By Nada Abisaleh, Head of Leo Burnett BeirutThis year at Cannes, the Lions didn’t just roar, they roared for change. From Glass to Titanium, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were everywhere in Cannes.
Dove’s “20 Years of Real Beauty” was a no-brainer for our Glass Grand Prix, a category built to spotlight long-term systemic change and culture shifting communication.
But the campaign everyone kept referencing on stage, in jury rooms, in the Palais halls was AXA’s “Three Words” which garnered an array of metals, including Titanium Grand Prix, Cannes’ most prestigious and coveted award.
Why? because “Three Words” is more than a campaign. It’s a business transformation embedded in a product, forever changing home insurance via 3 simple words added to all home insurance contracts poviding immediate relocation coverage to survivors of domestic violence.
That’s not awareness. That’s action. A systemic shift that gives women a legal and financial exit route from abuse. A real-world tool. A lifeline.
That’s Titanium-worthy, for redefining what brands can do.
But it’s also undeniably Glass-worthy ,for how it tackles gender violence head-on, with tangible long term impact, on the brand it self, but also on the entire insurance industry.
Giving Grand Prix Titanium to Axa is an undeniable proof that DEI doesn’t belong to Glass alone, where we awarded it a very solid Silver Glass. It shaped Titanium thinking this year, and that’s a breakthrough.
While Dove changed how we see women (Glass) , AXA changed how we support them (Titanium).
One shattered perception across 20 years of culture -shifting campaigns. The other shifted policy with a simple add on of 3 words.
Yes, this year, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) took centre stage in Cannes Lions, and was clearly approached as a creative differentiator.
It fused purpose with breakthrough creativity.
And it felt good.
By Nada Abisaleh, Head of Leo Burnett Beirut
