
In honor of the Effie UK awards celebration on 20 October, we chatted with a few of the finalists to learn more about their campaigns and what made them so effective.
When we asked the finalists to sum up their campaigns in one sentence, many shared their effort’s sustained success.
Tom Sussman, Head of Planning, Leo Burnett: This is the story of how 15 years of brand-building got British customers Lovin’ It again, and kept them Lovin’ It, no matter what. (Finalist: McDonald’s)
Billy Ryan, Head of Analytics, the7stars: ‘Bring Your Backstory to Life’ leveraged emotive storytelling amplified by greater investment in brand channels. Over a sustained period, new life was breathed into a flat category, supercharging new user and revenue growth for Ancestry. (Finalist: Gousto & Ancestry)
Sam Guinivan, Senior Strategist, BBH London: An unwavering belief in the power of long-term brand building that has transformed the nation’s biggest grocer from faltering to flourishing. (Finalist: Tesco)
Buster Stonham, Strategy Director, Anomaly: Demonstrating meaningful value to our audience through a long-term storytelling platform that brought to life fascinating stories of discovery made possible with an Ancestry membership. (Finalist: Ancestry)
And others relied on out-of-the-box approaches to drive effectiveness for diverse brands.
Kit Altin, Chief Strategy Officer, The Gate London: Bum’s The Word: the phenomenally effective, taboo-smashing campaign that took piles from shame to fame. (Finalist: Anusol)
Tobey Duncan, Head of Planning, Uncommon Creative Studio: We Will Grow Again sold plants in the first spring after lockdown by positioning them as hopeful symbols of re-emergence. (Finalist: B&Q)
Sophia Shaw, Senior Creative Curator, Havas Lynx: The Hidden Lifesavers found a way to connect with a near-impossible to reach audience – people who use drugs – and show them they have the power to help save a life. (Finalist: Naloxone, Ethypharm)
When asked why their finalist campaigns were effective, some folks noted their strategy and insight…
Buster: We knew we had to drive sustainable growth for Ancestry, so our strategy focused on building a meaningful brand through emotive storytelling, brought to life through relevant, high impact media.
Kit: Bold strategy; revelatory insight; standout creative; smart media choices – and above all, audacity at every stage of the process.
While others were all about the results.
Will Grundy, Head of Planning, adam&eveDDB: Because it got kids to eat close to a billion extra portions of veg. By choice. (Finalist: ITV)
Ed Sellier, Strategy Lead, Wavemaker UK: The Let’s Do London campaign helped reinvigorate a covid-ravaged local tourism market, brought domestic travellers some joy and kept over a thousand people employed. (Finalist: London & Partners)
Tobey: We Will Grow Again increased consideration of plants at B&Q, which in turn increased transaction volume and value, delivering an extraordinary ROI.
And when asked why effectiveness matters, some noted its power in the eyes of decision makers.
Tom: Effectiveness proves that creativity is not a frivolous expense but a fundamental brand investment.
Sam: At a time when skeptics throw accusations of superficiality at marketing, when it often struggles to defend its position in the boardroom, effectiveness offers irrefutable proof of our ability to genuinely help businesses.
Ed: We’re in the middle of a period of frugality, where every penny spent in marketing is under scrutiny. Effectiveness helps you evaluate the positive impact that marketing investment has on a business, as brand building supports the flow of goods and services from businesses into society, keeping people employed and the economy moving. It’s vital to justifying our contribution back into the business.
While other finalists shared that effectiveness is at the heart of marketing.
Buster: Effectiveness teaches us how to be better marketers, letting us understand how our audiences actually behave, rather than just how they tell us they behave.
Kit: Effectiveness is the only reason any of us are doing this job – to make things happen.
The 2022 Effie UK Gala takes place on 20 October. Explore the finalists and follow along as we announce the winners.