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 target is the US African-American community or a subset of that community. If the entry had multiple targets, 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 targeted 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 materials you submit that are specifically targeted to the African-American community and the significance of these elements. Judges will use this page when viewing your creative reel.
Boomer+
For effective marketing to the 50+ demographic.
The 50+ market makes up 41% of the US population and controls 75% of the nation’s wealth. Boomers continue to challenge traditional ideas about age, work and leisure activities.
The Boomer award will honor marketing communications that have proven effective in genuinely reaching out to this group. Any effort whose primary target is the 50+ community or a subset of that community can be entered. To enter, your effort must have communications specifically created for this target, not reused general market work. As with all Effie entries, the marketing effort must honestly and effectively connect with its designated target audience and not be misleading or deceptive in its content.
This category is sponsored by 
The 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.
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.
David vs. Goliath
This is an award for smaller, new or emerging brands making inroads against big, established leaders and for established small brands taking on “sleeping giants”. For companies who moved into a new product & service field with large, well-established competitors. To enter your brand cannot be a sub-brand of a larger company. Entrants must detail the business challenge, the competitive landscape and how their business succeeded despite the odds.
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 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.
Green
The purpose of the Green Effie Award is to honor eco-marketing efforts. As more and more companies are incorporating Green themes into their marketing messages, the Effie Awards will single out marketing communications that have been proven effective in support of eco issues.
Marketing Communications for eco issues (e.g. sustainability, energy conservation, green products / services, green business alignment, etc.). Any effort in which the core communications idea is centered on an eco issue is eligible.
Entrants should specify both the eco objective and brand objective. Provide all measurements available for how you achieved the objectives. Define intentions.
Note: This is a marketing award, not a sustainability award, but in the spirit of the program we are seeking entries for products/services that move the needle forward, not backwards. The Effies will be on the look out for greenwashing and, as always, reserve the right to ask for additional information from finalists if needed.
Hispanic
Any campaign whose primary target is the US Hispanic community or a subset of that community. If the campaign had multiple targets, it is necessary to demonstrate results for the Hispanic community. Your entry should be written in a way that identifies how the campaign was created and targeted 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 materials you submit that are specifically targeted to the Hispanic community and the significance of these elements. Judges will use this page when viewing your creative reel.
Influencers
Brands that connect and establish relationships with their target’s key influencers are the ones to learn from. Having this powerful micro target spread positive influence over a brand’s potential buyers equals success.
This category spotlights efforts that took on the challenge to properly identify the ultimate influencers and turn them into brand enthusiasts.
However the connection occurred – tell your story on how you managed to get a brand or product’s most important target to spread the word.
Media Idea
This is about outstanding effectiveness as a result of ideas. The line between what constitutes a creative idea and a media idea is blurring. There are occasions when the media idea drove the entire campaign. Of course media cannot exist without the content but this award is intended to recognize those campaigns that were led by the media thinking. The award honors media led ideas that are powerful enough to become the genesis of the communications program itself.
This is not about media buying efficiency. This is also not about a great time buying strategy or print schedule. Entrants are expected to detail how the media idea drove the entire campaign. Make sure your results relate directly to the role the media idea played in the campaign’s effectiveness.
New Product or Service Introductions
Any campaign 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: You cannot enter your New Product / Service campaign into: your Product & Service category, or into the specialty categories of David vs. Goliath, Renaissance or Sustained Success.
Renaissance
This is an award for rebirth campaigns. To enter your brand must have experienced a downturn of more than one year and a period of at least six months of upturn sales. Entrants must detail the business challenge, the situation of the brand, the competitive landscape and how the campaign succeeded.
Small Budgets
Campaigns eligible for this category must represent the only communications campaign for this brand during the qualifying time period. To be eligible, a campaign may not be for a line extension, a sub-brand, or have an overarching brand campaign to support it. Local campaigns working with a budget of $1 million or less, Regional campaigns working with a budget of $2 million or less and National campaigns working with a budget of $5 million or less are eligible for entry. Value of donated media must be included.
Sustained Success
Products or service communications efforts that have experienced sustained success for FIVE or more years are eligible for entry. At a minimum, the campaign results must date back to August 31, 2003 and you must include the
current year’s results. Entries submitted for competition must have a common objective in both strategy and creative executions; with a continuation of core executional elements (ex. spokesperson, song, theme, tagline, etc.) that demonstrates effectiveness over time. To enter you must be able to provide data about the case in its first year, an interim year and the most current year. The current year’s results must be included.
Note: There is a special entry form & creative submission requirements for the Sustained Success Award. You must use this form to enter.