After several years of efforts by ASCAP, the Costa Rican association of advertising agencies and commercial communication companies, the Effie has arrived in Costa Rica. Undoubtedly, it will be to celebrate creativity that delivers tangible, measurable and proven results.
Here is a description of what the Effie is: “Great Ideas that originate strategies that achieve real results. If a campaign has a strategy based on a remarkable insight, outstanding creative, and its market results prove its success, then it qualifies to win an Effie. The importance of this contest has gone far beyond the borders of its country of origin. It is now organized in thirty-five countries in Europe, Asia, North America and South America.”
In February 2009 I had the opportunity to go to New York, to initiate contact with the Effie organizers. I attended at the invitation of Mary Lee Keane, President of Effie Worldwide, to be a judge in the final phase of the competition in the United States, in response to our request for representation of the festival. When I traveled, I did so as President of Ascap at the time, although I should clarify that I did so at my own expense, without it costing Ascap a single dollar.
It was clear that with the emphasis on creativity, the Cannes Lions representation and the encouragement at festivals, the Effie was precisely the piece that was needed to complete Ascap’s offer. When I presented the concrete response and progress to the Board of Directors, the support and enthusiasm it provoked was remarkable. Since then, Ramiró Casó of Draft FCB assumed the leadership of the commission, which also included Marian Bákit of Ideas and Karolina Vílchez of JWT, along with other board members and the tireless support of Lilliana González, executive director. All this allowed me to send an email to Elizabeth Hammel like this, on November 6th of last year:
Elizabeth,
We would like to move forward and plan for the first Effie in Costa Rica on 2010.
Lilliana González, our Executive Director, would take it from here, send you the information required and define next steps. Our idea is to do it every two years, and announce the inaugural Effie as soon as possible.
Hopefully, this is good news for your organization. Certainly, it’s a major commitment from our end and an idea that must turn into reality.
Best regards!
J
His response was not long in coming and he entered my Inbox like this from the International Programs manager at the time:
Dear Jorge,
Thank you for your email. This is delightful news. I look forward to being in touch with Lilliana.
Please let me know if there is additional information that I can provide.
Hope you are doing well,
Elizabeth Hammel
This week the Effie takes place. It went down from an initiative and became a reality, because its time had come, as well as the fact that there was the commitment of visionary people who took the idea and made it happen, logically, with the support of all Ascap and its current president, Dirk Stammes.
At Tribu DDB we are happy to see the Effie come to Costa Rica, although we only registered one case. Given the limitations of time, and often of good data properly filed or on hand, we only included our Save the Osa campaign, and the famous temporary tattoos that helped so much to raise money and awareness. We are confident that you will have a good turnout, amidst many good cases from agencies around the country.
We win more if we all win, and at the Effie it will be so. Ascap members or not, we win more if advertising, creativity and effectiveness in the country win. Congratulations to the organizers, as well as my sincere congratulations to all the winners.
