Wavemaker US Wins Two Effie Awards

Wavemaker US has been honored with two Effie Awards for its work for BNP Paribas’ Bank of the West and US Census Bureau at the 52nd Effies Award Gala this week. The wins follow a landmark year of growth and positively provocative work for Wavemaker that on route to being named Adweek’s US Media Agency of the Year.

The US Census Bureau was awarded a Gold Effie for its work on the 2020 Census in the “Government & Public Service” category while Bank of the West won a Bronze Effie Award in “Environment – Brands/Positive Change” category for its “1% for the Planet” campaign.

The Effie Awards are known by advertisers and agencies globally as the preeminent award in the industry and recognize all forms of marketing that contribute to a brand’s success. This year’s awards reflect the work and results produced during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the agility and resilience of the people that make up this industry.

“Despite all of the challenges, I am consistently impressed by our industry’s ability to produce amazing work and drive growth,” said Traci Alford, Global CEO of Effie Worldwide.  “It is critical that we continue to recognize and celebrate marketing effectiveness, especially now, and the leaders on this year’s Grand Effie Jury are well-equipped to determine this year’s winner and establish the benchmark for effectiveness going forward.”

The winning campaigns were as follows:

US Census Bureau “Bringing the US together for our future” VMLY&R Washington DC, Wavemaker, PSB Insights Reingold Inc, BCW – GOLD Winner; Government & Public Service 

“The Shape Your Future START HERE” platform was extraordinarily effective in the context of public apathy, distrust of government, social unrest, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The highly integrated campaign emphasized the new internet self-response option, countered confidentiality fears, and humanized the importance of the 2020 Census based on the proposition that participation shapes everyone’s future. Despite the many unique 2020 challenges, the U.S Census Bureau achieved its goals, enabling accurate representation in Government and basis for distribution of trillions of dollars of funding for the next ten years to communities.

Bank of the West “1% for the Planet” the community, Wavemaker, Razorfish- BRONZE Winner; Environment – Brands/Positive Chance 

Drowned out by other banks focused on a short list of offerings—convenience, service and low fees—Bank of the West tapped into a growing desire for brands who put principle alongside profit. The 1% for the Planet Account created the ultimate proof of the banks’ values—the only bank account that helps everyday people take climate action. This first-of-its-kind account drove the highest consideration levels in Bank history, and achieved 139% of sales goals even through the depths of the pandemic.