That’s a wrap. The 72nd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity concluded with a final celebration of the year’s most transformative ideas across Film, Titanium, Glass, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and Grand Prix for Good. The evening also revealed the coveted Special Awards, recognizing the best-performing companies across the week.
Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “This week we’ve taken our industry on an exhilarating journey of the very best creative work. Huge congratulations to each and every brilliant winner and shortlist for the phenomenal recognition bestowed by peers. This is a time for immense pride as we celebrate the transformative power of breakthrough ideas that challenge conventions, solve problems and create meaningful connections.”
Glass: The Lion for Change – Grand Prix
‘Real Beauty: A Global Self-Esteem Movement’ for Dove Agency: Ogilvy UK, London
This campaign was recognized for its measurable, societal impact beyond just awareness.
Jury President KR Liu, Global Head of Product Innovation and Marketing Partnerships for Platforms and Devices, Google, noted: “This year’s Grand Prix winner was selected because it moved beyond awareness to deliver consistent, measurable, societal impact. It showed what’s possible when creative brand storytelling is backed by community partnership and deep cultural understanding. In a field full of strong contenders, this work stood out for its continuous impact and commitment – not just as a campaign, but as a catalyst for real change for women and all aspects of the multiple communities they represent.”
Sustainable Development Goals Lions – Grand Prix
‘The Amazon Greenventory’ for NATURA Agency: Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo
Leveraging AI and drones, Natura mapped 400 km² of the Amazon to catalog trees with cosmetic potential, boosting community incomes while protecting the rainforest.
Josy Paul, Chairperson and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, and Jury President, commented: “Good work informs. Great work transforms. That’s exactly what the SDG Jury saw in Natura’s ‘Amazon Greenventory’. It wasn’t just impressive, it was transformational. This groundbreaking initiative challenged the belief that profit in the Amazon must come at the cost of deforestation. A powerful demonstration that sustainable profit can come from innovation, not destruction. It’s work that doesn’t just create impressions but leaves a lasting impression on the world.”“
This marks Brazil’s first-ever SDG Grand Prix.
‘Paris Paralympics 2024: Considering What?’ for Channel 4 Agency: 4Creative, London
Challenging perceptions of para-athletes, the film drove a 79% increase in belief that the Paralympics are as exciting as the Olympics.
Jury President Kate Stanners, Chairwoman and Global Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “Film is where we tell our most human stories. Raw, authentic lived experiences that the audience can feel and connect with at an emotional level. Our Grands Prix are brilliant examples.”
Stanners added, “The Paralympic film from Channel 4 is an incredibly powerful, visceral film, using both real and surreal imagery, extraordinary editing and sound to make us truly feel the film and connect us to the message. Its impact is felt in the heart, the gut and the mind.”
‘The Final Copy of Ilon Specht’ for L’Oréal Paris Agency: McCann, Paris
This moving 17-minute film reframed the iconic line “Because I’m Worth It” by spotlighting the 23-year-old woman who wrote it.
Jury President, Kate Stanners commented: “Ilon resonated with us all. A brand telling a very timely story that authenticates and validates its core brand purpose: to champion women. It’s a masterful film that draws us into the wonderful life story of Ilon, the author of the campaign ‘Because I’m worth it’. Its perfect filmmaking keeps us watching, and its humanity lives with us long after the end.”
Dan Wieden Titanium Lions – Grand Prix
‘AXA – Three Words’ Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris
By inserting “and domestic violence” into its home insurance contracts, AXA offered immediate relocation and support to victims.
Jury President Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer, Edelman, said: “‘Three Words’ can change the world. This year’s Titanium Grand Prix didn’t just change insurance policies, it helped women literally escape domestic violence. These three simple words in a contract changed their lives, their outcomes, and an industry. In insurance contracts, words matter and with the simple addition of ‘and domestic violence’, AXA turned a contract into a lifeline, giving women the freedom to leave abusive relationships and handing the entire industry a clear roadmap for reform while significantly impacting their business.
She added, “When the Titanium Jury set out to find a Grand Prix idea, we wanted the first domino in a movement. ‘Three Words’ was that idea, and our decision was instant and unanimous. In all my years judging at Cannes Lions, I’ve never seen a Jury align so completely, so quickly.”
Grand Prix for Good
‘The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes’ for NZ Herpes Foundation Agencies: FINCH Sydney / Motion Sickness Auckland
With irreverent humor and bold strategy, the campaign tackled the stigma around herpes by tying it to national pride.
Judy John noted: “Brave, outrageously creative, wildly ambitious and educational are not the usual combination of words you will find to describe the Grand Prix for Good. The title of the campaign ‘Make New Zealand the Best Place to have Herpes’ by The New Zealand Herpes Foundation says it all. Often overlooked, this campaign played into their national pride, to unite the county in eliminating the herpes stigma as a way to restore our self-esteem, reclaim international glory, and boost patriotism.”
That’s a wrap. The 72nd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity concluded with a final celebration of the year’s most transformative ideas across Film, Titanium, Glass, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and Grand Prix for Good. The evening also revealed the coveted Special Awards, recognizing the best-performing companies across the week.
Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “This week we’ve taken our industry on an exhilarating journey of the very best creative work. Huge congratulations to each and every brilliant winner and shortlist for the phenomenal recognition bestowed by peers. This is a time for immense pride as we celebrate the transformative power of breakthrough ideas that challenge conventions, solve problems and create meaningful connections.”
Glass: The Lion for Change – Grand Prix
‘Real Beauty: A Global Self-Esteem Movement’ for Dove Agency: Ogilvy UK, London
This campaign was recognized for its measurable, societal impact beyond just awareness.
Jury President KR Liu, Global Head of Product Innovation and Marketing Partnerships for Platforms and Devices, Google, noted: “This year’s Grand Prix winner was selected because it moved beyond awareness to deliver consistent, measurable, societal impact. It showed what’s possible when creative brand storytelling is backed by community partnership and deep cultural understanding. In a field full of strong contenders, this work stood out for its continuous impact and commitment – not just as a campaign, but as a catalyst for real change for women and all aspects of the multiple communities they represent.”
Sustainable Development Goals Lions – Grand Prix
‘The Amazon Greenventory’ for NATURA Agency: Africa Creative DDB, São Paulo
Leveraging AI and drones, Natura mapped 400 km² of the Amazon to catalog trees with cosmetic potential, boosting community incomes while protecting the rainforest.
Josy Paul, Chairperson and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, and Jury President, commented: “Good work informs. Great work transforms. That’s exactly what the SDG Jury saw in Natura’s ‘Amazon Greenventory’. It wasn’t just impressive, it was transformational. This groundbreaking initiative challenged the belief that profit in the Amazon must come at the cost of deforestation. A powerful demonstration that sustainable profit can come from innovation, not destruction. It’s work that doesn’t just create impressions but leaves a lasting impression on the world.”“
This marks Brazil’s first-ever SDG Grand Prix.
‘Paris Paralympics 2024: Considering What?’ for Channel 4 Agency: 4Creative, London
Challenging perceptions of para-athletes, the film drove a 79% increase in belief that the Paralympics are as exciting as the Olympics.
Jury President Kate Stanners, Chairwoman and Global Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “Film is where we tell our most human stories. Raw, authentic lived experiences that the audience can feel and connect with at an emotional level. Our Grands Prix are brilliant examples.”
Stanners added, “The Paralympic film from Channel 4 is an incredibly powerful, visceral film, using both real and surreal imagery, extraordinary editing and sound to make us truly feel the film and connect us to the message. Its impact is felt in the heart, the gut and the mind.”
‘The Final Copy of Ilon Specht’ for L’Oréal Paris Agency: McCann, Paris
This moving 17-minute film reframed the iconic line “Because I’m Worth It” by spotlighting the 23-year-old woman who wrote it.
Jury President, Kate Stanners commented: “Ilon resonated with us all. A brand telling a very timely story that authenticates and validates its core brand purpose: to champion women. It’s a masterful film that draws us into the wonderful life story of Ilon, the author of the campaign ‘Because I’m worth it’. Its perfect filmmaking keeps us watching, and its humanity lives with us long after the end.”
Dan Wieden Titanium Lions – Grand Prix
‘AXA – Three Words’ Agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris
By inserting “and domestic violence” into its home insurance contracts, AXA offered immediate relocation and support to victims.
Jury President Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer, Edelman, said: “‘Three Words’ can change the world. This year’s Titanium Grand Prix didn’t just change insurance policies, it helped women literally escape domestic violence. These three simple words in a contract changed their lives, their outcomes, and an industry. In insurance contracts, words matter and with the simple addition of ‘and domestic violence’, AXA turned a contract into a lifeline, giving women the freedom to leave abusive relationships and handing the entire industry a clear roadmap for reform while significantly impacting their business.
She added, “When the Titanium Jury set out to find a Grand Prix idea, we wanted the first domino in a movement. ‘Three Words’ was that idea, and our decision was instant and unanimous. In all my years judging at Cannes Lions, I’ve never seen a Jury align so completely, so quickly.”
Grand Prix for Good
‘The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes’ for NZ Herpes Foundation Agencies: FINCH Sydney / Motion Sickness Auckland
With irreverent humor and bold strategy, the campaign tackled the stigma around herpes by tying it to national pride.
Judy John noted: “Brave, outrageously creative, wildly ambitious and educational are not the usual combination of words you will find to describe the Grand Prix for Good. The title of the campaign ‘Make New Zealand the Best Place to have Herpes’ by The New Zealand Herpes Foundation says it all. Often overlooked, this campaign played into their national pride, to unite the county in eliminating the herpes stigma as a way to restore our self-esteem, reclaim international glory, and boost patriotism.”
