Cannes Lions has named Apple as its Creative Brand of the Year in its LIONS Creativity Report.
Apple took the top spot in the Creative Brand of the Year rankings for the first time after scooping three Grands Prix and 26 additional Lions, its highest-ever number.
The brand’s recent work has included a spot with pop star Olivia Rodrigo spruiking the new iPhone 15 Pro, a moving short film with a three-legged dog and a hypnotic “masterpiece” talking up its phones’ battery lives.
Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of marketing communications, said: “Apple has always believed that creative people with passion can change the world for the better. I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by such people every day and am in awe of the ideas they dream up in our quest to make Apple the most creatively inspiring company in the world.”
The ‘Back to Brand’ section of the report contains three pages devoted to Apple’s Lion wins and its effective strategy of demonstrating product features in its creative work.
Elsewhere in the Creative Brand of the Year rankings, Heinz has ranked in the top 10 for the first time, as have Microsoft and the Uruguayan multinational online food delivery service PedidosYa.
GUT was awarded Independent Network of the Year, and its Buenos Aires office picked up Agency of the Year and Independent Agency of the Year. Following this impressive haul of wins, GUT has reported that its profits have doubled, demonstrating the power of Lion-winning creativity.
Anselmo Ramos, creative chairman and co-founder, GUT, said: “We hope we can inspire all the independent shops out there to dream big. Set the ambition high, know what you stand for and work with the best talent you can.”
DDB Worldwide won its first Network of the Year award. Marty O’Halloran, Global CEO, DDB Worldwide, said: “True pioneers that prioritise creativity and turn it into the most powerful force in business will lead the way in making a difference in the world.”
The LIONS Creativity Report also features seven Regional Network of the Year awards and 12 global awards, including Creative Company, Network, Agency, Independent Network, Independent Agency, Creative Brand and Palme d’Or, as well as Health Network, Health Agency, Media Network, Agency by Track, and Independent Agency by Track of the Year.
The report includes analysis and insights from the winning work and lessons from effective brands. There are five trends and themes: Back to brand, Go for growth, Community-first creativity, Reset with AI and Seize the future.
Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “The rankings, themes, trends and insights identified in this report will propel our industry. Creativity has the power to make companies all over the world grow, and LIONS has been championing creative excellence and effectiveness for 70 years. 2023 was no exception. In the Titanium Lions, a celebration of game-changing creativity, the four awarded winners came from China, the US, Australia and Poland. Across the Lions we also saw first-time winners from Nigeria and Armenia.”
