Applause, Achievement and Advertising Magic

The seventh edition of the annual Effie Awards, organised by the Pakistan Advertisers’ Society (PAS), took place last Saturday (April 26, 2025) at the Expo Centre, Karachi. It was an event that the advertising and marketing industry looks forward to every year, as it provides them with a platform that rewards them for the creativity and effectiveness of their communications.

Once you stepped into the venue, you could feel the energy in the air, with industry professionals socialising and networking at the red carpet, waiting to share the limelight at the awards. Specialised pop-ups organised by several brands that had sponsored the event were found at the red carpet, serving drinks and hors d’oeuvres and organising activities such as interactive games before the awards commenced. For example, Pepsi’s served refreshing mocktails, which were much needed in the sweltering Karachi heat, while Foodpanda’s pop-up featured various games, and National Foods and EBM served some delicious appetisers.

This edition of the Effies were the highest in terms of attendance so far, with an estimated 800 to 900 guests, who included Senator Sarmad Ali; Syed Ali Akbar, MD and CEO, Pakistan Tobacco; Asif Aziz, President, Business Enterprise JAZZ; Saleem Baig, Chairman, PEMRA; Noor Jehan Bilgrami, a visual artist; Iyshah Faizan, General Manager Brands and Communications, PSO; Kashan Hasan, MD, Friesland Campina; Ahmed Kapadia, Chairman PAA; Amir Paracha, Chairman, Unilever Pakistan; Rifah Qadri, Executive Director Marketing, Easypaisa Digital Brand; Asad Umar, former finance minister; and Hamidah Wali, CMO, Tapal Tea.

The event was hosted by well-known VJ Dino Ali, who began the awards ceremony by saying, “The Effies play a vital role in recognising the hardworking individuals behind the scenes whose creativity, passion and dedication fuel these successful campaigns. Their recognition at such a global platform validates their efforts and inspires others to aim higher.” A video was then played that that paid a tribute to the two notable people from the advertising industry who passed away recently: Ibrahim Baloch and Shahid Bin Aziz.

During her keynote speech, Farheen Salman Amir, Chairperson, PAS (who is also president, Lipton Teas and Infusions – BSPAN), spoke about the importance of platforms such PAS and the Effies in their ability to recognise and reward brands and agencies in creating not just effective ad campaigns but also driving change and social responsibility. She highlighted four aspects that the PAS stands for: “We do want to be thought leaders for tomorrow; we do want to be advocates and self-regulators for this industry; we are looking for capability learning and recognition, and last but not least, we are here for social impact and sustainability.”

The award ceremony then began in earnest; a total of 86 awards were given out, including 33 within various categories, 27 speciality awards, and four newly introduced categories (Entertainment & Sports, Leisure & Recreation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Media Content Partnership), in addition to the Agency Network of the Year and Marketer of the Year.

Pressure and excitement built as the guests eagerly anticipated who the winners were. The ambience was electrifying as the presenters arrived on stage and the nominations and consequently winners were announced.

Notable winners include PMCL – Jazz (Marketer of the Year), Alt Story (Most Effective Independent Agency) and Adcom, which won the highest number of awards and thus received the Agency Network of the Year award. Commenting on how it felt to receive the Agency Network of the Year award, Imran Syed, CEO, Adcom Leo Burnett, said, “All 235 of us at Adcom feel humbled and ecstatic. This award is a recognition of our team’s efforts to create work that resonates across categories and touchpoints.”

K-Electric secured the ‘Grand Prix’ for its campaign Fark Parta Hai. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Sarfaraz A. Rehman, a well-known and respected personality in the advertising industry who has worked at work at leading organisations such as Engro Fertilisers and PepsiCo Pakistan in leadership positions. BBDO Pakistan and Fishbowl received nine and 10 awards, respectively.

The night ended with an energetic and melodic performance by the Pakistani singer, Maanu, bringing the exciting event to an equally lively and vibrant conclusion.

Yawar Iqbal, Creative Consultant and Founder, Studio Yawar, who attended the awards, commented: “I always feel really happy to be part of the Effies, it gives you a sense of belonging, I think it is the only time when agencies and the client appear collectively as an industry. We are a great revenue-generating industry that celebrates great business initiatives that lead to great successes for brands.”