Effie Winners at a Glance

As this issue went to press, Effie Worldwide unveiled the winners of its 2014 Shopper Marketing awards program, 10 campaigns deemed worthy of industry-wide recognition as best in class by several juries of marketing executives.As usual, the Path to Purchase Institute will be joining with the folks at Effie Worldwide to formally celebrate the winners at a special celebration during the Shopper Marketing Summit on March 25. And we’ll showcase the campaigns more extensively in the June issue of Shopper Marketing.But we wanted to get the kudos started by presenting the winners for the first time in print here, ahead of the celebration. This also gives me a chance to offer my two-cent perspective on the programs.So, in no particular order (well, maybe a little), the winners of the 2014 Shopper Marketing Effies are:“Effortless Meals” at Walmart, Draftfcb for Coca-Cola Co. The only double-award winner, this campaign took a well-worn insight (about shoppers needing help finding that night’s dinner) to new heights through excellence in two areas that Walmart’s Andy Murray believes are vital to effective shopper marketing: creative and execution. The latter plays out in prominent destination areas in stores; the former includes an exemplary TV spot that unquestionably de-emphasizes the partnering brands to make “Mom” the focal point. Consider it a must-view for all shopper marketers. (Institute members can watch it at http://www.p2pi.org/article/124473. Murray will be inducted into the Shopper Marketing Hall of Fame during the aforementioned celebration.)Target Back to College After-Hours Shopping Events, Periscope Inc. Target quite literally drove shopper behavior by dispatching buses to 40 colleges to collect students for fun-filled, after-hours store events that played out like freshman mixers for roughly 80,000 co-eds. The effort helped turn around what had been a steady decline in college-bound shoppers at the chain.Pantene Weather Program at Walgreens, Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide/Starcom MediaVest Group (with contributions from Grey Group and DeVries Global). An imaginative deal with The Weather Channel let Pantene provide a daily “haircast” to women, thereby showcasing various products in the brand’s portfolio while positioning Walgreens as a destination for beauty needs.Walgreens “People’s Choice Awards” Activation, Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide for Procter & Gamble (One Three Media, Blue Chip Marketing). Establishing Walgreens as a beauty destination – and reaffirming P&G as a key beauty partner for the chain – was the achieved goal of this sponsorship deal, which involved star-making attention for the retailer during the show’s annual broadcast and prominent secondary merchandising space for P&G across multiple months.“Cloud 10,” Ogilvy & Mather for American Express Bank of Canada (High Road Communications, Mindshare). No, shopper marketing is not limited to the retail environment – unless your definition of “store” extends to airport terminals. Working with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority, AmEx turned Toronto Pearson Airport into a living example of brand benefits by lavishing cardholders with preferred treatment to the application-inducing envy of other travelers.Cottonelle “Better Together,” Geometry Global (Tris3ect, Ketchum, Mindshare, Biggs-Gilmore). Adopting the humorously frank tone used so effectively for the launch of Kimberly-Clark sister brand U by Kotex in 2010 (which also won a Shopper Marketing Effie), Cottonelle set out to convince U.S. consumers that wet wipes can be a normal part of their bathroom routine. (Calling the creative for this one “tongue-in-cheek” might be a bit too evocative.)ZzzQuil Launch Program, Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide for Procter & Gamble’s Vicks. The new brand overcame its primary purchase barrier by letting shoppers know that it was “Just for Sleep,” not for colds like other Vicks products. My own favorite in-store component was the motion-activated shelf trays at Walgreens that began snoring when shoppers passed by.AMP Energy PowerDash, Mekanism for PepsiCo. The brand dove into the lifestyle of 7-Eleven’s core shoppers with a mobile app-based game that had them checking in at stores to gain prize-earning points and product coupons. AMP used its sponsorship of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. to give the promotion even more relevance with the target audience.“A Healthier You Starts with a Smile,” Saatchi & Saatchi X for Procter & Gamble (Crest Pro Health/Oral-B) and Walmart. Collaborative programs at Walmart have long involved secondary display space in Action Alley. Successful ones now also entail Twitter parties. This one got consumers discussing the value proposition: that good oral health leads to better overall health.Tide Pods Introduction, Saatchi & Saatchi X for Procter & Gamble and Walmart. Making sure that Walmart shoppers noticed new Tide Pods on the shelf was achieved by literally framing the product with an eye-catching in-line structure (complete with push-button demonstration video). A more-permanent unit replaced the launch displays in early 2013.Peter Breen is managing director-content for P2pi.org. He can be reached at (773) 992-4431 or pbreen@p2pi.org.

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