A powerful documentary about the Afghan Girls National Football team, XBox Game Pass and WoMen’s Football took home Grands Prix during Day Two of The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
In the Entertainment Lions, 762 entries were received and 27 Lions awarded by the Jury: three Gold, eight Silver and 15 Bronze. Germany emerged as a standout, securing two Grand Prix awards, while Iceland celebrated its first-ever Lion win.
LIONS CEO, Simon Cook, noted: “As we celebrate the Craft and Entertainment Lions on the second day of Cannes Lions 2024, I’m once again inspired by the body of work that’s emerging from the Jury rooms. It is truly setting the benchmark for world-class creativity that is driving the industry forward.”
The Entertainment Lions Grand Prix was awarded to We Are Ayenda for WhatsApp by Creative X, Palo Alto, and Modern Arts, Los Angeles. This moving documentary tells the story of the Afghan Girls National Football Team, who used WhatsApp to escape the Taliban’s control in 2021.
Jury President Geoffrey Edwards, Managing Director, Creative at Gale US praised the film for its compelling narrative and the brand’s crucial role in providing hope and safety. “We Are Ayenda tells the story of 25 members of the Afghanistan Jr National Football team. We follow how they navigated their escape during the Taliban takeover of the capital city of Kabul in 2021 by using the safety features on WhatsApp. The film represents hope and demonstrates a perfect marriage of narrative storytelling with the brand playing a central and critical role. Stories like this represent the power that brands and entertainment have to Impact real change in the world.”
The Entertainment Lions for Gaming Grand Prix went to ‘The Everyday Tactician’ for Xbox Games Pass by McCann London. This campaign disrupted traditional job application processes by creating a real-world football management position accessible only through Football Manager 2024, showcasing how gaming can transfer digital skills to real-life scenarios. Lydia Winters, Jury President, highlighted the campaign’s unique engagement and its impact on societal perceptions of gaming.
The Entertainment Lions for Gaming Jury President Lydia Winters, Chief Storyteller at Mojang Studios, said: “‘The Everyday Tactician’ consistently stood apart through its unique point of view, community engagement, engaging storyline, and stellar business results, creating a multifaceted campaign that perfectly demonstrates a truth we already know in gaming – it can change lives, create confidence, and build transferable real-world skills. It not only disrupted a 130-year-old football club but also the way society thinks about what gaming truly brings to the world.”
In the Entertainment Lions for Music, the Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Errata at 88’ for Diageo by AlmapBBDO, São Paulo. Celebrating the overlooked contributions of Alaíde Costa to Bossa Nova, this campaign brought her back to Carnegie Hall after six decades.
Madeline Nelson, Jury President, commended the campaign for its deep cultural insights and inspirational storytelling. “With the diversity of work, this year, our greatest challenge was to delve deeply into cultural insights, allowing us to understand unique perspectives. Johnnie Walker, as a brand that celebrates people’s journeys, took the deepest dive of all. They created a fully integrated campaign to honor the story of Alaíde Costa and re-write her name in the history of Bosa Nova. We had the opportunity to recognize work that will breed new levels of inspiration for the creative community and ‘Errata at 88’ does exactly that.”
The Entertainment Lions for Sport Grand Prix was awarded to the acclaimed ‘WoMen’s Football’ for Orange by Marcel, Paris. This innovative campaign used deepfake technology to highlight the skills of the French women’s national football team, initially disguised as their male counterparts, challenging gender stereotypes in sports.
Louise Johnson, Jury President, noted the campaign’s creativity and its success in sparking a global conversation. Orange’s ‘WoMen’s Football’ campaign brilliantly captures the meteoric rise of women’s football through creative storytelling and innovative technology. By showcasing the prowess and excitement of the French women’s national team, Orange aimed to challenge and dismantle outdated stereotypes about women’s football. This campaign didn’t just engage sports fans; it sparked widespread conversation, dominated headlines, and captivated audiences worldwide, proving that exceptional football transcends gender. The campaign’s success, crowned with the Grand Prix accolade, highlights an exciting future for women’s sports marketing, underscoring the power of positivity and creativity in changing perceptions and celebrating athletic excellence.”
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Craft Track Highlights
In the Craft Track, exceptional visual and technological craftsmanship was celebrated, recognizing the artistry behind bringing creative ideas to life. The Design Lions Grand Prix went to ‘Sightwalks’ for Sol Cement by Circus Grey, Lima. This project updated tactile paving systems to aid visually impaired individuals in navigating urban spaces, demonstrating inclusive and scalable design.
Jury President Fura Johannesdottir praised the simplicity and global applicability of the solution. “The Grand Prix portrays that design is everywhere and can be at its best when it’s “invisible”. We loved that it is a global, inclusive and scalable design solution that can greatly improve people’s lives and make the everyday better. We appreciated the simplicity of both the idea and the execution that was done through an old, but new medium. The Grand Prix for Design shows how great design solutions can be found in unexpected places, we just have to put on a different lens, look harder and see the world as it truly is.”
The Film Craft Lions Grand Prix was awarded to ‘The Square Meter’ for retailer Hornbach D.I.Y. by Heimat\TBWA, Berlin. This film creatively addresses the rising cost of living by depicting a man’s life in a fantastical, confined home.
Prasoon Pandey, Jury President, lauded the film for its magical intrigue and synchronized cinematic elements. “It is not often that one gets to see all the cinematic arts come together so perfectly like synchronised swimming, to turn a DIY subject into a film with magical intrigue. This film is a wonderful reminder not only to all creatives and film-makers but also to clients that there is nothing called ‘low-interest category.”
In the Digital Craft Lions, the Grand Prix was presented to ‘Spreadbeats’ for Spotify by FCB New York. This campaign transformed a typical B2B media plan spreadsheet into a dynamic music video, showcasing creativity within the confines of Excel.
Jury President Kentaro Kimura highlighted the campaign’s inventive use of old technology to achieve remarkable artistic results. “This work converted a very common and dry B2B media plan spreadsheet in Excel into a lively and exciting music video. They achieved an amazing level of craft in a very creative way through the use of decades-old technology instead of advanced technologies like AI. This highlights Spotify’s brand and how it stands out as unique among its competitors. The Jury unanimously decided to celebrate the Wow of great human creativity rather than the great use of technology.”
The Industry Craft Lions Grand Prix went to ‘The 100th Edition’ for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung by Scholz & Friends, Berlin. Marking the 100th iteration of the newspaper’s brand campaign, this edition featured Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer to convey a profound message of humanity and tolerance.
Kalpesh Patankar, Jury President, emphasized the campaign’s boldness and its timely message of unity and respect. “Striving for bold and honest work over and over again is how you create ‘iconic’ work. But what truly struck a chord with us here wasn’t just the iconic nature of the piece… It was the message: “It’s important to me to be human.” In a time where the world feels divided, this work transcended our differences and dared us all to be human. Honest, beautiful, painful, hopeful, human.”
All winners and shortlists can be viewed at canneslions.com. Click here for more Reel 360 News from Cannes.
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