KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – The highly anticipated 13th Malaysian Effie Awards announced its call for entries, with an extended eligibility period of 16 months as a result of delays imposed by Covid-19, three new competition categories, and a possible Grand Effie (Best in Show). Showcasing campaigns that meet and exceed marketing objectives with a focus on effectiveness, the theme for this year’s Effie Awards is ‘The Pulse’.
“In the wake of Covid-19, it has been a fight for survival for individuals and businesses alike. Covid restrictions have shut down the economy, upended lives and disrupted our industry, making these Awards perhaps the furthest thing on anyone’s mind in 2020,” said Irene Wong, Organising Chairperson of the 2020/2021 Effie Awards Malaysia.
“Even so, I believe the Malaysian Effie Awards this year are more important than ever. From dealing with the health crisis to weathering the global economic downturn, the numbers and data from the creative solutions to solve business challenges in Covid-19 times are the hard evidence providing critical proof that marketing and advertising are economic growth engines. ‘The Pulse’, this year’s theme, is about celebrating advertisers and marketers who despite going through this testing time, still produce great works because they tapped into the pulse of the people, the situation, and pivoted quickly.” added Wong.
First launched in 1968 in New York, the Effie Awards are recognised internationally by agencies and advertisers as the communications industry’s pre-eminent award for marketing effectiveness.
Three new competition categories this year are Sustained Success, Marketing Disruptors, and Topical Marketing (Current Events). Sustained Success honours campaigns that have proven successful for more than three years, Marketing Disruptors is for campaigns where brands have changed the marketing paradigm, and Topical Marketing is for campaigns that leverage current events such as elections, the Olympics, or a pandemic.
These additions bring the total to 24 Product & Services categories and 14 Specialty categories, in which a select number of Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards will be presented. This year also sees the introduction of the Grand Effie (Best in Show), which will only be awarded to a Gold winner if the judges believe it to be deserving.
Grand Effie and Gold winners will then be eligible to compete for the first-ever Global Grand Effie in their category, with a final round award of the Iridium Effie, the single most effective marketing effort worldwide, presented by Effie Worldwide. Further information about this will be made available on the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As) and Effie Malaysia websites.
The 2020/2021 Effie Awards Malaysia will be judged by a panel of close to 50 industry leaders, led by Datin Seri Sharifah Menyalara Hussein, CEO and Founding Partner, M&C Saatchi Kuala Lumpur.
“I am truly honoured to be selected as the 2020/2021 Effie Awards Malaysia’s Chief Judge and looking forward to working with my fellow esteemed judges. I am particularly excited about the creation of several new categories this year, especially in the area of topical marketing,” said Datin Seri Sharifah.
“With the extended eligibility timeframe, I hope to see a robust and dynamic set of entries despite the current environment that is indeed unprecedented and challenging,” she added. “Through the painstaking efforts of the jury and the application of a robust evaluation process, I have no doubt that once again, the cream will rise to the top.”
The 2020/2021 Effie Awards Malaysia is organised by the 4As and supported by the Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA) and Media Specialists Association (MSA), in association with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE).
Entries for the 2020/2021 Effie Awards Malaysia should be submitted during the month of January 2021, and the winners will be announced in May 2021. Submission requirements can be found online at the 2020/2021 Effie Awards Malaysia website: malaysiaeffie.com.
