By the time an Effie entry has reached the winners’ circle, it has survived two round of evaluation. The experience of the judges ensures that Effie is honoring the industry’s most effective work.
Round One
Judges evaluate all elements of an entry, written case and creative executions, on a stand-alone basis without comparison to others in their category. Judges review entries on an individual basis, without discussion.
Final Round
Finalists are judges against other finalists within their category, and like Round One, all elements of the case are reviewed and scored. Here too, judges provide their scores on an individual basis without group discussion.
Grand Judging
A select number of the highest-scoring gold winning campaigns are reviewed by a special panel of judges. The Grand Effie Jury selects the winner via discussion and consensus.
Scoring Criteria
Judges are asked to evaluate a campaign’s effectiveness using the following scoring system:
70% of an entrant’s campaign, equally weighted
- Strategic Challenge
- Idea
- Bringing the Idea to Life
30% of an entrant’s campaign
- Results
The judges’ scores determine which campaigns are to be awarded a gold, silver or bronze Effie trophy. Each winning level – gold, silver, bronze –has a minimum score required in order for a finalist to be eligible for an award. Effie Trophies are awarded in each category at the discretion of the judges. It is possible that a category may produce one, two, three or four winners of any level or perhaps no winners at all.