2026 APAC Effie Awards Emphasize Effectiveness Over Creativity
The 2026 APAC Effie Awards jury emphasizes measurable business outcomes over creative merit alone, with TBWA\Hakuhodo's Chris Iki joining a panel led by Visa's CMO. Last year's competition crowned 81 winners across 12 territories, with India leading and Ogilvy winning Agency Network of the Year.
TBWA\Hakuhodo Tokyo COO Chris Iki was appointed to the 2026 APAC Effie Awards jury on March 6, 2026, marking his fifth appointment to the program and his second consecutive year in a senior jury role after serving as Head of Jury in 2024.
Jury Composition Reflects Business-Outcome Focus
The 2026 jury is chaired by Danielle Jin, SVP and CMO of Visa Asia Pacific. Heads of Jury are Cheryl Goh from Grab and Dheeraj Sinha from McCann India. The combination of client-side and agency voices reflects the Effie's stated emphasis on evaluating campaigns against measurable business results rather than creative merit alone.
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Iki brings 28-plus years of experience managing global brands including Nissan, Visa, and Apple through TBWA's "Disruption" philosophy. "What I value about the APAC Effies is that they celebrate ideas that truly make a difference, not just creatively, but in how they move brands and businesses forward," Iki said. "Creativity and effectiveness must go hand in hand."
The 2026 APAC Effie Awards last chance deadline fell on March 9, 2026. Round 1 judging is scheduled for April 2026.
2025 Results Show Rigorous Standards Across 12 Territories
The 2025 APAC Effie Awards recognized 81 campaigns out of 123 finalists, distributing 12 Golds, 31 Silvers, and 48 Bronzes across 12 territories.
India led all countries with 33 total awards, including six Golds. Australia placed second with 13 awards. New Zealand and Singapore each received six awards.
Ogilvy won Agency Network of the Year with 24 awards across the region. Ogilvy Mumbai's campaign for St. Jude ChildCare Centers, titled "The Impossible Choice," won double Gold and earned both Brand of the Year and Marketer of the Year honors, the program's highest organizational recognitions.
VinFast became the first Vietnamese brand to win Gold at the regional competition, receiving six total awards for its VF3 launch campaign "From Hype to History in 66 Hours," developed by Ogilvy Vietnam. VinFast was also the only automaker honored at the 2025 APAC Effies.
In Indonesia, Vaseline's "If My Skin Can, Yours Can" campaign, developed by VML Indonesia for Unilever Indonesia, won a Bronze Effie in the Influencer category. The campaign exceeded sales targets and regained market leadership in Indonesia's beauty category amid Western brand boycotts and low-cost competition.
Program Expands Into Southeast Asia's Growth Markets
The Effie Awards network operates in more than 50 countries and traces its origins to the United States in 1968. The APAC program has grown into one of the network's key regional competitions.
The 2026 APAC Effie Roadshow includes stops in Bangkok, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Minh City. The expansion moves the program beyond its established centers in Singapore, Sydney, and Mumbai into Southeast Asia's faster-growing economies.
Round 1 judging is scheduled for April 2026, with the awards gala to follow later in the year.
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