Experiences, activation, innovation, and transformation honoured in the penultimate Cannes 2021 award show

As we near the end of a unique Cannes awards show, we see Lions presented to the leaders in transformation, experience, and innovation.

Nine Grand Prix Lions were awarded this morning, with two awarded in Brand Experience and Activation Lions, which received nearly triple the entries as any other category today. Today's honorees won in Mobile Lions; Radio & Audio Lions; Creative Business Transformation Lions; Creative eCommerce Lions; Brand Experience and Activation Lions; Innovation Lions; and Creative Effectiveness Lions.

Notably, the Stevenage Challenge by DAVID, Madrid / DAVID, Miami for Burger King wins its third Grand Prix today in Brand Experience and Activation, and Pakistan gets a second Grand Prix with their win in the Mobile category for Naming the Invisible by Digital Birth Registration by Telenor Pakistan and Ogilvy Pakistan.

Brand Experience and Activation Lions

Taking a holistic look at campaigns, this full-circle award honours creative, comprehensive brand-building through experience design, activation, immersive, retail and 360° customer engagement, 75 Lions were awarded by the jury from 2,352 entries received: 11 gold, 19 silver and 43 bronze. 

The jury awarded two Grands Prix in this category. True Name for Mastercard, McCann New York, the campaign that empowered transgender and nonbinary cardholders to use their chosen name rather than risk injury, insults, or other bigotry by having a name on their card that does not match their gender presentation. Jury President, Vicki Maguire, Chief Creative Officer, Havas, UK, described it as a piece of work that “touches you, that hits something, that you feel before you actually comprehend it.” 

The second Grand Prix—the third of the week for this work—was presented to Stevenage Challenge by DAVID, Madrid / DAVID, Miamifor Burger King.

For the full list of Brand Experience and Activation Lions winners, click here.

Creative eCommerce Lion

Two Grands Prix were awarded, the first to Tienda Cerca by draftLine, Bogota, Colombia, for AB InBev, a hyper-local ecommerce platform supporting small businesses and consumers through the pandemic. The second Grand Prix went to FCB Inferno, London’s Raising Profiles for The Big Issue/LinkedIn, which connected Big Issue magazine sellers with customers through the LinkedIn platform during lockdown. Raising Profiles additionally won a gold Lion. 

For the full list of Creative eCommerce Lion winners, click here.

Mobile Lions

Pakistan, for the second time this week, took home a Grand Prix for Naming the invisible by Digital Birth Registration by Telenor Pakistan, Islamabad/Ogilvy Pakistan, Islamabad, for Telenor Pakistan. A “beautifully ambitious project." Mobile Lions Jury President, Andrew Keller, VP, Global Creative Director, Facebook, also said, "I love that the work is sustainable, this isn’t a campaign that’s here today, gone tomorrow, it’s something that’s going to drive continued change for Pakistan in an incredibly powerful way and we were all blown away and beyond inspired by this piece.”

Celebrating device-driven creativity, 898 entries were received and 34 Lions awarded: seven gold, 11 silver and 15 bronze. Some additional gold winners include Netflix's Stranger Antenna (supporting Stranger Things) from AKQA Sao Paolo and Publicly Traded by FCB/SIX Toronto—a correct prediction from Colin Craig earlier in the month.

For the full list of Mobile Lion winners, click here.

Radio & Audio Lions

The Radio & Audio Lions, celebrating creativity that is wired for sound, received 886 entries and 34 Lions were honoured: six gold, nine silver and 14 bronze. The Grand Prix went to SICK BEATS, by Area 23, an FCB Health Network Company, New York for Woojer, which also took the Pharma Grand Prix as the first music-powered airway clearance vest revolutionizing therapy for children with cystic fibrosis.

DAVID Madrid also won a series of gold and silver Lions for their work with Burger King. 

For the full list of Radio and Audio Lion winners, click here.

Creative Business Transformation Lions

A brand new category, debuting this year, the Creative Business Transformation Lions celebrate the creativity that drives businesses forward. Cannes received 202 entries for this new section and awarded nine Lions: one gold, three silver, and four bronze. The inaugural Grand Prix went to Act for Food by Marcel, Paris for Carrefour, a worldwide programme of actions for the food transition to improve health and make our food system better for farmers and the planet.

The previous Grand Prix winner, Mastercard's True Name, by McCann New York, also snagged a bronze in this category

For the full list of Creative Business Transformation Lion winners, click here.

Innovation Lions

From 161 entries received in the Innovation Lions, which honour ground-breaking innovation, technology and problem solving, five Lions were awarded: one silver, three bronze, and the Grand Prix went to Degree Inclusive by Wunderman Thompson, Buenos Aires for Unilever, this innovative deodorant is designed specifically for people with visual impairment and upper extremity impairment. The Degree Inclusive prototype was co-developed with a cross-discipline team at Wunderman Thompson, led by Christina Mallon, Wunderman Thompson’s Global Head of Inclusive Design.

“As a disabled person, I’ve experienced first-hand the challenges of living in a world of conventional design, where most products and services are not designed with the disabled community in mind,” says Mallon. “Being unable to access a basic utility like deodorant – something most people take for granted - has a huge impact on your ability to move, and therefore your quality of life in general. That’s why we’re incredibly proud to have partnered with Unilever to create this innovative and life-changing product: the very first deodorant designed by people with disabilities—for people with disabilities. We hope this will inspire more brands to take an inclusive and accessible approach to design.”

For the full list of Innovation Lion winners, click here.

Creative Effectiveness Lions

The Creative Effectiveness Lions that celebrate the measurable impact of creative work, received 141 entries and 11 Lions were awarded: three gold, three silver, and four bronze. The Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix went to Crazy Dreams by Wieden+Kennedy, Portland for Nike, which also won a gold and silver in this category.

ROTHCO Dublin also received a nod for their sentimental campaign Sleeping Flags, which took Irish flags and made them into sleeping bags, distributing them to homeless veterans in a bid to raise awareness and funds for Irish vets who don't have the support they need to survive. 

For the full list of Creative Effectiveness Lion winners, click here.