shows how advertisers are reaching out to their audiences to establish meaningful relationships, memorable, engaging experiences, and unique connections with their brands.
Tip: Entrants to the Brand Experience category must address how the brand experience related back to the overall brand strategy.
Note: As with all Effie categories, you can enter whether your work in bringing the brand to life constituted the entire marketing effort or was part of the larger marketing program.
Business Challenges
- David v. Goliath
- Influencers
- Renaissance
- Sustained Success
These categories are sponsored by 
Children's Products & Services
Products & services marketed to children 12 and under. E.G. Toys, games, dolls, gifts etc. Also leisure products and services aimed at children.
Global
Communication efforts eligible for this award must be for a single brand idea running across multiple countries. All entries are required to provide objectives and proof of results on a country-by-country basis. Your entry does not need to have run in the US or Canada to enter the Global Effie.
Note: There is a special entry form for the Global Effie Award. You are required to use this form to enter.
This award is sponsored by
GoodWorks Effie
The GoodWorks Effie is for communications programs proven effective in addressing a social problem or in expanding an existing program in ways that benefit our society or our planet. Any effort that sets out to give back in some way for the greater good is eligible to enter.
Maybe it was for profit, maybe not. Maybe you got paid, maybe you didn’t. Any and all marketing communications efforts, whether full campaigns or unique efforts within a campaign are eligible to enter as long as measurable results exist.
• GoodWorks Effie – Brands
For marketing communications efforts undertaken by for-profit entities that are ‘doing well by doing good.’
• GoodWorks Effie – Non-Profit
Designed for communications of a public service nature for a non-profit organization or association.
For full details and eligibility information, please review the GoodWorks section here.
Note: Marketing cases that would have been eligible for the Green and Non-Profit categories may enter to compete for a GoodWorks Effie Award.
This category was created in partnership with 
Hispanic
Any effort whose primary audience is the Hispanic community or a subset of that community. If the entry had multiple audiences, it is necessary to demonstrate results for the Hispanic community. Your entry should be written in a way that identifies how the case was created and directed to this audience and how it succeeded. Identify cultural nuances wherever applicable.
Note: You must add a 1-page (150 words max.) description of elements of the work featured it may be helpful for judges not familiar with the audience to have an explanation of. Also provide a translation for any non-English materials not subtitled on the 4-minute video. (One page recommended. If you need more than one page for translation, this is fine.) Judges will use this page when viewing your creative reel.
LGBT Community
Any effort whose primary audience is the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Efforts could appear in either mainstream or LGBT media outlets. If the entry had multiple audiences, it is necessary to demonstrate results for the LGBT community. Your entry should be written in a way that identifies how the entry was created and targeted to this audience and how it succeeded. Identify cultural nuances wherever applicable.
Note: Provide a 150 word maximum description (Creative Viewing Guide) to identify the elements present in the creative materials you submit that are specifically targeted to the LGBT community and the significance of these elements. Attach this as an eighth page on your entry form.
Media Awards
- Media Idea
- Single Media Company Activation
- Media Innovation
The Media Awards are sponsored by
New Product or Service Introductions
Any communications effort used to introduce a new product or service that is not a line extension. Brand new products or new products in a new category are eligible. Effie defines line extension as:
-Any variation of an existing product which shares the same brand name and is in the same category as the existing product and shares the same characteristics as the parent but offers new benefit (flavor, size, package, type, etc.)
-A derivative product that adds or modifies features without significantly changing the price.
-Products that bear the same brand name and offer the consumer varied options (e.g. Diet version of drink).
Note: New Product / Service Introductions are not allowed to enter into the Product & Service categories; they can only enter into the New Product & Services category and if applicable, into additional Specialty categories.
Note: Your entry must be written to address how your product & service was new and the situation you faced as a result of it being new. IE specifically what was new? Why did the newness matter? Write the entry to address the category situation (new product & service introductions) similar to what you would do when writing your entry to address a category situation like sustained success, etc.
Shopper Marketing
The Effie North American program has introduced the Shopper Marketing Effie Awards – a group of dedicated categories focused on those integrated campaigns that were specifically designed to engage a target shopper and guide his or her purchase process towards a desired end result.
For the full list of categories and to download the entry form, please visit the Shopper Marketing page.
The Shopper Marketing Effie Awards are run in partnership with 
Note: There is a special entry form for the Shopper Marketing Effies. You must use this form to enter.
Single Impact Engagement
This category is looking for those brands that had the insight to know how and when to “throw a stone into a pond” and maximize the ripple effect from that initial throw.
The cases entered into this category will show how to put a brand or product/service in an intensely bright spotlight to create immediate and measurable impact.
Winners will represent those who had the insight and creativity to craft those unexpected and unconventional moments for a brand. The best examples will see live experiences, moments, stunts, and tactics, online & off line, perhaps amplified through PR, social media, digital engagement, or even the use of content created in the moment to fuel paid campaigns.
This category spotlights those effective strategic efforts that were able to generate real desired results as a direct outcome from a single significant moment of activity.
Small Budgets
Cases eligible for this category must represent the only communications for this brand during the qualifying time period. To be eligible, an entry may not be for a line extension, a sub brand, or have an overarching brand campaign to support it. Local efforts working with a budget of $1 million or less, Regional efforts working with a budget of $2 million or less and National efforts working with a budget of $5 million or less are eligible for entry. Value of donated and non-traditional media as well as activation costs must be included.