Be Scrappy
“More imperfection means more powerful stories,” said Dentsu Creative’s Chief Creative Officer Riccardo Fregoso at this year’s Festival. And many 2024 Lion winners showed the benefits of losing the airbrush and embracing imperfection and participation. Here, we look at how eight winners imbued their brands with more character and relevance by keeping it real.
Read more in Insights & Trends, the final instalment of the Lions Creativity Report series.
Thanks for Coke-Creating | Coca-Cola | VML, New York | 2024
Coca-Cola endorsed its ubiquity by integrating local shops’ unpolished logo imitations into its official comms. “We were breaking guidelines, but it wasn’t for nothing,” shared Rafael Pitanguy, Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer at VML. “We were totally aligned on values and beliefs. And values do come before visuals.”
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(opens in a new tab)Life Is Not An IKEA Catalogue | IKEA | Try, Oslo | 2024
A relatable series of images subjected IKEA furniture to vomit, dog pee and reckless partygoers. By disputing the glossiness of its own catalogue, IKEA helped in-store and online traffic reach an all-time high. It shows how a down-to-earth approach can help humanise your brand and grab attention when people are mid-scroll.
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(opens in a new tab)Wendy’s Enters the Chat | Wendy’s | VML, Kansas City | 2024
Wendy’s increased organic reach by 235% year on year by mimicking the endearing tropes of Facebook mums: typos, all caps, blurry pictures and oversharing. The chaotic approach earned it the highest share of voice among the restaurant category on Facebook. It demonstrates how to surprise audiences by interacting with them in the same way that they interact with each other.
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(opens in a new tab)The Unmentionables | Unilever | MullenLowe UK, London
Cleanipedia, Unilever’s cleaning tips platform, partnered with other brands to bypass ad restrictions around bodily fluids. UV light revealed ‘embarrassing’ stains on products in their out-of-home ads, amassing 120m impressions. It’s an example of how to connect with people in an authentic, non-judgmental way by tackling an awkward subject head on.
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(opens in a new tab)Mayo Haters | NotCo | GUT Miami
Plant-based sauce brand NotMayo sought out mayo haters on Reddit, gave them a taste test and captured their retches on camera. The message? If you hate mayo, you’ll hate NotMayo. By taking a risk and embracing disgust, the brand flipped typical food advertising tropes and added credibility to its message – boosting purchase intent by 14%.
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(opens in a new tab)Heinz Ketchup Insurance | Heinz | FP7, McCann, Dubai
Heinz created a hotline to cover messy sauce mishaps, increasing monthly engagement by 856%. Demonstrating how to combine humour with a practical response to a pain point, it contributed to a 25% rise in sales in the UAE.
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(opens in a new tab)Kruger - Love is Messy | Kruger | nimiopere, Toronto
Tissue paper manufacturer Kruger embraced the less romantic side of love – drunken nights, messy breakups and sickness – and positioned itself as an ally throughout these raw moments. It led to a $36.9m increase in retail sales. The lesson? Show audiences you understand them by being more honest about life’s failures and flaws.
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