CANNES – From 234 entries, a total of 76 converted into Lions. The most coveted Direct Lions Grand Prix went to HOST/HAVAS, Sydney for Palau Legacy Project’s ‘Palau Pledge.’
As part of the campaign, the ‘Palau Pledge’ to the nation’s children was created to encourage tourists and locals to be accountable for their actions while on Palau.
Host/Havas led the development of the concept, drawing on its breadth of creative, digital, social and production capabilities and expertise to bring the ‘Palau Pledge’ to life, alongside its sister PR and social agency, Red Agency and members of the Havas global network. They worked in partnership with the Palau Legacy Project team, a local group of voluntary business and marketing professionals that work alongside the Palauan Government to help communicate Palau’s conservation message.
Visitors to Palau are encouraged to sign the pledge at immigration, promising to protect and preserve the nation’s ecosystem for future generations. The effort has received global acclaim from celebrities and activists, and now it’s won one of the most coveted awards in advertising: the Direct Lions Grand Prix.
Both written by and addressed to the children of Palau, the pledge is poetic and powerful in its simplicity:
Children of Palau,
I take this Pledge,
To preserve and protect your beautiful and unique island home.
I vow to tread lightly, act kindly, and explore mindfully.
I shall not take what is not given.
I shall not harm what does not harm me.
The only footprints I shall leave are those that will wash away.
“In a world where we’re talking about data and innovation and what you can do in AI – which are all great – when I look at something that’s so human and it looks simple [and] you think about it getting the ability to change a passport stamp… that can’t be that easy,” Susan Credle, 2018 Direct Lions Jury President says. “It’s an idea that I love because I love ideas that keep on giving and this would be a part of their culture and their government and the way that you enter this country would go on forever.”
Watch adobo magazine’s exclusive interview with 2018 Direct Lions Jury President Susan Credle here:
For this event, 10 Gold Lions were handed out together with 27 Silver Lions and 38 Bronze Lions.
The Direct Lions celebrate response-driven and relationship-building creativity. Entries will need to demonstrate the pursuit and application of customer relationships, directly targeting a specific audience with a call-to-action which produced measurable and meaningful results.
View the full list of Direct Lions winners below:
