Motion Sickness Wins Global Grand Effie for Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s 'You’re Cooked'

Motion Sickness has taken home one of the world’s most prestigious marketing awards – a Global Grand Effie at the Best of the Best Effie Awards – for its work on the ‘You’re Cooked’ campaign for Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

Now in market for three years, the 'You're Cooked' platform continues to drive positive behaviour change across New Zealand.

Following its success on home soil, where it was awarded Gold and the coveted ‘Hardest Challenge’ at the Aotearoa Effie Awards, the campaign has now gone on to be recognised on the global stage in the Government, Institutional and Recruitment category – cementing its status as one of the most effective ideas in the world.

The Effie Awards are the global benchmark for marketing effectiveness. They honour the campaigns that not only move people emotionally, but move the needle commercially or socially – the ideas that work. To be acknowledged at this level places Motion Sickness in rare company.

'You’re Cooked’ tackled a uniquely Kiwi problem: the high number of house fires caused by people attempting to cook while drunk. Rather than tell people what not to do, the campaign offered up a humorous but deeply practical solution – a no-heat cookbook of recipes for when you're too cooked to cook.

Amanda Duncan, national manager communications and engagement at Fire and Emergency New Zealand, said, “Seeing this campaign recognised on the global stage means so much to our team. It speaks volumes about the power of an idea that is born from real insight and delivered with creative bravery. ‘You’re Cooked’ has already had a tangible impact in communities across Aotearoa – and this award is a proud reminder that the work we’re doing here matters.”

Hilary Ngan Kee, head of strategy at Motion Sickness, added, “From the start, this campaign was about cutting through - grabbing attention in a way that felt real, human, and empathetic. It proves what we believe at Motion Sickness: that bold, creative ideas can shift behaviour, and in this case genuinely make people safer. To have that recognised on a global stage is huge - for us, and for everyone who backed it.”

The win marks a historic moment for both Motion Sickness and Fire and Emergency New Zealand, proving that creativity backed by strategy – and a brave client – can change behaviour and spark global recognition.