Heart-wrenching animations, slick humour, and the greater good were some of the triumphant themes at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this year. We recap our favourites of the well-deserved winning bunch (in no particular order):
Title: FU2016
Client: House of Cards for Netflix
Agency: BBH New York
During possibly the fiercest and most controversial presidential campaigns in America, BBH New York created a brilliant spoof to promote the fourth season of House of Cards, winning the prestigious Grand Prix in the Integrated category.
Title: The Alphabet of Illiteracy
Client: Project Literacy for Pearson
Agency: FCB Inferno
The stark clash of the infantile nursery rhyme teaching the alphabet against subjects of disease, child marriage and malnutrition makes for a powerful message on the link between illiteracy and serious human issues affecting almost 800 million people around the world.
Title: Shoplifters
Client: Harvey Nichols
Agency: adam&eveDDB
Harvey Nicks must be elated with their agency, adam&eveDDB, for winning yet another Grand Prix for their film work. This year the award went to their ‘Shoplifters’ piece promoting the Rewards Loyalty App.
Title: Man boobs for boobs
Client: Macma
Agency: David Argentina
This how-to video fuels the debate surrounding censorship of the female body, and humorously overcomes the challenge by using man boobs for the demo instead. The simple piece brought home a Health Grand Prix in the Cyber category.
Title: Imagine the Possibilities
Client: Mattel Barbie
Agency: BBDO San Francisco
This video made a resounding impact on the female team here at Loveurope when it first came out, so we’re thrilled to see this piece for Barbie receive the recognition it deserves. Undeniably cute, adorably funny, and a surprising little twist at the end show how much impact the doll can really have on a girl’s life:
Title: Van Gogh Bedroom
Client: Art Institute of Chicago
Agency: Leo Burnett Chicago USA
One of those simply genius and geniusly simple ideas won Leo Burnett Chicago a Gold Lion at Cannes last week – to bring Van Gogh’s famous The Bedroom painting to life by recreating the scene in an AirBnB, promoting the Art Institute of Chicago’s new exhibition featuring three of the artists paintings – together in one place for the first time. And for only $10, anyone can be a part of the “immersive experience”:
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/10981658
Title: Justino
Client: Loterias y Apuestas del Estado (Spanish Lottery)
Agency: Leo Burnett Madrid
Leo Burnett Madrid brought home a Grand Prix for their touching Christmas animation for the Spanish Lottery, telling the story of a lonely old security guard surprised by his co-workers to raise his spirits for the festive time of year.
Title: Unfairy Tales, Malak and the Boat
Client: UNICEF
Agency: 180LA
Another harrowing animation makes the cut this year – this time in the form of “unfairy tales” for UNICEF, highlighting some of the real stories of infant refugees. 180LA took home a Grand Prix in the Prize for Good category:
Title: The Fairest Night Of All
Client: Andes Beer
Agency: Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi
For this hilarious series of ads for Andes Beer, Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi recruited the world’s best hagglers to secure their unsung heroes valuable time with friends. In another spot they created a fake casting call that went on to the night, freeing the nightclubs of the stereotypically attractive men, allowing those that don’t usually get the chance to seduce their female love interests.
Title: McWhopper
Client: Burger King
Agency: Y&R
Perhaps one of the most hyped up contenders prior to the festival – McWhopper was created by Y&R as a proposal to unite two of the world’s opposing superbrands for Peace Day. Although McDonald’s rejected the offer from Burger King, the piece generated huge traction in the press and across social channels, seeing avid fans take matters into their own hands, and create the McWhopper themselves: