Cannes Lions 2024: Creativity Worth Sharing

Creative B2B Lions Grand Prix winner JCDecaux turned an anonymous grandma into an Instagram hero to prove the power of out-of-home. “This showed that unused out-of-home subway space has immense value,” said Jury President Andisa Ntsubane, Managing Executive: Brand, Marketing and Communications: Africa, Vodacom Group. “It’s a powerful, insightful and resourceful way of engaging audiences while proving a business case.”

Winner of the Creative Data Lions Grand Prix, Mastercard used its spending data to unite Polish and Ukrainian businesses. Jury President Rose Herceg, Country President Australia and New Zealand, WPP, praised the work’s “incredible finesse”. She said: “It delivers socially, economically, geographically and culturally. It stops xenophobia in its tracks. It helps create a booming small business economy.”

Xbox showed how in-game technique can build real-life skills by recruiting a gamer to lead Bromley FC to victory. It led to a 190% rise in gamers playing the Football Manager game and won the Direct Lions Grand Prix. “This teaches us all the value of patience, turning a great thought into an unbeatable integrated direct campaign,” said Jury President Pancho Cassis, Partner and Global Chief Creative Officer at DAVID.

Black Friday sales on e-commerce website Mercado Libre rose by 80% following an on-screen treasure hunt inspired by its logo. Media Lions Jury President Prerna Mehrotra, Chief Client Officer & CEO Media, dentsu APAC, praised her Jury’s Grand Prix: “This idea proves that a strong insight can lead technology to reinvent the TV-watching experience in a clever way. It drives participation and wins business.”

Specsavers scooped the Audio & Radio Lions and the PR Lions Grands Prix for a mass hearing test disguised as a song by artist Rick Astley. Jury President Kat Thomas, Founder and Global Executive Creative Director, One Green Bean, praised the choice of partner: “Right person, right time, right place. Astley is part of meme culture anyway. He was on the radar of Gen Z as well as 50 plus. And his song has been known for decades for being misheard.”

Skincare brand CeraVe sparked rumours that celebrity namesake Michael Cera had developed the product, then used its Super Bowl film to dispel them. “Our Social & Influencer Grand Prix winner is wildly ambitious, lovably absurd, multi-channel and ultra-modern,” said Jury President Amy Ferguson, Chief Creative Officer, Partner, Special US. “It’s much smarter than just a celebrity campaign.”