The Effie Awards are known by advertisers and agencies globally as the pre-eminent award in the industry, and recognize any and all forms of marketing communication that contribute to a brand's success. Since 1968, winning an Effie has become a global symbol of achievement. Today, Effie celebrates effectiveness worldwide with the Global Effies and the Positive Change Effies, regional programs in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East / North Africa, North America, Latin America and more than 40 national Effie programs.

The Effie Awards were launched in 1968 by the New York American Marketing Association as an awards programs to honor the most effective advertising efforts. The award now honors all forms of effective marketing communications and the companies and individuals creating effective work on six continents and over forty countries. In July 2008, the New York AMA assigned its rights in the Effie brand over to a separate non-profit organization, Effie Worldwide, to continue to enhance Effie’s educational offerings.