The finalists list for the Effies – awarding the most effective campaigns for the past year – has been revealed, with a number of high profile agencies in the running for the top gongs.
The Monkeys received the highest nominations overall, at 11. Leo Burnett and BMF both got eight nominations, and Whbin\TBWA received seven nominations. A heap of other agencies have also been shortlisted; Cummins&Partner, J. Walter Thompso, The General Stor, Mr Wolf, Meerkats Brand Leadership Company, Affinity, DDB, Clemenger BBDO, M&C Saatchi, Y&R Group, Ensemble, The Brand Agency, Grey Group, McCann, Saatchi & Saatchi, Red Planet, VML, Ogilvy, KWP Advertising, 303MullenLowe, The Royals, Atomic212, Blue Hive and Gyro.
Effies chairman Anthony Freedman said: “Congratulations to all of our finalists – each of these cases have demonstrated great results against challenging goals – an impressive achievement! The next round will be what distinguishes great from outstanding. Good luck in the next phase!”
Chairman of judges, Colin Wilson-Brown, added: “I’d like to thank the first round judges for their time, insights and scrutiny. To see such a high number of finalists progress sends a strong message around the value of the work being delivered by our industry.
“The next round takes that further, with cases and results assessed by panels of senior marketers, providing a client perspective on how agency work is driving business performance.”
The Effies Finalists
| Agency | Category | Advertiser | Entry Title |
| The Monkeys | A. Retail/Etail | Metcash / IGA | IGA’s War of Independence |
| BMF | A. Retail/Etail | ALDI Australia | The Christmas campaign that was so effective, we had to pull it off air. |
| BMF | A. Retail/Etail | ALDI Australia | On for the Retail Brave: Converting the Haters |
| The General Store | A. Retail/Etail | Supercheap Auto | The Engine Oil Category: Driving Performance |
| The Monkeys | B. Food, Confectionery & Snacks | Meat & Livestock Australia | Operation Boomerang |
| The Monkeys | B. Food, Confectionery & Snacks | Metcash / IGA | IGA’s War of Independence |
| BMF | B. Food, Confectionery & Snacks | Meat & Livestock Australia | Turning the Corner on a Forty Year Decline |
| Meerkats Brand Leadership Company | B. Food, Confectionery & Snacks | Brownes Dairy | Don’t Lie to Your Mum: How honesty turned the tide for Brownes Yoghurt |
| Leo Burnett Melbourne | B. Food, Confectionery & Snacks | SPC Ardmona | #MyFamilyCan |
| Mr Wolf | C. Beverages | Taylors Wines | How cooling things down can heat things up |
| The Monkeys | D. Other Consumer Goods | Blackmores | The power of knowledge: How an 80-year-old reclaimed thought leadership |
| AFFINITY | D. Other Consumer Goods | Narellan Pools | Diving into Data for Narellan Pools |
| DDB Sydney | D. Other Consumer Goods | Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia | The Naked Ute |
| Leo Burnett Melbourne | D. Other Consumer Goods | Honda Australia | Honda HR-V: Dream Run |
| Clemenger BBDO Melbourne | D. Other Consumer Goods | A Daimler Company (Mercedes-Benz) | Mercedes-Benz Repurchase Reminder |
| Leo Burnett Sydney | D. Other Consumer Goods | Samsung Electronics Australia | Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: A data love story |
| The Monkeys | E. Health and Wellbeing | Blackmores | The power of knowledge: How an 80-year-old reclaimed thought leadership |
| BMF | E. Health and Wellbeing | Weight Watchers Australia | Weight Watchers – The Plus Side of Living Bigger |
| Cummins&Partners | E. Health and Wellbeing | National Home Doctor Service | How Advertising Helped to Stabilise Australia’s Emergency Departments |
| Whybin\TBWA Group Melbourne | F. Financial Services | ANZ | Push for an Equal Future |
| Whybin\TBWA Group Melbourne | F. Financial Services | ANZ | Owning the First Job Trigger |
| Whybin\TBWA Sydney | F. Financial Services | Rabo Direct | Shonky Savers |
| M&CSAATCHI | F. Financial Services | CommBank | Getting institution-averse Millennials to choose Australia’s biggest bank. |
| M&CSAATCHI | F. Financial Services | CommBank | How the surprisingly simple made CBA a credible business player. |
| Y&R Group Sydney | G. Other Services | NRMA | Roadside Assist Moments Campaign |
| AFFINITY | H. Travel, Leisure & Media | Narellan Pools | Diving into Data for Narellan Pools |
| Ensemble | H. Travel, Leisure & Media | Australian Grand Prix Corporation | Phil Island invites motorcycling fans to”come home” to the MotoGP |
| J.Walter Thompson | I. Government | NSW Rural Fire Service | From Apathy to Action |
| The Brand Agency | I. Government | Water Corporation | Drop 2: How one small action helped a city save water |
| J.Walter Thompson | J. Not For Profit & Cause Related Marketing | NSW Rural Fire Service | From Apathy to Action |
| Grey Melbourne | J. Not For Profit & Cause Related Marketing | MS Limited Australia | This Bike Has Multiple Sclerosis. |
| Cummins and Partners | J. Not For Profit & Cause Related Marketing | Australian Red Cross Blood Service | The Best Biscuit |
| J. Walter Thompson Melbourne | J. Not For Profit & Cause Related Marketing | Beyondblue | It’s not you, it’s your brain: encouraging young people to seek support for mental illness |
| McCann Melbourne | J. Not For Profit & Cause Related Marketing | Seeing Eye Dogs Australia (Vision Australia) | Free Puppies Forever |
| Meerkats Brand Leadership Company | K. Best State Campaign | Brownes Dairy | Don’t Lie to Your Mum: How honesty turned the tide for Brownes Yoghurt |
| Saatchi & Saatchi | K. Best State Campaign | BankSA | How a piping shrike helped BankSA to find its voice |
| Y&R Group Sydney | K. Best State Campaign | NRMA | Roadside Assist Moments Campaign |
| J.Walter Thompson | K. Best State Campaign | NSW Rural Fire Service | From Apathy to Action |
| Whybin\TBWA Group Melbourne | L. PR-led Campaign | ANZ | Push for an Equal Future |
| The Monkeys | M. Return on Investment | Blackmores | The power of knowledge: How an 80-year-old reclaimed thought leadership |
| Red Planet | M. Return on Investment | Qantas | Turning retail conventions on their head for the Qantas Wanderlust sale |
| AFFINITY | M. Return on Investment | Narellan Pools | Diving into Data for Narellan Pools |
| VML Australia | M. Return on Investment | Rip Curl | Rip Curl Search GPS |
| Ogilvy Sydney | N. Long Term Effects | Transport for New South Wales | The crazy ideas that helped save lives |
| KWP Advertising Pty Ltd | N. Long Term Effects | South Australian Tourism Commission | Barossa. Be Consumed. |
| The Monkeys | O. Short Term Effects | Meat & Livestock Australia | Operation Boomerang |
| Clemenger BBDO Melbourne | O. Short Term Effects | Myer | Myer Wonderful Hold Music |
| BMF | O. Short Term Effects | ALDI Australia | The Christmas campaign that was so effective, we had to pull it off air. |
| Whybin\TBWA Group Melbourne | O. Short Term Effects | ANZ | A Bank Fit For A Queen |
| The General Store | O. Short Term Effects | Supercheap Auto | The Engine Oil Category: Driving Performance |
| VML Australia | P. Most Original Thinking | Rip Curl | Rip Curl Search GPS |
| Clemenger BBDO Melbourne | P. Most Original Thinking | Myer | Myer Wonderful Hold Music |
| The Monkeys | P. Most Original Thinking | Meat & Livestock Australia | Operation Boomerang |
| Whybin\TBWA Group Melbourne | P. Most Original Thinking | ANZ | Push for an Equal Future |
| Leo Burnett Melbourne | P. Most Original Thinking | SPC Ardmona | #MyFamilyCan |
| 303 MullenLowe | P. Most Original Thinking | Budget Direct | Captain Risky |
| DDB Sydney | P. Most Original Thinking | Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia | The Naked Ute |
| Grey Melbourne | P. Most Original Thinking | MS Limited Australia | This Bike Has Multiple Sclerosis. |
| The Monkeys | P. Most Original Thinking | Metcash / IGA | IGA’s War of Independence |
| DDB Sydney | P. Most Original Thinking | McDonald’s Australia | How Very UnMcDonald’s |
| The Royals | P. Most Original Thinking | Deakin Univeristy | How creating mischief and mayhem led to accelerated campaign engagement and reduced stress levels amongst an audience of “freaked out” and anxious year 12 students. |
| DDB Sydney | Q. New Product or Service | McDonald’s Australia | How Very UnMcDonald’s |
| Atomic 212° Group | Q. New Product or Service | Double Robotics | Lucy the Robot |
| Leo Burnett Sydney | Q. New Product or Service | Samsung Electronics Australia | Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: A data love story |
| Blue Hive | Q. New Product or Service | Ford Motor Company | How to plug the leaky bucket |
| gyro | Q. New Product or Service | USG Boral | Next Generation |
| DDB | Q. New Product or Service | Westpac | Culture eats category for breakfast |
| J. Walter Thompson Melbourne | R. Small Budget | Beyondblue | It’s not you, it’s your brain: encouraging young people to seek support for mental illness |
| J. Walter Thompson | R. Small Budget | WA Police Union | How a social experiment shaped the political discourse |
| Leo Burnett Melbourne | R. Small Budget | SPC Ardmona | #MyFamilyCan |
| AFFINITY | S. Digitally Led Ideas | Narellan Pools | Diving into Data for Narellan Pools |
| VML Australia | S. Digitally Led Ideas | Rip Curl | Rip Curl Search GPS |
| J. Walter Thompson Melbourne | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | Beyondblue | It’s not you, it’s your brain: encouraging young people to seek support for mental illness |
| The Monkeys | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | Metcash / IGA | IGA’s War of Independence |
| The Monkeys | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | Blackmores | The power of knowledge: How an 80-year-old reclaimed thought leadership |
| cummins&partners | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | Australian Red Cross Blood Service | Australia’s Best Tasting Biscuit |
| J.Walter Thompson | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | NSW Rural Fire Service | From Apathy to Action |
| BMF | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | ALDI Australia | On for the Retail Brave: Converting the Haters |
| Leo Burnett Sydney | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | McCafe, McDonald’s Australia | Spilling the Beans: How to Win in Coffee Without Changing What’s in the Cup |
| Whybin\TBWA Group Melbourne | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | ANZ | Push for an Equal Future |
| Clemenger BBDO Melbourne | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | National Australia Bank (NAB) | NAB Velocity |
| DDB Sydney | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | McDonald’s Australia | How Very UnMcDonald’s |
| Leo Burnett Melbourne | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | Honda Australia | Honda HR-V: Dream Run |
| BMF | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | Sportsbet | The Idea That Cost Sportsbet Millions |
| Y&R Group Sydney | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | NRMA | Roadside Assist Moments Campaign |
| AFFINITY | T. Insight & Strategic Thinking | Narellan Pools | Diving into Data for Narellan Pools |
| BMF | U. On-line Brands | Sportsbet | The Idea That Cost Sportsbet Millions |
| Leo Burnett Sydney | V. Use of Data | Samsung Electronics Australia | Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: A data love story |
| AFFINITY | V. Use of Data | Narellan Pools | Diving into Data for Narellan Pools |
| Red Planet | V. Use of Data | Qantas | Turning retail conventions on their head for the Qantas Wanderlust sale |
| McCann Melbourne | V. Use of Data | Melbourne International Film Festival | The Emotional Trailers |
| Clemenger BBDO Melbourne | V. Use of Data | A Daimler Company (Mercedes-Benz) | Mercedes-Benz Repurchase Reminder |
A previous version of this article only included half the entries. It’s been updated with all the finalists.
