CANNES, France --

At the 71st edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the following Lions were announced at the penultimate Awards Show: Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Business Transformation, Creative Commerce, Creative Effectiveness, Creative Strategy, Innovation and the new Luxury & Lifestyle Lions.

Simon Cook, CEO, Lions, said, “As we pass the halfway point at the 71st International Festival of Creativity, Thursday has proven to be another day full of exceptional marketing experiences, effectiveness, strategy and innovation. We’re particularly excited to announce the first Grand Prix winner for our newly launched Luxury & Lifestyle Lions, LOEWE – a wonderful example of a future-facing, conscious luxury brand that showcases heritage craftsmanship in the modern age.”

In the Brand Experience & Activation Lions, honoring creative, comprehensive brand building through experience design, activation, immersive, retail and 360° customer engagement, 2,262 entries were received and 70 Lions awarded by the Jury: 10 Gold, 29 Silver and 30 Bronze. The Grand Prix was awarded to “The First Edible Mascot” for Pop-Tarts by Weber Shandwick, Chicago. To expand outside the breakfast category, the brand launched its inaugural Pop-Tarts Bowl during a U.S. college football game where the winning team got to toast and then devour the mascot “Strawberry” after the final whistle blew.

Brand Experience & Activation Jury president, Anselmo Ramos, founder and creative chairman at GUT, Global, said: “Bizarre. Weird. Genius. Uncomfortable. Those were just some of the words we heard in the Jury room while discussing this idea. At the core, it’s a live sampling idea that made PR headlines and brought great results. It’s just impossible to ignore or unsee. It’s “meme-ready”. We had never seen this before. It’s also a brand not taking itself too seriously. It’s time for advertising to have fun again.”

For the first year of the newly launched Luxury & Lifestyle Lions, which celebrate creative communications for luxury goods and experiences with work that brings an aspirational lifestyle to life, 188 entries were received and seven Lions were awarded by the Jury: one Gold, two Silver and three Bronze. The Grand Prix went to “LOEWE x Suna Fujita” for LOEWE by LOEWE, Madrid. The partnership between the Spanish luxury fashion house and Japanese artisanal ceramicist studio Suna Fujita gave birth to a highly exclusive collection of bags, jumpers, accessories and more that were inspired by the original world created by Suna Fujita.

Jury president of the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions, Charles Georges-Picot, CEO of global luxury practice, Publicis Groupe, Global, said: “This year’s Grand Prix, the first ever in this new category, is awarded to LOEWE. Luxury is about quality and creativity. But it’s not enough: luxury Maisons also have a responsibility. Jonathan Anderson, their creative director since 2017, does all of that, and it drives results. He is able to blend traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Cultural engagement and sustainability are also key elements of his vision. It is the craftsmanship and attention to the tiniest detail that ultimately lifted this to Grand Prix. This campaign with Suna Fujita is a wonderful example of what LOEWE is doing so well.”

In the Innovation Lions, celebrating groundbreaking innovation, technology and problem-solving, 231 entries were received and eight Lions were awarded: one Gold, two Silver and four Bronze. The Grand Prix went to “Voice 2 Diabetes” for KVI Brave Fund INC by Klick Health, Toronto. The “Voice 2 Diabetes” innovation, which can detect if someone has type 2 diabetes simply through an audio recording of their voice, is estimated to have the long-term potential of saving an estimated $32.75bn globally and helping 240 million adults living with diabetes worldwide who do not know they have the condition.

Innovation Lions Jury president, Diego Machado, global chief creative officer at AKQA, Global, said: “The innovation category consistently offers a glimpse into the future, transforming ideas into tangible realities. It brings tomorrow closer to today. This year, the Jury faced an exceptionally competitive range of contenders. The surge of new technologies over the past few months has significantly boosted creativity across various industries. In such a competitive year, one particular entry stood out to the Jury. This groundbreaking piece combines years of technological and medical research into a seamless user experience. Its excellence not only earns today’s top award but also paves the way for a new frontier in medical, mobile, and democratic access to healthcare.”

Honoring the measurable impact of creative work, the Creative Effectiveness Lions received 306 entries and the Jury awarded 15 Lions: two Gold, five Silver and seven Bronze. The Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix went to “It Has To Be Heinz” for Heinz Ketchup by Rethink, Toronto, Canada.

Creative Effectiveness Jury president, Harjot Singh, global chief strategy officer at McCann and McCann Worldgroup, Global, said: “Impact is the most undeniable, if not the only measure, of the power of creativity. This is unforgettable work with undeniable impact. It was a unanimous choice in the Jury room.”

In the Creative Strategy Lions, 814 entries were received and 27 Lions were awarded by the Jury: four Gold, nine Silver and 13 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to “A Piece of Me” for KPN by Dentsu Creative, Amsterdam. The leading Dutch telecom brand created a powerful music video and original song featuring a girl being shamed for forwarding a nude photo of herself to a love interest. ‘A Piece of Me’ helped raise awareness and change entrenched cultural attitudes of sexting being shameful in the Netherlands, helping to shift the criticism onto the person forwarding these images without consent instead of the victim.

The Jury president of the Creative Strategy Lions, Vita M. Harris, global chief strategy officer at FCB, Global, said: “‘A Piece of Me’ rose as the Jury’s choice for Grand Prix in Creative Strategy because it fired on so many cylinders. It was the brilliance of the insight: how they got to it; the modernity and problem-reframing nature of it; how it was driven deep into culture – phenomenally so; how it reframed society’s understanding of a misunderstood issue – not just locally but also globally; how actionable it was – going beyond petitioning to law enforcement within a month; the clear impact it had on this telco brand.”

In the Creative Business Transformation Lions, which honor creativity that drives businesses forward, 271 entries were received and eight Lions were awarded by the Jury: one Gold, two Silver and four Bronze. The Grand Prix went to “Refurb” for Phillips by LePub, Amsterdam. The global tech brand tackled the issue of e-waste caused by unwanted products being returned after the winter gifting holiday season by only selling refurbished versions of its products during the period – revolutionizing the brand’s e-commerce platform.

Creative Business Transformation Lions Jury president, Ariana Stolarz, global chief strategy officer, Accenture Song, Global, said: “Who said that new is better? This creative solution brilliantly solves multiple business challenges simultaneously in a way that is much better for consumers, the business, and significantly better for the overall environment. The transformation is here to stay, and ready to scale. It can be replicated by the category at large or by any other industry facing similar challenges. With Philips’ ‘Better Than New’, everybody wins.”

In the Creative Commerce Lions, honoring the innovative and creative approach to online and offline commerce, payment solutions and transactional journeys, 551 entries were received and 19 Lions were awarded by the Jury: four Gold, five Silver and nine Bronze. The Grand Prix went to “Renault – Cars To Work” for Renault by Publicis Conseil, Paris. The new initiative from the automotive brand seeks to help French people who live in mobility deserts–areas where it’s difficult to reach a place of employment by public transport. The brand launched a scheme where people could use a Renault car for free while under their work probationary period and only start paying once they had secured their employment contract.

Jury president of the Creative Commerce Lions, Amy Lanzi, CEO of Digitas North America, said: “We are in the midst of an impressive shift within our industry, transitioning from a transaction-focused paradigm toward a more dynamic, human-centered collaborative commerce model. This year’s Grand Prix winner has manifested this progression with impressive mastery. The Jury was profoundly impressed by Renault’s innovative approach to solving genuine human dilemmas and pain points while simultaneously driving business sales. Renault successfully shattered obstructive cycles that posed significant barriers to employment throughout all of France with this partnership-based approach. The work brilliantly showcases a new way to build meaningful connections between brands and consumers in our increasingly interconnected and networked world.”

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