Plus haul of 7 Gold, 6 Silver and 3 Bronze from 6 teams winning across 12 categories for 10 individual clients

J. Walter Thompson’s MENA network scored big last week at the MENA Effie awards taking home the coveted, one and only, Grand Prix award of the evening for "The Good Note" by J. Walter Thompson Beirut for its Bou Khalil Supermarkets client. Across the MENA network, five more teams were recognised by the international jury for their campaign effectiveness, bringing in a total of seven Gold, six Silver and three Bronze awards with work that won across 12 categories for 10 individual clients. 

The Effie Awards honour effectiveness in marketing communications and spotlight marketing ideas that contribute to a brand’s success, with a focus on strategy, ideas and results. Since 1968 winning an Effie has become a global symbol of achievement in effective marketing strategy.

Landing a total of 17 awards the network demonstrated the agency’s prowess in 12 categories – Automotive, Banking, Branded Content, CSR Non-Profit, Media, Media Idea, Retail, Single Media Activation, Social Good Corporate, Telecommunications, Tourism, and Youth Marketing – for a staggering 10 individual clients including, though not limited to – Egyptian Tourist Authority, Jarir Bookstores, Saudi Telecom Company, and Vodafone Egypt.

Crowning the night’s achievement was the coveted Grand Prix, only one of which is ever awarded, representing the very best of the best from all entries across all categories.  It went to J. Walter Thompson Beirut’s “The Good Note” for their client, Bou Khalil Supermarkets, and is work that saw the people of Lebanon able to give once more to beggars on the country’s streets, trusting that their donation, The Good Note, could only be used for good things.  A voucher which replaces currency, The Good Note is exchangeable at any of Bou Khalil’s 11 supermarkets that crisscross the nation’s suburbs and communities.  The campaign also brought home two further Gold awards, in the Social Good Corporate, and Media Ideas categories.

The J. Walter Thompson KSA team brought home an impressive 3 Gold awards.  Two were for their Jarir Bookstores client in the Kingdom, scoring big in the Branded Content and Retail categories for their “Newsworthy Books” campaign. The other KSA team Gold recognised their work for Saudi Telecom Company with "LaYwagif" the first branded online entertainment hub, and was awarded in the Telecom category.  J. Walter Thompson Cairo brought home a fabulous Gold for their Vodafone Egypt client, with the “Al Ahly” campaign in the Youth Marketing category. 

And J. Walter Thompson Kuwait pulled in an impressive Gold awarded in the Banking category with the “Why Strive for Perfection?” campaign. 

J. Walter Thompson’s seven Silver awards were spread across five J. Walter Thompson teams, in Baghdad, Cairo, Casablanca, Dubai and KSA, scoring recognition in the Automotive, Single Media Activation, Telecom, Travel & Tourism, and Youth Marketing categories.

The three Bronze awards went to the J. Walter Thompson Beirut, Casablanca and Dubai teams, and were spread across Retail, Media Idea, and CSR Non-Profit categories respectively.

“It is in our J. Walter Thompson Company’s DNA to create pioneering solutions that address our clients’ business challenges,” said Amal el Masri, Chief Strategy Officer at J. Walter Thompson MENA.  She added, “The range of awards we received spanning categories, channels, markets and industries is a testament to our consistency in delivering effective creativity for our clients.”

Other recent news from the agency’s MEA network this month includes the launch of global digital agency Mirum, in the region. By bringing together three regional digital powerhouses, Cleartag, HeathWallace and Quirk, the seamless formation has created one of the largest technology and innovation agencies in the Middle East and Africa.