Television Advertising that Works: An Analysis of Commercials fro ...

All respondents were employees of U.S.-owned network agency brands. Results concluded that employees perceived the awards as symbols of creative excellence and professional leadership. Polonsky and Waller (1995) examined the impact of winning advertising awards on billings and revenue for agencies in Australia with results indicating no revenue effect based on the number of awards won. This led the authors to conclude advertising agencies compete for awards primarily for nonmonetary reasons.

While some advertising agencies will argue for the significance of creative awards, others will argue that effectiveness awards are paramount. During her keynote address at the 2005 EFFIE awards ceremony, Cheryl Bermen, Leo Burnett USA chairman and chief creative officer, opined that industry focuses too much on abstract creativity and not enough on effective results (Creamer & Arndorfer, 2005).

EFFIE Awards

The AMA started the EFFIE Awards in 1968, and the advertising industry recognizes it as the only national award that honors achievement in meeting and exceeding advertising goals and objectives. Top marketing and advertising man-agement, research, and creative executives in the advertising industry serve as judges for the award. Awards go each year to the top advertising producers in each product category with one overall grand EFFIE winner chosen. Robert Scarpelli, chairman and chief creative officer of U.S. DDB Chicago, stated, “Our reason for being is to provide better ideas that lead to better results for our clients. I believe that they aren’t better ideas if they don’t deliver better results. And that you can’t get better results if you don’t have bet-ter ideas. The EFFIEs are the only awards that corroborate that our ideas lead to results. They prove we’re not doing this to make our reels better.”