NEW YORK (December 12, 2018) -- Effie Worldwide is celebrating its 50th year as the leading global authority on marketing effectiveness.  The nonprofit’s path forward builds on a strengthened mission that emphasizes Effie’s role to lead, inspire and champion marketing effectiveness, serving as a resource to marketers at every stage of their career. 
 
To mark the anniversary, Effie’s 5 for 50 Award opens its global call for entries today.  The award will recognize the five most consistently effective brands over the past 50 years who have made Effie history, remained relevant and continued to sustain business over time and into the future. 
 
“Our industry, our businesses and consumers’ behaviors are changing very quickly.  Now more than ever, Effie has an integral role to play in helping marketers prepare for the course ahead by leading the difficult and pragmatic conversations that we all need to be having together as marketers, agencies and media providers,” said Traci Alford, President & CEO of Effie Worldwide who joined Effie in 2017 and has led the growth strategy for the nonprofit.  “Through this, it is important that we continue to celebrate and learn from the ideas that have been sustainable and delivered growth over a period of time.”  
 
Designed to inspire the quest for global marketing effectiveness, a pro bono digital call for entries campaign for “5 for 50” created by McCann Worldgroup summons the design elements and taglines of some of the most iconic Effie winners including McDonald’s, Mastercard, Google, Johnnie Walker and the California Milk Processors Board.  The creative celebrates how truly effective work transcends marketing and becomes part of people’s everyday vernacular.
 
Suzanne Powers, Global Chief Strategy Officer, McCann Worldgroup, who is a longtime judge and champion of the Effies and led the effort said, “We’ve always believed that the most meaningful ideas drive the most impact for our clients’ business, and, have the potential to influence the culture at large. This is what we aim for across all of our regions, agencies and clients’ brands. Effie not only recognizes this, but champions it across all of their efforts, so we’re honored to be partnering with Effie Worldwide at this seminal moment as they reposition themselves for the next 50 years.”
 
To be eligible for the award, a brand must have won more than one Effie Award over more than one year and be able to demonstrate adaptation and sustained success of the brand over time. Details on how to enter are live on the Effie website, with an entry deadline period of February 6-13.  More information is available at effie.org/5for50.
 
Effie has been synonymous with awards, which is still the foundation of its business.  As it expands deeper into its educational remit and role as a forum for effectiveness, Effie’s offerings are evolving.  As part of the visual form of its rebranding, Effie unveiled its new logo, which focuses on the iconic Effie name and icon, simplifying the universal symbol of the gold standard for effectiveness.  The logo redesign was created by Blackletter.
 
The Effies 50th Anniversary celebration will culminate with a Summit on May 30, 2019 in NYC.  Winners of the ‘5 for 50’ award will be recognized at the Effie Gala that evening.
 
Alford added, “Thank you to McCann Worldgroup, named the Most Effective Agency Network in the 2018 Global Effie Index, for partnering with us to promote 5 for 50 and Effie’s 50th Anniversary.”
 

About Effie
Effie is a global 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to lead and evolve the forum for marketing effectiveness.   Effie leads, inspires and champions the practice and practitioners of marketing effectiveness through education, awards, ever-evolving initiatives and first-class insights into marketing strategies that produce results.  The organization recognizes the most effective brands, marketers and agencies, globally, regionally and locally through its 50+ award programs across the world and through its coveted effectiveness rankings, the Effie Index. Since 1968, Effie is known as global symbol of achievement, while serving as a resource to steer the future of marketing success.  For more details, visit effie.org.
 
 
 
Creative Credits

McCann Worldgroup
Suzanne Powers – Global Chief Strategy Officer
Craig Bagno – North America Chief Strategy Officer 
Theo Izzard-Brown – London Chief Strategy Officer
Sonja Forgo – Senior Global Strategy Manager 
James Appleby – Planner
 
Robert Doubal – Chief Creative Officer
Laurence Thomson – Chief Creative Officer
Alex Dunning – Senior Creative
Erik Uvhagen – Senior Creative
 
Dan Howarth – Head of Art
Jeanie McMahon – Senior Designer
Nazima Motegheria – Senior Designer
Roland Williams – Senior Designer
 
Erika Richter – Project Lead
Elizabeth Bernstein – Head of New Business
Eilish McGregor – Account Manager
Phoebe Cunningham – Account Executive