DDB and McDonald’s Win At The EFFIES

October 14 2004
For immediate release

DDB and McDonald’s the Winning Team at the EFFIES

The partnership between communications agency DDB and fast food company McDonald’s has proven to be a winner at the 2004 EFFIE advertising effectiveness awards with their ‘Eat Smart be Active’ campaign.

The campaign, according to the EFFIE judging panel, was the standout entry.
By late 2002 McDonald’s was facing a sea change in consumer attitudes to food with consumers placing greater emphasis on more healthy choices and concern about obesity.

The aim of the campaign was to attract customers back to McDonald’s and in turn grow sales and profitability for the company. And the partnership between DDB and McDonald’s worked. With the introduction of new menu items like salads, wraps and fruit the tills starting ringing for McDonald’s across the country.

The EFFIES are an annual event staged by the Communications Agencies Association (CAANZ) in partnership with the Association of New Zealand Advertisers (ANZA) and TVNZ. The Awards, held in Auckland this evening, recognise advertising and communications effectiveness – advertising that works. It’s judged by a panel made up of some of the country’s top advertisers and senior agency professionals.

DDB and McDonald’s won the top Best in Show award, two gold awards (Retail/Etail and Corporate Reputation/Image) with McDonald’s taking out the special ‘Advertiser of the Year’ award.

DDB’s Creative Director, Paul Catmur was also named Agency Professional of the Year to round off a great result for the agency.

Other major winners included Clemenger BBDO and Mainland Products Ltd who won the coveted Grand Effie award for Sustained Success – for the cheese company’s “Good Things Take Time” campaign. The results speak for themselves. Since 1994 Mainland has grown its market share to 33 percent and has successively maintained a price premium for its products.

And Saatchi and Saatchi walked away with three Gold awards in the Consumer Services, Integrated and Charity/Not for Profit/Public Service categories for its Telecom Mobile “Hook Up” and “Guide Dog Appeal 2004” campaigns.

This year saw a record number of entries for the EFFIES with the judges awarding seven Gold medals in the following categories:

1. Sustained Success – Clemenger BBDO and Mainland Products Ltd – “Good Things Take Time”
2. Charity/Not for Profit/Public Service – Saatchi and Saatchi and the Royal Foundation of the Blind – “Guide Dog Appeal 2004”
3. Consumer Services – Saatchi and Saatchi and Telecom Mobile Ltd – “Hook Up”
4. Corporate Reputation/Image – DDB and McDonald’s – “Eat Smart, Be Active”
5. Integrated – Saatchi and Saatchi and Telecom Mobile Ltd – “Hook Up”
6. Retail/Etail – DDB and McDonald’s – “Eat Smart, Be Active”
7. Small Budget – FCB and Ministry of Justice – “Confiscated Car Club”

A total of 14 Silvers and 11 Bronzes were also awarded. The full list of medal winners, along with case studies of the winning work can be found on the CAANZ website – caanz.co.nz

© Scoop Media