Cannes Lions kicked off its 70th edition of the Festival with the first Awards Show of the week. The winners of the Pharma, Health & Wellness, Outdoor, Print & Publishing, and Radio & Audio Lions were announced, along with the Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good.
This year, history was made as entrants from Armenia and Nigeria became the first to win a Lion for their respective countries, receiving Bronze Lions in Radio & Audio and Health & Wellness Lions.
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, expressed his delight, stating, “We’re thrilled to honor our first Lion winners, who are raising the creative bar on the global stage. A special thanks to all our exceptional Jurors who have dedicated their time and expertise to set the creative benchmark for the 70th edition of the Festival.”
The Outdoor Lions, which celebrate creativity experienced out of home, received 1,938 entries, resulting in 59 Lions awarded: 9 Gold, 19 Silver, and 30 Bronze. The prestigious Grand Prix was awarded to ‘A British Original’ by Uncommon Creative Studio, London, for British Airways. The campaign, consisting of 500 print, digital, and outdoor executions, cleverly responded to the question “What is the purpose of your visit?” with witty and engaging responses, showcasing impressive scale.
Javier Campopiano, the President of the Outdoor Lions Jury and Worldwide Chief Creative Officer at Grey and Global Chief Creative Officer of OpenX From WPP, Grey/OpenX, commented on the win, stating, “Beneath the surface of a traditional OOH campaign lies a platform that can hold an infinite amount of human truths, stories, desires, and emotions, connecting with people wherever they are in their lives, geographically or emotionally.”
In the Print & Publishing Lions, which recognize creativity in circulation, 814 entries were received, resulting in 26 Lions awarded: 4 Gold, 7 Silver, and 14 Bronze Lions. The Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Newspapers Inside The Newspaper Edition’ by Impact BBDO, Dubai, for AnNahar Newspaper. This work honored freedom of speech in Lebanon and addressed the crisis that affected the publishing industry by reviving publications that had been shut down due to political pressure and failure.
The Print & Publishing Jury praised the Grand Prix-winning work as a brave piece that defended the sanctity of a free press, demonstrating the boundless innovation and potential of the publishing industry.
The Radio & Audio Lions, celebrating creativity in sound, received 715 entries and awarded 22 Lions: 3 Gold, 7 Silver, and 11 Bronze Lions. The Grand Prix was awarded to the ‘Phone It In’ campaign by Colenso BBDO, Auckland, for telecommunications company Skinny, New Zealand.
In the Health & Wellness Lions, which honor creativity for personal well-being, 1,297 entries were received, resulting in 37 Lions awarded: 6 Gold, 13 Silver, and 17 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘The Last Performance’ by Special, Auckland, for Partners Life. This disruptive campaign encouraged New Zealanders to challenge preconceptions about life insurance and take action.
The Pharma Lions, celebrating life-changing creativity, received 354 entries, and 13 Lions were awarded: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, and 6 Bronze Lions. The Pharma Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Scrolling Therapy’ for Eurofarma by Dentsu Creative Buenos Aires / Dentsu Creative New York / Dentsu Creative Chicago.
The Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good was also announced, with the Grand Prix going to ‘Working with Cancer’ for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), created by La Foundation Publicis Chicago / Publicis Conseil Paris / Le Truc New York / Digitas New York / Saatchi & Saatchi Health, New York / Publicis Groupe UK, London. This initiative, with over 600 pledging businesses impacting more than 20 million employees, aims to end the stigma of cancer in the workplace, fostering cross-industry collaboration and driving societal progress.
Arthur Sadoun, global CEO and Chairman of Publicis Groupe, expressed gratitude, saying, “Receiving the esteemed Grand Prix for Good recognition further demonstrates what is possible when we come together for positive change.”
Mel Routhier, Jury President of Health and Wellness and CCO of VMLY&R Chicago, added, “Working with Cancer stopped us in our tracks. We not only saw a brilliantly creative idea, but we also saw a globally impactful one—with scale, inclusivity, and the real potential to change employee care forever.”
The Festival also awarded special accolades, including the Healthcare Network of the Year, where FCB Health secured the top spot, followed by Klick Health and PUBLICIS. The Healthcare Agency of the Year was awarded to AREA 23, an IPG Health Network Company from New York, with KLICK HEALTH and 21GRAMS, Part Of Real Chemistry from New York ranking second and third, respectively.
The winners of the Lions will continue to be announced at the Award Shows held each evening throughout the Festival, from June 19th to 23rd, 2023.
ntly creative idea, but we also saw a globally impactful one—with scale, inclusivity, and the real potential to change employee care forever.”
The Festival also awarded special accolades, including the Healthcare Network of the Year, where FCB Health secured the top spot, followed by Klick Health and PUBLICIS. The Healthcare Agency of the Year was awarded to AREA 23, an IPG Health Network Company from New York, with KLICK HEALTH and 21GRAMS, Part Of Real Chemistry from New York ranking second and third, respectively.
The winners of the Lions will continue to be announced at the Award Shows held each evening throughout the Festival, from June 19th to 23rd, 2023.
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