Organized by the Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS), the second Effie Awards Pakistan was held on July 24, 2020, however, this time it was all VIRTUAL, produced and broadcasted by SAMAA TV, presented by Shan Foods, insured by Jubilee Life, with Coca-Cola being the official beverage partner and Lipton sponsoring the lounge. The event went live on Facebook and Youtube.
Effie Awards Pakistan, part of a global network of Effie Worldwide, rewards and celebrates effective marketing efforts. It is one of the most prestigious marketing and advertising award programs of Pakistan in which small and large organizations participate from across the country. Judged by a panel of industry experts as well as senior professionals, local and international, each campaign goes through a series of reviews across a variety of metrics with the intention to identify the most effective campaigns, which then culminates at the awards night where the winners are announced.
On the occasion, Qamar Abbas, Executive Director of PAS said; “The virtual Effie Awards Pakistan 2020 gala night is a first-of-its-kind virtual show not just in the industry but across the country and we hope to set a new standard for what award shows can achieve. Being the first Effie program globally to host the awards virtually, we are pushing the envelope with this event and plan to leave no stone unturned in creating a unique and fulfilling experience for both our participants and our audience.”
This year, the Effies featured 14 products/services categories and 11 specialty categories. From these, a total of 14 Bronze winners, 16 Silver, and 12 Gold were awarded from over 215 campaigns to clients and agencies across various categories. The Grand Effie was awarded to Roshni Helpline Trust “Truck Art Child Finder” campaign developed by BBDO Pakistan. “Ogilvy Pakistan” was awarded the Effie Pakistan 2020 Agency Network of the Year and “Telenor Pakistan” was awarded the Effie Pakistan Marketer of the Year.
Mr. Asif Aziz, Chairman PAS welcoming everyone on the occasion said “who could have believed or imagined just six months ago that we would be doing a virtual award show, but these are the times that prove to go that adaptability is the most unique quality that humans have”. Adding further he said “PAS exists for the industry and Effie Pakistan is an opportunity to shine further and raise our standard of communication and showcase it to the world. So, let’s celebrate the talent and good work and continue to strive for excellence”.
The most coveted PAS Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Mr. Khawar Masud Butt, Chairman, English Biscuit Manufacturers (EBM) for his leadership and vision that led to the creation of one of biggest Pakistani brand and his contribution towards the advertising industry that is a source of inspiration for up and coming professionals and entrepreneurs.
Thousands of people watched the show live from their home. This time it not only brought together the entire marketing, advertising, and media fraternity but also reached out to the general public. Industry stalwarts like Asif Aziz, Chairman, PAS, and COO JAZZ, Dr. Zeelaf Munir, President and CEO, EBM, Sikandar Sultan, Chairman, Shan Foods, Tariq Ikran, Jury Chair, Usman Qaiser, Head of Marketing and Brand Management, Jubilee Life Insurance, were some of the presenters that handed the trophies to the lucky winners. In addition, international advertising and marketing superstars like Rory Sutherland, Chairman, Ogilvy UK, Cindy Gallop, Bob Hoffman, dubbed as the most provocative man in advertising, Traci Alford, President Effie Worldwide, Stephan Leorke, CEO, World Federation of Advertisers and Faria Yaqob, CEO of Steal Genius also attended the show, shared their views and presented some awards.
The show was hosted by the famous RJ and actor Khalid Malik and the red carpet was hosted by Atiya Zaidi, Executive Creative Director, BBDO. The show featured a special segment Ali vs. Aly that talked about the campaigns in the run and industry trends and kept the viewers entertained and engaged with their bantering.
This year Kantar Group partnered for the jury sessions, Jang Media Group was the Print Media Partner, Digitz was the Digital/Creative Partner, Espresso, Jaferjees, Paramount Books, Aztec Chocolates were the gift partners. MindMap was the digital partner, BrandSynario was the online publication partner and FMOne91 was the radio partner.
The night ended at a high note with lots of cheers and celebrations from teams participating across the country.
