Cannes Lions: VICE Media And Leo Burnett Sydney Win Big On Day Three

On the third day of the 2022 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, VICE Media and Leo Burnett Sydney were among the big winners of the day as the former took home the Grand Prix for Brand Experience & Activation, while the latter walked away with the coveted prize for Innovations.

The campaign, which was conducted in association with the British Museum, used AR technologies to help people learn more about the story of several civilisations from across the world. Users would scan ancient relics with their phones and listen to narrations from people who were from the countries the objects were taken from (Greece, Italy, Japan, etc.)

In the Brand Experience & Activation Lions, there were a total of 1,919 entries received, while 57 Lions were awarded by the jury: 9 Gold, 20 Silver and 27 Bronze. it’s also worth mentioning that this was the second Grand Prix of the week for this piece of work, an unofficial guide to the British Museum’s disputed artefacts, which also took home the coveted trophy in the Radio & Audio Lions.

In the Innovation Lions, honouring ground-breaking innovation, technology and problem solving, 117 entries were received and 4 Lions were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘One House To Save Many’, for Suncorp Group, by Leo Burnett Sydney, weather resilient housing that is resilient to fire, flood, storm and cyclone. Innovation Lions Jury President, Cleve Gibbon, CTO, Wunderman Thompson, United States, commented: “Every year in Australia, homes are destroyed and billions are spent on rebuilding communities due to extreme weather events. The One House set out to achieve something never done before — it democratises access to resilient housing materials to protect homes against tropical cyclones, floods, and fires. This housing solution was brought to life through a creative brand/agency partnership backed by the Australian government to deliver a commercially viable transformative product. As a jury, we were blown away by the boldness of the idea, the creative bravery of the execution, and the massive societal, environmental and economic impact. One House innovation has started a movement.”

In the Mobile Lions, celebrating device-driven creativity, 543 entries were received and 21 Lions awarded by the jury: 3 Gold, 7 Silver and 10 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Real Tone – Product Innovation & Global Campaign’, for Google, by Google, Mountain View / T Brand Studio, New York / Wieden+Kennedy, Portland / GUT, Miami.

Honouring the measurable impact of creative work, the Creative Effectiveness Lions received 258 entries and the jury awarded 21 Lions: 5 Gold, 6 Silver and 9 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Contract for Change’, for Michelob Ultra, by FCB Chicago / FCB New York. Creative Effectiveness Lions Jury President, Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing & communications officer, Mastercard, said: “To pick the Creative Effectiveness Lion Grand Prix winner is to pick the best of the absolute best. The campaign we chose was not only strong on creativity and effectiveness, it went above and beyond – it is disruptive, game-changing and has impact lasting into the future. It’s a powerful example of how marketing should play an effective role in driving the business, build the brand and play a key role in the entire business value chain.”

In the Creative Strategy Lions, 574 entries were received and 19 were awarded by the jury: 3 Gold, 6 Silver and 9 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘The Breakaway: The First Ecycling Team For Prisoners’, for Decathlon, by BBDO Belgium, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. Creative Strategy Lions Jury President, Chrissie Hanson, global chief strategy officer, OMD, Global, commented: ‘We believe that the work we elevate to a Grand Prix sends a signal about the values that our industry should hold, and therefore the Decathlon Sports for Prisoners (Belgium) represents the brave and socially conscious moves that are possible when the strategy, media, and retail activations flow directly from the core brand purpose.”

In the Creative Business Transformation Lions, which honour the creativity that drives businesses forward, 158 entries were received and 9 were awarded by the jury: 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Piñatex’, for Dole Sunshine Company + Ananas Anam.

In the Creative Commerce Lions, honouring the innovative and creative approach to online and offline commerce, payment solutions and transactional journeys, 374 entries were received and 17 were awarded by the jury: 3 Gold, 5 Silver and 8 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Thighstop’, for Wingstop, by Leo Burnett Chicago. Creative Commerce Lions Jury President, Beth Ann Kaminkow, global CEO VMLY&R COMMERCE / CEO NY VMLY&R, Global, said: “Some work changes the world, and some exceptional work demonstrates the transformation that is possible when creativity is unleashed in response to the world changing. In the inaugural Creative Commerce Lions, we are recognizing this work that provocatively pivoted – bravely and holistically – to deliver big for both their customers and business. We hope this courageous work will serve as inspiration for Commerce-led creativity that’s business driving, brand-building, and deeply engaging.”