How To Win An Effie – Catalin Rusu

Romanita Oprea Creativity, Festivals & Awards

EFFIE is the most significant award in our industry because it honors the one truly important achievement in advertising: Results. It is the award presented annually by the New York American Marketing Association in recognition of the year’s most effective advertising campaigns – campaigns that have delivered superior results in meeting or exceeding the objectives they were designed to achieve. EFFIE is a national award spread internationally and it has been organized since 1968.

But what are the keys to winning an EFFIE? Some of the specialists in the market answered for AdHugger.net. Today , Catalin Rusu, Chief Creative Partner & CEO Rusu+Bortun.

Catalin Rusu

AdHugger.net: What are the most important to dos when being part of the Effie Jury?

The first thing is to enjoy the judging days. It isn’t a small effort to stay 10 hours a day concentrated and to sift through the cases, from all types of categories. Moreover, it’s very important to understand what the edition of this year proposes itself, what changes were made, what weight has every part of the case in the evaluation. Each year Effie proposes itself to make marketing better, but how does it this year, what do you have to follow as a jury member, are very important aspects. What is your role in the judging hall? The fact that the jurors are divided by their competences in order to exist a vision as ample as possible over the case makes the debate balanced.

AdHugger.net: How has your experience helped you?

I am for the second time a juror at Effie and I’ve noticed differences compared to last year’s and I understand their role. I am creative at the basis and I am glad that Effie appreciates more and more the thinking and idea part, not only the results.

AdHugger.net: What are the main dont’s?

Don’t concentrate on what is written in the case, but on what you know about the campaign. The judging process is a very rigorous one and it must be judged on point. A well-written case can boost or take some steps back a campaign.

AdHugger.net: How should one prepare for the judging days?

Critical spirit, curiosity, coffee, clearing the agenda, you don’t have time for reading or answering e-mails. All in all it’s like an academic experience, only that is interactive. You learn from the other people’s work because you have to understand it, discuss it and then evaluate it.