Just last month, the feature documentary 5B was shown at the Cannes Film Festival as part of its Special Screenings lineup. Fast forward to this evening (6/18) and the film from Johnson & Johnson finds itself front and center at the other marquee Cannes event, the International Festival of Creativity, earning UM Studios, New York, the Entertainment Lions Grand Prix.
Named after San Francisco General Hospital’s ward 5B which opened in 1983 as the first full-fledged hospital unit dedicated to treating people with AIDS, the documentary was directed by Dan Krauss of Saville Productions. The moving film shows the positive power of nursing, continuing a theme which Johnson & Johnson has championed over the years. Click here for more on the people in 5B and their stories.
Entertainment Lions jury president Scott Donaton, global chief creative & content officer of Digitas, global, said, “5B is a brave idea and a beautiful story that’s brilliantly crafted. It can – and will – stand as a piece of great entertainment as well as an example of bold marketing. We need more stories like this, stories that make people care, that reflect a brand’s values and that point the way forward for our industry.”
Celebrating creativity that turns content into culture, 830 Entertainment Lions entries were submitted with 27 picking up a Lion–1 Grand Prix, 3 Gold, 10 Silver and 13 Bronze Lions.
Meanwhile competition results were also announced for the other competitions in the Entertainment Track–the Entertainment Lions for Music and the Entertainment Lions for Sport.
On the former score, Doomsday Entertainment, Los Angeles, won the Music Content: Excellence in Music Video Grand Prix for “This Is America” for Childish Gambino which looked at the representation of black people in America and the prejudices they faced. The second Grand Prix in this category awarded for Community: Fan Engagement/Community Building, was awarded to AKQA São Paulo for “Bluesman” by Brazilian rapper Baco Exu Do Blues, aiming to unify audiences in the quest for equality and peace. “Bluesman” marked the first Entertainment Lion for Music Grand Prix won by Brazil.
A total of 391 Entertainment Lions For Music entries, celebrating creative musical collaborations and original music content, were submitted. 14 Lions were awarded: 2 Grands Prix, 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 7 Bronze Lions.
The first ever Entertainment Lions for Sport Grand Prix has been awarded to Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore., for Nike’s “Dream Crazy,” which leverages the power of sport to move the world forward.
This is the second Grand Prix the Colin Kaepernick-starring campaign has won at Cannes, having earlier topped the Outdoor Lions Billboards category. The Entertainment Lions for Sport jury president, Steve Stoute, founder & CEO, Translation Enterprises, noted that much of the work judged centered around diversity and inclusion in sport, and in particular women in sports with a call to action to fight back against gender bias.
This new Sport category celebrates creativity that taps into fan culture and leverages the power of sports and eSports in connecting people to brands. 702 entries were entered with a total of 29 Lions awarded: 1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 10 Silver and 14 Bronze Lions.
Craft Track
Also honored this evening was deserving work in the Cannes Lions Craft Track focusing on the artistry, skill, talent and flair required to cut through to an audience, bringing creative ideas to life.
Final Cut, New York picked up the Film Craft Lions Grand Prix for “The Truth Is Worth It” campaign for The New York Times which aims to show that original, independent journalism requires resources, time and commitment. Subscribing to The Times supports that effort, making for an informed electorate and a more empathetic society. The Times work was directed by Daniel Lindsay and TJ Martin of Furlined, and edited by Final Cut's Jim Helton, for Droga5, NY,
Film Craft Lions jury president, Rebecca Skinner, managing director/executive producer, Superprime Films, commented: “Over seven days of judging there were many perspectives and discussions across all of the work, but when it came to the Grand Prix it was unanimous. A bold and courageous campaign crafted in a unique way.”
The jury pointed out that while the craft was very diverse and shone through, there was a high level of brands touching on social issues.
A total of 1,924 entries competed in the Film Craft Lions. The jury awarded 1 Grand Prix, 12 Gold, 24 Silver and 41 Bronze Lions.
The Digital Craft Lions Grand Prix was awarded to VIRTUE, Copenhagen for Carlings’ “adDRESS THE FUTURE,” whereby the multi-brand chain created a digital fashion collection to raise awareness of the environmental damage of fast fashion.
Digital Craft Lions jury president Rei Inamoto, founding partner, Inamoto & CO, said: “This is a Grand Prix with the ambition to tackle a huge problem that humanity faces. The unexpectedness of the idea itself, the ingenuity and the scalability makes this a worthy winner.”
797 Digital Craft entries demonstrating technical artistry were submitted with 23 Lions awarded: 1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 7 Silver and 11 Bronzes Lions.
The Industry Craft Lions Grand Prix was presented to Momentum Worldwide, New York, for Nike which transformed a church into a basketball facility called “Just Do It HQ at The Church” for Chicago’s youth.
Industry Craft Lions jury president, Trevor Robinson, OBE, founder and executive creative director, Quiet Storm, commented: “It’s a Grand Prix that celebrates bringing restraint to craft, with a legacy that lives beyond this award.”
1,697 Industry Craft Lions entries were submitted with 1 Grand Prix, 6 Gold, 14 Silver and 20 Bronze Lions being awarded. The jury noted that much of the work was emotionally powerful using creative craft to present their messages.
