HO CHI MINH CITY – Feb. 6, 2026 – The APAC Effie Awards held the final stop of their 2026 Roadshow in Ho Chi Minh City, hosted by Publicis Groupe Vietnam. Held on 5 February, the event brought together senior industry leaders to deliver exclusive insights from award-winning cases and the competition process.
The Effies award works that go beyond creativity and prove measurable results in meeting strategic objectives, establishing itself as the gold standard for marketing effectiveness globally. The 2026 Roadshow by Effie Asia Pacific serves as a platform to heighten effectiveness in the region and provide guidance for contenders entering the competition.
Highlights at this event included the Effectiveness Showcase, which spotlighted cases that were amongst the biggest winners at the regional competition. This included a campaign from Vietnam’s homegrown EV brand VinFast whose explosive success at the 2025 award show saw them take second and third place for Brand of the Year and Marketer of the Year respectively, against other major brands in APAC.
Featured campaigns included:
- VinFast’s ‘VF3 – From Hype to History in 66 Hours’ which won 2 Golds and 2 Bronzes, presented by the winners, Ogilvy Vietnam’s Strategy Director Giang Tran (Chic)
- Football Australia’s ‘Til It’s Done’ which won the Grand Effie, 3 Golds, and a Silver, presented by 2026 Awards Chairperson Danielle Jin, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Visa Asia Pacific
- Gatorade’s ‘Using Data to Make Indians Play’ which won 1 Gold and 2 Bronzes, presented by APAC Effie Juror Huw Gildon, Chief Strategy Officer of Publicis Groupe Vietnam
Danielle Jin, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer at Visa Asia Pacific and 2026 Awards Chairperson for the APAC Effies, said “Today, marketing effectiveness goes beyond reach. It's about forging authentic connections between brands and consumers that deliver measurable outcomes and create lasting relevance. Asia Pacific’s marketing community reflects the region’s diversity and dynamism and I am thrilled to see the Roadshows celebrate award‑winning campaigns, spotlight bold ideas that drive results, and inspire more incredible work across the region."
Grab’s Regional Head of Marketing and Brand, Sulin Lau gave a presentation on how she has leveraged entering the Effies as a learning tool for her team of 200+ marketers across the region. Their ethos of aiming to consistently submit work to the Effies–the benchmark for marketing excellence–pushes marketers to create work that can compete with or become the best in the region, regardless of whether their work actually wins anything. The brand has found major success at the APAC Effies in recent years, winning multiple Effies and ranking second for Brand of the Year and Marketer of the Year in 2024.
The session also demystified the competition process, with a comprehensive guide on submitting for the competition presented by Huw Gildon, long-time APAC Effie juror and Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Groupe Vietnam. This was followed by a Q&A panel where APAC Effie jurors Publicis Groupe Vietnam’s CEO Kate Bayona-Garcia, and Edelman Vietnam’s CEO Thien Thanh Nguyen joined fellow speakers to answer questions about what goes on in the judging room.
Kate Bayona-Garcia, CEO of Publicis Groupe Vietnam said, "Effectiveness is our ultimate currency. Bringing the APAC Effie Awards Roadshow to Ho Chi Minh City allows us to bridge the gap between brilliant ideas and real-world results. We’re here to share the best of Asia Pacific and spark a new standard of excellence in Vietnam—where creativity isn't just celebrated, it’s measured by its power to grow brands."
Bee Hong Chua, Managing Director of the APAC Effie Awards concluded, “From our roadshow, it is clear that there is significant interest in learning from winners and using the Effie framework to drive marketing effectiveness. As its champion for over 13 years, we will continue to celebrate the outstanding achievements of marketers in Asia Pacific and share practical learnings to inspire and elevate the industry. We firmly believe that striving for effectiveness is the fuel that makes campaigns so successful and impactful. Thank you to our hosts and supporters in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand for making the roadshow possible.”
The APAC Effie Awards is currently open for entries. Interested entrants may visit apaceffie.com to find out more.