The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity; the most prestigious event in the whole wide world. It’s a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered as the largest gathering of the advertising and creative communications industry.
The five-day festival, incorporating the awarding of the Lions awards, is held yearly in Cannes, France. Each June, around 11,000 registered delegates from 90 countries visit the festival to celebrate the best of creativity in brand communication, discuss industry issues, and network with one another.
Let’s take a look at some of the Grand Prix winners from this year’s Cannes Lions festival, where Burger King, Nike and the New York Times were the biggest winners.
1) Outdoor - Nike: Dream Crazy
The single billboard answered all the four of the criteria the jury had established for the winners - Simple & well-executed, take advantage of the context, elevate the space in which it appeared and perfect for the brand in the environment.
2) Design - Google: Creatability
Google’s “Creatability” is a set of experiments designed to make creative tools accessible for those with disabilities. Google is stepping forward in rethinking tools for people who can’t see & hear.
3) Print & Publishing - BBDO: Blank Paper
Campaign from Impact BBDO Dubai used a blank newspaper to make a political statement in Lebanon. The newspaper published a completely blank edition—a response to the political gridlock that left the country without a working government for several months. The thinking behind the campaign was that if the politicians aren't working, why should anyone else?
4) Pharma - GSK: Breath of Life
The "Breath of Life" app helps detect whether someone has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The test involves blowing into a phone’s microphone, which is then recorded to produce a sound wave. This, in turn, is fed to an algorithm, which is used to determine the person’s approximate lung volume; if the result is lower than 70 percent, a hospital check is recommended.
5) Direct - Burger King: Whopper Detour
Made by FCB New York, the campaign rebooted Burger King’s mobile app. The agency geo-fenced all 14,000 McDonald’s locations in the U.S. When app users came within 600 feet of a McDonald’s, they were served an offer for a Whopper for 1 cent, provided that they travelled to the nearest Burger King to get it. Of course, the app provided convenient directions.
6) Film - The New York Times: The Truth is Worth It
The campaign features multiple spots that seem to trace New York Times’ journalists’ stories as they are being written, using a combination of typography, footage, and audio recorded by the reporters themselves. Each spot culminates with an actual headline that appeared in the paper.
