At the 8th Effie Awards Serbia ceremony, organized by the IAA Serbian Chapter, the prestigious Grand Prix trophy was awarded for the first time — and it went to the “Crumb of Patience” campaign by Bambi, created by McCann Belgrade in collaboration with agency Communis, with UM Belgrade and AdVenture Skopje as partner agencies. 

In addition, McCann Belgrade won two Gold Effie awards for the same campaign in the categories Timely Opportunity and Commerce & Shopper: Crisis Response / Critical Pivot. 

The “Crumb of Patience” campaign touched all of our hearts, as it was launched after the Plazma factory — a brand that has been synonymous with biscuits for decades — was severely damaged by a fire. When something we consider a part of ourselves disappears, we begin to realize the deep emotional value it holds in our lives. At such moments, it’s important to have someone offer support and instill hope. 

The idea behind the campaign was to inspire consumers and communicate the importance of patience, even during the most challenging times. The message was carefully crafted to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation while maintaining a calming tone, emphasizing that Plazma would soon return. The campaign delivered outstanding results: consumers expressed solidarity and support via social media, and despite the shortage, Bambi managed to maintain its market leadership and even achieved record sales of other Plazma products. 

For the campaign “Swear on the Law” by the Autonomous Women’s Center, McCann Belgrade received a Silver Effie in the category Positive Change – Social Good: Brands, Non-profit, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and a Bronze Effie in the category Small Budgets – Non-Profit, Products & Services. Partner agencies were UM Belgrade and Two Rivers. 

“Swear on the Law”, in a country where oaths still carry significant weight and are considered a deep expression of trust, is a powerful and socially relevant campaign that managed to break the silence around revenge porn. The campaign raised awareness and mobilized over 20,000 people to sign a petition, which led the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia to support the initiative to criminalize revenge porn. This marked a crucial step toward systemic protection for victims.