The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced the launch of the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions. They also announced that they would be discontinuing the Mobile Lions.
According to Lions CEO Simon Cook, the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions will recognise branded communications and solutions that “drive business performance and brand loyalty”.
He also highlighted the need for the new category, “Our global committee of experts have advised us that this highly disrupted sector needs its own benchmark, so that we can move from driving awareness to recognising solutions that are changing business models and setting a new creative standard for a market in flux.”
WARC’s ‘Guide to luxury marketing in an era of change’ report also cited research that the global luxury market has bounced by post-pandemic and is also bringing more challenges and opportunities.
It credits the change to demographic shifts in emerging economies along with rapid digital adoption among youth.
“The luxury market has faced significant disruption in recent years and post-pandemic. A shift in consumer behaviour and an accelerated shift towards e-commerce and emerging technologies are just a few of the areas the market has had to navigate and innovate in at speed,” said Marian Brannelly, Global Director of Awards, LIONS.
“Add to this the changing values of new demographics, the evolving definition of luxury in non-Western markets and the need for a heightened focus on sustainability and conscious consumption, and you begin to see the pivotal role that world-class creativity can play in this transformation.”
The award will be created in collaboration with the relevant industry and be judged by a multi-disciplined jury.
On the discontinuation of the Mobile Lions, Brannelly said that, “It’s important that the Awards reflect the current landscape and pave the way forward, so as well as evolving the Lions, it’s equally important for us to retire Lions when necessary.
“In 2024, following consultation with our Juries, we will close the Mobile Lions. Mobile devices are embedded in work across every channel and discipline, and over the past number of years, mobile-led creativity has been expanding into almost every Lion.”
Cannes Lions has said that full information on the new Luxury & Lifestyle Lions, including the definition, criteria and categories, will follow, along with the Entry Kit, will be released in November.
