Asia-Pacific Effie Awards shortlists 24 finalists

Singapore - The Asia-Pacific Effie Awards programme was off to a flying start, with the Steering Committee this week announcing their shortlist of 24 finalists selected from more than 150 entries submitted from across the region - 50% higher than the number expected.

The judging panel included 35 of the region’s most experienced marketing communications professionals - media planners, creative directors, account planners and agency heads, as well as research professionals, academics and marketing directors from a variety of major advertisers.

Building on the success of national Effie programmes in India, Singapore, New Zealand, China and Hong Kong as well as the long-running AFA effectiveness award in Australia, the Asia-Pacific Effie is the first effectiveness award in Asia to provide the robustness of a global award programme, while acknowledging that marketing communications in Asia work differently from those in the US and Europe, with few campaigns able to meaningfully cross borders. A total of 18 countries including Malaysia, Korea, Bangladesh, UAE, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Pakistan submitted entries for the Asia-Pacific Effie. However Sri Lankan agencies were not among the finalists of the 2008 Asia-Pacific Effie Awards.

The winners of the first Asia-Pacific Effie Awards will be announced at a gala dinner at the World Effie Festival, which will take place in Singapore on February 28 and 29.