UAE work has won an unprecedented two Grands Prix as Cannes Lions has announced the first winners at this year’s festival.
The winners of the Pharma Lions, Health & Wellness Lions, Outdoor Lions, Print & Publishing Lions and Radio & Audio Lions were all announced during the first live Awards Show of the week.
Simon Cook, CEO, Lions, said, “We’re delighted to announce our first Lion winners who are raising the creative bar, as the global creative community comes together in Cannes to drive progress through creativity and benchmark creative excellence on the global stage.”
The Outdoor Lions received 1,809 entries and 48 Lions were awarded: 10 Gold, 15 Silver and 23 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Liquid Billboard’ by Havas Middle East, Dubai, Cultural Insight for adidas. The world’s first swimmable billboard was created to promote the brand’s new inclusive, full-cover swimwear collection.
The Grand Prix for OOH is a win for the whole region and an acknowledgement of the power of communications. I’d like to thank our clients for their trust and support, and our teams for their passion and relentless efforts.”
“Making brands meaningful by decoding culture and creating outstanding work is our DNA,” said Dany Naaman CEO of Havas Middle East. “I am extremely proud of the immense talent of our teams at Havas Middle East and of our Cannes Lions recognitions on the first day of the awards. The Grand Prix for OOH is a win for the whole region and an acknowledgement of the power of communications. I’d like to thank our clients for their trust and support, and our teams for their passion and relentless efforts.”
In the Print & Publishing Lions, 795 entries were received and 21 Lions awarded: 4 Gold, 6 Silver, and 10 Bronze Lions, and the Grand Prix went to ‘The Elections Edition’ for An Nahar Newspaper, by Impact BBDO, Dubai, securing a second Grand Prix for the United Arab Emirates.
Commenting on the Grand Prix, Print & Publishing Lions Jury President, Natalie Lam, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA, Hong Kong, SAR, said: “The Elections Edition has the kind of genius simplicity that we often see in Grand Prix winning work. The best work is the least complicated. It cuts through the clutter and hits straight at your heart. The element of innovative thinking also pushes work in the Lion ahead.”
“The Elections Edition has the kind of genius simplicity that we often see in Grand Prix winning work. The best work is the least complicated. It cuts through the clutter and hits straight at your heart. The element of innovative thinking also pushes work in the Lion ahead.”
Dani Richa, Chairman and CEO Impact BBDO MEA, said, “We are very pleased to see IMPACT BBDO win a second Grand Prix for AnNahar Newspaper at Cannes Lions after having won the first MENA Grand Prix in 2019. This goes to show the importance of consistency and determination for change. The irony is that it’s a Grand Prix in Print & Publishing when there was no printing at all – something that shows that the power of an idea can transcend design.”
Impact BBDO and AnNahar have had a partnership the agency calls “incredible”, resulting in big wins at Cannes Lions. Apart from the Grand Prix in 2019, the agency also won a Gold Lion in 2021 for The New National Anthem Edition.
Radio & Audio Lions received 692 entries and 23 Lions were awarded: 3 Gold, 7 Silver, and 12 Bronze Lions. The Grand Prix went to ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ of the British Museum, for VICE Media, by Dentsu Creative, Bengaluru / Dentsu Creative, Mumbai / Dentsu Creative, Guragaon, a creatively ground-breaking unofficial podcast guide to the British Museum’s disputed artifacts.
In the Health & Wellness Lions, honouring creativity for personal well-being, 1,213 entries were received and 38 Lions awarded: 7 Gold, 11 Silver and 19 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘The Killer Pack’, Maxx Flash Mosquito Repellent Coil, by VMLY&R, Mumbai. This mosquito repellent, made from 100% biodegradable, innovative packaging which kills mosquito larvae when disposed in garbage dumps, dustbins and stagnant water, helping to break the vicious cycle of threatening diseases like dengue and malaria in India.
Pharma Lions, which celebrate life-changing creativity, from 298 entries, 11 Lions were awarded: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, and 4 Bronze Lions. The jury awarded the Pharma Grand Prix to ‘I Will Always Be Me’ for Dell Technologies & Intel, VMLY&R, New York.
The Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good, which is given to work created for non-profit organisations and charities, has been awarded to ‘Lil Sugar— Master Of Disguise’ for Hip-Hop Public Health (HHPH) by AREA 23, an IPG Health Network Company, New York.
Driven by a music video with a song, co-written and performed by rap sensation Darryl DMC McDaniels from Run-DMC, this highly creative piece of work used rap, storytelling and gaming to make nutrition literacy fun and turn kids into experts on sugar, driving engagement through Lil Sugar app downloads.
The Young Lions Print Gold winner was also announced live on stage: ‘The Protest Cardboard’ by Will Cega and Rafael Quintal, Germany.
The five Global Growth Councils for Progress will meet at Cannes Lions for the first-time, working collectively during the festival and throughout the year to offer solutions and drive creative progress for business and society at large. On Friday 24 June, the Councils will come together on the Lumiere stage to define the agenda and announce their commitment pledges for the year ahead.
