The People Who Made Effectiveness Matter

Following judging sessions held in June, the jury selected Jamie and Claire for their ability to connect creativity with measurable business impact and for their lasting influence on how organisations approach effectiveness.

”Unlike most industry awards, this isn’t about judging a single campaign. It recognises a lifetime of commercial impact, which makes it a far more personal-and demanding-award to judge.” says Charley Stoney, CEO, EACA.

”The quality of the nominations was a reminder of the exceptional strategic and creative talent across our industry, and of the transformative value that effective marketing continues to create for brands and businesses. Yet despite this evidence, our profession remains consistently undervalued. Jamie and Claire are truly deserving Legends of Effectiveness. Throughout their careers they have demonstrated, with outstanding results, that creativity and strategic communications are not simply marketing disciplines-they are powerful drivers of business growth, competitive advantage and economic value.”

Jamie Peate: making effectiveness central to creativity

The jury recognised Jamie as one of the advertising industry’s most influential effectiveness leaders, highlighting his role in making effectiveness a defining part of McCann’s culture. Over a career spanning strategy, insight and effectiveness leadership, Jamie consistently champions the idea that effectiveness is the true measure of the value of marketing communications. His work on Aldi became one of the industry’s leading examples of long-term effectiveness thinking, helping transform the retailer from a challenger brand into a major force in UK grocery. During his 21 years leading strategy on Aldi, Jamie helped develop an effectiveness approach built around emotional creativity, rigorous measurement and continuous learning. A central contribution of Jamie’s work is the effectiveness framework he developed around the “Four Os”: Orientation, Objectives, Outputs and Outcomes.  Despite retiring from McCann earlier this year, he continues to work as an effectiveness consultant for leading European brands and we look forward to seeing him return year after year to the Effie Awards Europe celebrations.

”I am truly honoured and humbled to receive this inaugural ‘Legends of Effectiveness Award’, and do so on behalf of all the people who work in marketing communications and advertising, as part of agencies, clients or as freelancers and consultants, who strive make the work we produce together as creatively effective as it can be, so it delivers the very best results for profit, people and planet.

I would also like to thank Effie Europe (and the whole of the Effie organisation worldwide) for continuing to recognise and champion excellence in creative effectiveness and effectiveness thinking.” says Jamie Peate.

Claire Miller: embedding effectiveness into global brand building

Claire Miller has been recognised for bringing effectiveness discipline into the heart of strategy, creativity and decision-making at The LEGO Group. As Global Head of Strategy Planning, Claire has helped embed effectiveness across the organisation - from briefing and strategic planning through to measurement, evaluation and learning. The jury praised Claire’s ability to unite creative ambition with commercial accountability, ensuring effectiveness is treated not as a final reporting exercise but as a core part of how marketing decisions are made. Under her strategic leadership, The LEGO Group has delivered a period of significant growth, with effectiveness thinking supporting major global initiatives across campaigns, franchises and innovation.

”I was truly surprised and deeply honoured to be recognised for this inaugural ‘Legends of Effectiveness Award’. Since my early days at BMP inspired by the legendary Les Binet, I have been driven to create strategies that deliver not only ambitious creative work, but to explicitly link the creative strategy and ideas to tangible, accountable business and marketing goals… we all want to make great work that also works hard. It has been a privilege to not only work with the best in advertising, but to be part of a team embedding this culture into a global brand who can now see the power of creativity in delivering not only increased effectiveness but also a proven increase in profitability. 

A big part of my learning process has been my good fortune to work with Effie Europe and Global for many years now, not only as a Juror, but also Co-Chair and now on the Steerco. It has been a great forum to work with the best very people in the industry, to gain new learnings from all the submissions we get to  judge and to have fierce and fun debates on what we mean by effectiveness in the ever-changing media landscape. Beyond awards, Effie also operates as a vital educational institution for the entire marketing industry.  I would like to thank the Effie Organisation for their continued work in this arena and for allowing me to be a part of that.” says Claire Miller.

The EACA Legends of Effectiveness Award recognises individuals who continue to influence the industry through their work, leadership and contribution to the discipline.

Jamie and Claire represent two complementary sides of effectiveness leadership - building agency capability and embedding a culture of effectiveness within a global brand organisation. They will be celebrated at the Effie Europe Awards Gala in Brussels on 3 December 2026.

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For further information, please contact Kasia Gluszak, Head of Effie Europe at kasia.gluszak@eaca.eu.