Rethink: Independent Network of the Year 2024

This year’s Creative Effectiveness Lions Grand Prix, ‘It Has To Be Heinz’ demonstrates how consistency can deliver results – in this case, over five years. “This is unforgettable work with undeniable impact,” said Harjot Singh, Global Chief Strategy Officer at McCann and McCann Worldgroup and Creative Effectiveness Lions Jury President. He added: “It shows that you don’t have to reinvent everything. Just keep energising what you believe in in ways that are captivating and current.”

‘Coors Lights Out’ was awarded six Lions, including a Gold in the Outdoor Lions and in the Brand Experience & Activation Lions, for creating a viral moment out of an occupational mishap. “It took an embarrassing flaw and made it into a sports sponsorship,” said Outdoor Juror Anusheela Saha, National Creative Director at FCB India. “Work like this teaches us so much. When disaster strikes, the best thing to do is give it a positive spin.”

How do you get customers to interact with a new vertical that they’ve been ignoring? For Uber Eats’ grocery delivery service, the answer lay in hijacking a seasonal moment. By turning iconic horror movie quotes into ‘fill in the blank’ promo code quizzes ahead of Halloween, the brand increased new users for its grocery and retail vertical by 44%. It demonstrates how apps can find fun ways to engage people that highlight a specific service.

Beer brand Molson™ increased awareness of the Professional Women’s Hockey League by making a small change. It marked its jersey sponsorship of the Toronto and Montreal teams by placing its logo in a space covered by ponytails, shifting the players’ names to a more visible position. It shows how sacrificing brand recognition for a greater cause can pay off – PR around the decision helped Molson™ achieve a 5.8% sales increase and its most shared brand campaign ever.

Taking home eight Lions including a Gold in the Direct and in the Social & Influencer Lions, ‘Heinz Ketchup & Seemingly Ranch’ showed how to react quickly to a viral moment. After Taylor Swift was spotted eating the sauce mashup at a Kansas City Chiefs game, Heinz rebranded its struggling Kranch within 48 hours to honour the superstar. By resonating directly with Swifties, the work generated more than 6.1bn earned impressions and led to a 320% rise in sales.