This year, a total of 78 entries across 39 categories were adjudicated by a highly experienced and distinguished panel, representative of the broader industry. Jury members were drawn from a variety of disciplines including strategy, digital, creative, research, media, and marketing.
Tasked with reading through and adjudicating the cases submitted in the 2024 programme, the jury reached agreement on those campaigns that delivered against marketing effectiveness and deemed worthy of being named as finalists. All finalists will proceed to the second round of judging and are in the running to be awarded a highly coveted Effie Award. Winners of the 2024 programme will be announced at the Effie Awards Gala event to be held on Thursday, 24 October, 2024.
The 2024 Effie Awards South Africa marks the fourth edition of this highly respected programme, which continues to grow from strength to strength. This year witnessed a substantial increase in total submissions from a record number of unique entrants drawn from agencies representing advertising and marketing, PR and media verticals, and client side. This diversity underscores the increasing emphasis being placed on marketing effectiveness, reflecting the industry's commitment to recognising impactful and strategically sound campaigns.
Gillian Rightford, executive director at the ACA, commented: "Achieving finalist status in the Effie Awards is a significant accomplishment. It not only highlights the creative and strategic prowess of the agencies and their clients but also underscores their ability to drive tangible business results. Being recognised as a finalist is, in itself, a valuable marker of success and a testament to the effectiveness of their campaigns."
The 2024 Effie Awards finalists are:
| AGENCY | CAMPAIGN | CATEGORY | CLIENT |
| Ogilvy South Africa | Bread of the Nation | Beverages - Alcohol | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Retroviral | The GranBoks | Beverages - Alcohol | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Halo | 100% Pure Results: How Challenger Brand Pineapple Disrupted the Insurance Industry | Challenger Brand Solution / Commerce & Shopper Effies | Pineapple |
| Levergy | Stand Tall | Current Events | Telkom |
| Halo | 100% Pure Results: How Pineapple Took On Insurance Giants | David vs. Goliath (Traditional) | Pineapple |
| Ogilvy South Africa | When Mzansi's Generosity was lost, Cadbury put generosity back on the Map for Every South African | Engaged Community | Cadbury Dairy Milk |
| Joe Public | SheBeen: South Africa’s First-Ever Women-Only Bar | Experiential Marketing: Live & Digital | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Ogilvy Cape Town | Carling Cup 2023 - Fak'UGesi (Bring The Energy) | Experiential Marketing: Live & Digital | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Halo | Where There’s A Will, There’s Results: How Changing How We Spoke About Death Helped Capital Legacy Draft More Wills Than Ever Before. | Finance | Capital Legacy |
| Joe Public | Nedbank eOfisini: How Nedbank departed from ad campaign to entertaining series and smashed targets | Finance | Nedbank |
| Ogilvy South Africa | When two icons meet: KFC x Uncle Waffles presents a burger made in culture | Influencer Marketing | KFC SA |
| Halo | 100% Pure Results: How Challenger Brand Pineapple Disrupted the Insurance Industry | Insurance | Pineapple |
| Ogilvy South Africa | How KFC disrupted the breakfast category and changed it forever! | Marketing Disruptors | KFC |
| Ogilvy South Africa | Bread of the Nation | Marketing Innovation Solutions | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Promise Group | Castle Lite_Extra Cold Certified | Marketing Innovation Solutions | SAB (AB InBev) |
| M&C Saatchi Abel | Simba x KFC Zinger Wings – Zinger for Longer | New Product or Service Introduction & New Product or Service Line Extension | Simba |
| Ogilvy South Africa | How KFC took on the breakfast category, changed its fortune and the category forever! | Restaurants | KFC |
| Joe Public | EasyBucks: Unbelievable but true results | Restaurants | Chicken Licken |
| 99cents | Checkers Xtra Savings Plus - Mission Impossible Made Possible | Retail | Checkers |
| Joe Public | SheBeen: South Africa’s First-Ever Women-Only Bar | Seasonal Marketing - Products, Services | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Ogilvy South Africa | Bread of the Nation | Social Good - Brands / Positive Change | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Joe Public | SheBeen: South Africa’s First-Ever Women-Only Bar | Social Good - Brands / Positive Change | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Joe Public | SAB SHARP - Zikhethele Isinqumo Ngesakho | Social Good - Brands / Positive Change | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Ogilvy South Africa | Made in Culture: How KFC debuted the Uncle Waffles burger | Social Media | KFC SA |
| Ogilvy Cape Town | PEP Changing Station | Timely Opportunity | PEP |
| Joe Public | SheBeen: South Africa’s First-Ever Women-Only Bar | Timely Opportunity | SAB (AB InBev) |
| Ogilvy South Africa | Bread of the Nation | Beverages - Alcohol | SAB (AB InBev) |
"In today’s increasingly fragmented marketing environment, recognising and Awarding Ideas that Work® is more important than ever. The Effie Awards play a crucial role in highlighting campaigns that not only meet business objectives but also cut through the noise to reach consumers effectively. As we look forward to the gala in October, we anticipate not only celebrating the success of our winners but also honouring the resilience and creativity of our entire industry. This celebration is a testament to the enduring power of impactful advertising and the shared commitment to excellence within our community," adds Rightford.
The Effie Awards South Africa is hosted by the ACA and proudly sponsored by Nedbank, GIB Insurance, SAB, Investec, PepsiCo, Unilever.
For more information visit the Effie South Africa website at www.effieawards.co.za or visit www.acasa.co.za.
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