The 15th Malaysian Effie Awards announced its call for entries with the addition of 20 new categories and a theme “To The Uncharted” that reflects the myriad challenges that have impacted the advertising and marketing industry in recent years.
“Having emerged into the post-pandemic world, Malaysians are encountering new challenges, transitioning into a new work/home hybrid lifestyle, seeing the global economy shift as world powers collide, and the awareness of our impact on the environment growing ever stronger. These developments, as well as the emergence of new social media platforms and the nascent ascendance of AI, have brought changes to the marketing and advertising industry,” said Mr Ryusuke Oda, Managing Director, Hakuhodo Malaysia.
“Acknowledging the uncertainty and upheavals, this year’s theme “To The Uncharted” inspires everyone to march ahead into the unknown despite the new challenges,” added Mr L V Chong, Regional Managing Director at Monster Interactive.
Mr Oda and Mr Chong are the Malaysia Effie Awards 2023 Organising Co-Chairpersons.
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.
This year’s awards features 20 new categories including Fashion & Accessories, Food, Health & Wellness, Home Furnishings & Appliances, Insurance, Leisure & Recreation, Pet Care, Transportation, Experiential Shopper Marketing, Omni-Channel Shopper Solution, Crisis Response/Critical Pivot, Seasonal Marketing, and others.
These additions bring the total to 34 Industry categories and 33 Speciality categories, in which a select number of Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards will be presented. A Grand Effie could also be awarded to a deserving Gold award winner, as determined by the judges.
Grand Effie and Gold winners will then be eligible to compete for the 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.
The 2023 Effie Awards Malaysia will be judged by a panel of 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 will be led by Chief Judge Datuk Lai Shu Wei, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer at Sime Darby Property Berhad, and Jury leaders Mr Chanchal Chakrabarty, CEO at GroupM; Mr Chia Pi Wo, Founder & CEO at Idealogic; Ms Kristine Ong, Chief Strategy & Planning Officer at Astro Media Solutions; Dr Milan Agnihotri, Client Partner at Dentsu; Mr Timothy Johnson, Head, Brand Management at Digital Nasional Berhad; and Mdm Sutapa Bhattacharya, Managing Director at DIA Brands.
The 2023 Effie Awards Malaysia are 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 2023 Effie Awards Malaysia should be submitted between June and August 2023, and the winners will be announced in October 2023. Submissions must be made online from 26th June onwards, and the awards requirements and other details can be found at the 2023 Effie Awards Malaysia website https://malaysiaeffie.com.