KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — The 14th edition of the Malaysian Effie Awards saw creative agency Leo Burnett Malaysia named “Agency of the Year” for the third consecutive year, while technology company Grab was named “Brand of the Year” for the second year in a row.
Showcasing campaigns that met and exceeded marketing objectives with a focus on effectiveness, the theme for this year’s Effie Awards was “Look Up Again,” with 2 Gold, 12 Silver, and 14 Bronze awarded from a shortlist of 63 campaigns.
Taking the top honor for the third consecutive year, Leo Burnett Malaysia was declared “Agency of the Year.” It received a Gold award for the campaign “Balas Budi Dengan 4G: Harnessing The Power Of Filial Piety,” and an additional two Silver and two Bronze awards for Maxis.
Grab was once again named “Brand of the Year,” repeating its achievement from 2021. It received two Silver awards for the campaigns “Grab Lejen: Gig Workers as Unlikely Superheroes” and “Millions of Firsts, Millions of Personalised Social Impact reports” and an additional five Bronze awards.
A Gold award was also presented to Fishermen Integrated for the “Nando’s Juiciest Secret” campaign for Nando’s Malaysia.
First launched in 1968 in New York, the Effie Awards are recognized internationally by agencies and advertisers as the communications industry’s pre-eminent award for marketing effectiveness.
“As Malaysia emerges from two years of pandemic uncertainty, our industry has endured through the upheaval and chaos, to survive somewhat battered, but certainly resilient,” said Malaysia Effie Awards 2022 Organizing Chairperson Ryusuke Oda, managing director, Hakuhodo Malaysia.
“This year’s theme ‘Look Up Again’ was a reminder to all of us to continue to dream of endless possibilities, while we strive to change the game and make a difference in the world,” Ryusuke added.
The 2022 Effie Awards Malaysia were judged by panels comprised of 50 diverse and illustrious industry leaders, some of whom were appointed through an open call for senior Malaysia-based marketing and advertising practitioners to contribute. They were led by Chief Judge Zayn Khan, CEO Asia, Dragon Rouge Singapore.
“It was heartening to see the outstanding creative work across both traditional and new categories, to see that our colleagues continue to be innovative and nimble in producing campaigns that engage and excite, whilst being tremendously effective,” said Zayn.
“I was also delighted to work with my fellow judges who brought different perspectives to the process – from industry leaders and celebrated creatives to marketing powerhouses and iconic individuals – all of whom formed our most diverse and inclusive panels yet,” he added.
This year’s awards featured the addition of many new categories including Delivery Services, Education & Training, Gaming & e-Sports, Branded Content & Entertainment, Brand Integration & Entertainment Partnerships, Media Content Partnerships, E-Commerce, Media Innovation (Conversion), Direct to Consumer, Performance Marketing, Social Media, Data-Driven, Media Innovation (Impact), Business/Product/Service Innovation, and Customer Experience, bringing the total to 23 Product & Services categories and 27 Speciality categories.
The Effie Awards Malaysia are organized 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).
