New AI Study Shows Effie UK Winners Outperform on Emotion, Attention & Correct Brand Recall

Effie UK Award winners generate stronger positive emotions, higher brand recall, and greater audience attention than non-winning campaigns, according to new data from creative effectiveness platform DAIVID.

In partnership with Effie Awards UK – the leading authority on marketing effectiveness – DAIVID analysed creative submissions from the 2024 Effie UK Awards, comparing Grand Effie, Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners with entries that narrowly missed out.

Using its advanced, AI-powered content testing platform, DAIVID measured the emotional, cognitive, and brand impact of each campaign. The study revealed that Effie winners consistently outperformed unsuccessful entries across four of DAVID’s critical effectiveness metrics: Intense positive emotions, attention, correct brand recall, and creative effectiveness. The new research also suggests some of the creative patterns that potentially define the UK’s most effective campaigns.

Key findings include: 

• Overall creative effectiveness (CES): Using DAIVID’s creative effectiveness score (CES) – a composite metric combining attention, emotion, and memory – winners scored up to 38% higher than non-winners. Top Performer: Tourism Australia’s “Come and Say G’Day” claimed the highest CES score – 34% more than the average UK ad.
• Intense positive emotions: Effie UK winners were up to 50% more likely to generate intense positive emotions than those who didn’t win. Top Performer: Tourism Australia’s “Come and Say G’Day” (silver & bronze winner) evoked the most intense positive emotions of any ad, 11% higher than the average ad.
• Early attention: Winning campaigns captured early attention up to 48% more effectively than unsuccessful entries.Top Performer: Department of Health and Social Care’s “Every Mind Matters” (silver winner) generated the highest levels of attention, 8% higher than the average ad for early attention.
• Correct brand recall: Effie winners achieved up to 83% higher scores for correct brand recall. The average recall score for winners was 68%–24 % higher than the average UK ad. Top Performer: Ikea’s “The Wonderful Everyday” (Grand Effie winner) delivered the highest correct brand recall, 43% above the norm.

Run each year, Effie Awards UK recognise and celebrate the most effective marketing campaigns in the UK.  Rachel Emms, managing director, Effie UK, said: “The Effies recognise marketing that’s delivered real world business impact. And while it’s not a creative awards programme, obviously the creative work plays an integral role in the overall marketing story. So it’s been interesting to see such strong creative scores amongst recent winners through DAIVID’s analysis of Effie cases.” 

DAIVID CEO and founder Ian Forrester said: “Our data suggests that Effie-winning campaigns consistently outperform less successful entries across DAIVID’s key creative effectiveness metrics. They grab attention from the very first second with strong openings, sharp dialogue, and instantly recognisable cues. They evoke powerful, positive emotions — the kind that build lasting brand memories. And branding is woven seamlessly into the story, enhancing recall without resorting to clunky logos or overt messaging."

DAIVID’s AI solutions are specifically designed to deal with the rapid rate of content creation across a multitude of different channels and formats, enabling efficient mass testing and optimisation. Marketers and content creators are given an instant snapshot of the effectiveness of their digital ads, social media campaigns, and influencer campaigns, as well as their TV spots, which they can compare with their competitors’ and industry benchmarks. 

Barney Worfolk-Smith, chief growth officer at DAIVID, said: “Having had the pleasure of being an Effie judge, I’m a fan of the rigour in the judging process and criteria: from insight through to real world performance. The clear correlation between winners and DAIVID’s creative effectiveness measures shows a real world validation in which the creative execution element has to shine. Get those entries in, folks. We can’t wait to see another smorgasbord of excellence.”