The following will result in disqualification and entry fees will be forfeited: : 

FAILING TO ADHERE TO THE EFFIE ELIGIBILITY RULES:  Data presented must be isolated to the Ukraine & work must have run at some point between:

1. Regular eligibility period: February 24, 2022 – September 30, 2023 (for Sustained Success from 2020 or earlier)

2. Prewar eligibility period: January 1, 2021 – February 23, 2022

Data prior to the eligibility period may be included for context.

ENTRY DOES NOT MEET CATEGORY DEFINITION REQUIREMENTS: Review category definitions for additional requirements that must be addressed in your entry.  Judges will down-score your submission if requirements are not met. When entering an effort into multiple categories, tailor each entry to speak to the specific category definitions wherever applicable.  Judges are evaluating cases within the context of the entered Effie category.  One of the top judge complaints is that too many entries are submitted into multiple categories without adaptations for each category.

NO AGENCY NAMES/LOGOS: Effie is an agency-blind competition.  No should be included in the materials that judges will review (entry form, investment overview, creative reel, creative images).  Do not include any agency names in your sources – this includes agency names other than your own. The source of data should be referenced as “Agency Research,” “PR Agency Research,” “Media Agency Research,” etc.

DATA NOT SOURCED: All data,claims, facts, etc. presented anywhere in the entry form, must reference a specific, verifiable source with date ranges for all data and facts presented throughout the entry form. Any data without a source will be disregarded and will result in entry disqualification. The absence of data validation may be the cause of disqualification. The organizing committee reserves the right to verify all information. Sources should include time period covered, type of research, etc.

NOT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL DATA’ PROOF OR PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION: If judges have doubt about data' proof, they have rights to mark these data. Scoring of this entry is put off. Data' proof (for example, reports of research and monitoring companies etc.) must be presented by entrant in 2 working days after finishing Round Judging. Request may be sent in 1 working day after finishing of both Rounds. Confirmed reports may be provided by research and monitoring companies. In case if it will be “advertiser data” (data provided by the client/advertiser) it should be provided a detailed justification of such data. If data cannot be provided or forgery of data is identified, entry will result in disqualification. Organizing Committee send out data' proof to all judges. In case if at least one judge will find falsification of data (for example, falsification of report of research company) entry will result in disqualification.

NO PICTURES/SCREENGRABS IN WRITTEN ENTRY FORM: Entrants may not include any images of creative work, screengrabs of social media or other websites, or any other pictorial elements in the written entry.  Any images of creative work must be provided as part of the Creative Examples for Judging.  Charts/graphs are allowed to be included in the written case. Do not include competitor logos and work. Competitor logos and creative work may not be included anywhere in your entry form and creative materials.

NO EXTERNAL LINKS: Do not direct judges to external websites – the judges can only review the content provided in your written entry and creative examples. Entrants are not permitted to direct judges to websites for further information or for further examples of work.

VIOLATING CREATIVE EXAMPLE RULES.  Entrants must follow all creative rules as outlined in the entry kit. This includes but is not limited to: competitor logos/creative work and results may not be included in the creative examples; time limits must be followed Review additional guidance on the Creative Requirements.