CANNES – A campaign advocating “Peace Day” between fast food rivals has been awarded the Print and Publishing Lions Grand Prix on the third day of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. ‘McWhopper’ by Y&R NZ Auckland out of New Zealand earned the highest honor for client Burger King and their proposal of joining forces with rivals McDonald’s.
For its part, the Philippines’ TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno earned Bronze Lions for ‘Float’ and ‘Boat,’ two distinct posters in the Public Health & Safety, Public Sector & Awareness Messages for client ABS-CBN Foundation. Both posters are part of the ‘Dirty Watercolor’ campaign which used water samples from Manila’s most polluted rivers.
Promo and Activation Lions
The Grand Prix for Promo and Activation Lions went to Venables, Bell, and Partners San Francisco for the campaign ‘#OptOutside’for outdoor retailer REI. On what is the biggest shopping day of the year, all 143 REI stores were closed to invite all of America to #OptOutside with the company.
There were 26 jury members from 24 countries in Promo and Activations, most of which had never judge before in Cannes. Led by Jury President Rob Reilly, Global Creative President of McCann Worldgroup, the diverse jury resulted in a fresh perspective for the work with 306 shortlisted from 71 different countries. Winners from 26 countries emerged as the jury noted three themes: a focus on big brands, charities and NGOs proliferated this year’s competition, and purpose-led marketing. The jury was particularly hard on charity work because of the importance of continuing to do so.
Reilly noted that the jury was very divided between ‘Brewtroleum’ from Heineken New Zealand by agency Colenso BBDO Auckland and ‘#OptOutside.’ In the end, however, it was the San Francisco agency that earned Grand Prix honors.
Direct Lions
For the Direct Lions Grand Prix winner, NGO Stockholm out of Sweden was declared the winner for ‘The Swedish Number,’ a campaign for The Swedish Tourist Association.
Direct Lions jury president Mark Tutssel of Leo Burnett Worldwide noted that in a world where we text tweets at our fingertips, it is easier to mistake connection with technology. Tutssel added that it was refreshing to see an idea that unites 9.5 million brand ambassadors with the world through speaking via a one-to-one phone call. ‘The Swedish Number’ was a great idea with an immediate response and was a celebration of national pride as well as a potent 250 year commitment to freedom.
Noting that Direct Lions are a celebration of people to affect the human race, Tutssel shared that the brief given to the jury was to identify brands that embrace creativity and that power in creativity results in human value and business success.
All these brands generate business and have made an impact, said Tutssel, and that is the beauty of what they do. Tutssel stressed that as creative people, they are glad that clients are present in Cannes and embrace the need for both business and making an impact.
Glass Lions
For Glass Lions jury president Madeline Di Nonno, Chief Executive Officer of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, she noted that the winner of the Glass Lions Grand Prix is actually a 133-year-old brand. That brand, Brooke Bond Red Label Tea, wanted to take on the issue of transgender in India with agency Mindshare Mumbai. “How do you embrace it? How do you combat gender norms?” Di Nonno asked of the campaign.
Through an inventive use of music that was inspired by Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” as well as a little Bollywood flavor, the agency was able to impact pop culture while speaking with a humanity that has hardly been applied to transgendered people in media in the past.
Di Nonno admitted that she herself is a Cannes newbie, but added that she was thrilled to work together with then jury for the Glass Lions. “I am honored and it is fabulous to be part of this small jury,” she shared.
“Our work this year aimed to shatter gender stereotypes by marginalization,” she said before emphasizing that gender inequality is not just “a woman’s issue.”
Radio Lions
Tom Eymundson, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Pirate Group Inc. in Canada served as the 2016 Jury President of the Radio Lions. Eymundson stated that there were 14000 entries for the Radio Lions, and the jury was looking for major brands to make an impact.
The Radio Lions Grand Prix was awarded to Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg for KFC with their campaign ‘The Everyman Meal’ and its three iterations: Coloured Weights, Claw Thing, and Cherry Lip Balm.
Eymundson shared that the Grand Prix winners struck a chord with the jury for the humorous take on the struggle to still be men.
