April 3, 2008 - GE, HSBC, and Wal-Mart are the inaugural winners of the Green Effie award for effective green marketing. GE’s “Ecomagination Round Two,” (created by BBDO New York), Wal-Mart’s “PSP 2007- Personal Sustainability Project” (in partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi S), HSBC’s “There’s No Small Change” (created by JWT) each earned a nod.

The companies' high profiles should give green marketing a shot in the arm, according to Eric Ryan, chair of the Green Effie award jury and co-founder of Method. “Green has the most to gain when extremely large companies take the opportunity to create change,” he said in a statement.

The winners will learn if they won a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Effie when the awards are handed out at the 40th Annual Effie Gala on June 4 in New York City.