Chrysler takes Grand Effie

NEW YORK: Chrysler, the automaker, won the Grand Effie at the 2012 North American Effies for a campaign championing both its cars and Detroit, an idea developed in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy.

Overall, some 15 Golds, 19 Silvers and 18 Bronzes were handed out at the annual event, which covers a wide range of categories, from alcoholic drinks and snacks to insurance and software. Warc subscribers can access a selection of winning papers here.

Chrysler claimed the top prize for its comeback effort after filing for bankruptcy in 2009. The launch of its 200 model posed a particular challenge, as the firm had little loyalty left among a public that had lost interest in US vehicles.

The company thus aimed to "bring back Detroit", the home of the American auto industry, and cement its own place within the city. The "Imported from Detroit" tagline was involved in all communications, led by a two-minute Super Bowl ad.

"Imported from Detroit was the Grand Effie winner because they sold the product, the category and the city," Deborah Sandler, president, Mars Chocolate North America and a Grand Effie jury member, said.

IBM, meanwhile, picked up two Golds. One of these honours lauded the services firm's Smarter Planet initiative, aiming to improve everything from city management and food production to power grids.

The second related to a campaign publicising the appearance of Watson, a computer capable of recognising language, on the game show Jeopardy!

Chobani, the Greek yoghurt, also received a Gold for focusing communications on taste rather than health benefits, as was the case for the market leaders Danone and Yoplait. This gave it access to a broader target audience, and especially men.

Bing, Microsoft's search engine, took Gold for boosting its market share to a record high of 11.8% having targeted teens and African Americans, the two groups most open to "switching" from Google.

Further Golds went to AT&T for a campaign to reduce the incidence of young consumers sending text messages while driving, and the Comcast Sports Network, seeking to build up the fan base of the San Francisco Giants.

The 2012 North American Effie Effectiveness Index rankings were also announced at the same event, based on an analysis of Effie Awards competition finalist and winner data from the past year.

Procter & Gamble was named the most effective advertiser in North America, as was IBM for individual brands, WPP Group for holding companies and Ogilvy & Mather for agency networks.

Ogilvy & Mather's New York office was the most effective individual agency office, while McKinney, based in Durham, North Carolina, was the most effective independently held shop.

Data sourced from Effies; additional content by Warc staff, 24 May 2012

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