Creative Effectiveness Awards

The category of Creative Effectiveness can be summarized in Ogilvy’s famous promise: “We sell, or else.” It’s this do-or-die type of attitude that separates the Creative Effectiveness award from others; a campaign or ad can be creative or innovative, but it does nothing if it doesn’t sell. If research isn’t utilized to ascertain what type of message is most effective in which medium to what audience, if ideas aren’t capitalized to achieve objectives and goals, then it was all for naught.

The winners of this year’s Creative Effectiveness lions were creative and original, but they demonstrated that they made an impact on their target audience. To be eligible for this award, the entrants had to have been shortlisted or won a Lion last year; the reason for this being that the jurors knew the ads fully embodied the creative element, but now they could be solely judged on their actual impact.

 Heineken saw volume and value share increase on a global level; American Express’s “Small Business Saturday” helped invigorate small business while simultaneously increasing use of their card; Insurance Australia Group literally saved lives with their catchy campaign “Dumb Ways to Die;” The British Heart Foundation insured that audiences will remember how fast to pump the chest during CPR (to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive).  All of the campaigns were inventive and ingenuous, but they changed audience behavior and raised sales/awareness in a way that set them apart from other entries.

The Netherlands took the Grand Prix (Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam), but Oceania took home the most gold (2 for Australia, one for New Zealand). The United Kingdom won two gold Lions and USA received one. All of the ads were deserving of their awards for their unique and successful campaigns.