Annually in French Cannes, an advertising festival is held. But this is not just a competition of video and photo presentations. This is a real creative extravaganza, presenting the masterpieces of the best advertising authors from around the world. Creative geniuses bring their most original, most successful, and sometimes even the most ironic works to the Cannes Lions festival. The winners become the marketing benchmark and role model for years to come.
History of the Advertising Festival
It has long been established that actors and directors are awarded for their films, and musicians for their music. The first has an Oscar, the second has a Grammy. But no less talented people work in the advertising business industry. They are just as creative and ambitious individuals as the artists. And if so, then why is there not a single prestigious international award in this direction? It was this idea that came into the minds of a group of advertisers. At that time, they were engaged in selling time before films in cinemas, whichprompted them to think about creating a marketing award. And inspired by this idea, the enthusiasts decided to found it for their colleagues. They were inspired by the example of the famous Cannes Film Festival, which by that time had already been successfully held for 14 years, and already in 1954 the world saw the first festival for advertising creators. Initially, it was held not only in Cannes, but also in Venice, and in 1977 the competition found its permanent home and began to be held exclusively in French Cannes.
Golden Lions of the Festival
The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival also has its coveted prizes. And it is not surprising that the cherished figurines are made in the form of proud predators - lions. These figurines are the most coveted prize for all marketing industry workers around the world. Naturally, the most prestigious are the golden lions. This is a kind of first place advertising championship. But "silver" and "bronze" are no less honored and respected by colleagues and spectators, because from the huge number of competitive applications, the jury selects only a few really worthy ones.
The number of nominations is increasing every year. Today, the Cannes Lions festival features television, interactive, outdoor, and even radio advertising.
International Advertising Festival
Every year in June, a holiday comes to French Cannes - the Cannes Lions advertising festival takes place here for seven days. Every time about 10 thousand representatives of the marketing and advertising business come here. This is not only a competition, but alsoa platform for sharing experience and solving pressing problems.
More than 16,000 works, ideas and presentations are brought to Cannes, which form an exhibition within the framework of the festival. In addition, seminars are held by authoritative representatives of the advertising industry. And, of course, the competition itself takes place, during which an impartial jury selects the best in each category.
Nominations of the competitive program of the festival
As part of the competitive days, the jury selects the winners in the following categories:
- Film.
- Press and Outdoor.
- Cyber Lions.
- Media Lions.
- Direct Lions.
- Promo Lions.
- Titanium Lions.
In addition to these categories, there is a competition for novice advertisers, the winners of which are also awarded festival prizes. This competition is held as part of the youth program and also includes a gala evening for young contestants. In addition, the festival awards "Network of the Year", "Agency of the Year" and "Palm Branch" (for the best production studios). This is what the Cannes Lions Commercial Video Contest is all about.
Composition of international delegations and jury
The Cannes Lions festival brings together representatives of the marketing industry from all over the world. From each participating country, 2 participants are declared: a copywriter and a creative director. As for the jury, everything is no less strict. Each year it is made up of the most respected and well-known advertising and marketing professionals from twenty countries. Interestingly, it is only possible to become a member of the juryonce. This criterion, coupled with a very serious, truly scrupulous selection of participants' works, makes the festival prize such a prestigious award. For example, if a company was able to get the "Cannes Lion", there is no need to mention any more of its other achievements: the main prize of the competition is already a guarantee of the laureate's professionalism.
Russian companies at the advertising festival
Russian works every year participate in the competition program of the festival. And our compatriots have been awarded the prestigious award more than once. So, for example, the social project of the Voskhod agency called “Make politicians work” in 2013 collected a whole set of awards: bronze, silver and as many as five gold lions.
A year earlier, Leo Burnett Moscow agency also received "gold" for the "Lucky Ring" video created for McDonald's. And in 2011, the same team won the Golden Lion in the outdoor advertising category. Thus, the recognition of Russian creators at the international level is not uncommon.
After the end of the festival, the contestants bring their works back to Russia and arrange presentations in different cities, where you can see not only advertising of our compatriots, but also the winning projects of the Cannes Lions competition. Moscow, along with St. Petersburg and other major cities, is a permanent venue for such shows.
Outdoor advertising at the 2015 festival
One of the most spectacular and creative nominations is outdoor advertising. These are banners and posters placed around the city. Their mainThe goal is to get attention. And perhaps the most extraordinary and creative of all advertisers work in this category.
This year was no exception for the festival and again presented the most unusual and catchy works in the Outdoor nomination.
The winner in the outdoor category was Apple with its World Gallery idea, dedicated to the value of photos taken with smartphones. This campaign has been successful in 25 countries. All amateur footage for this project can be seen online or on Apple TV spots.
Buenos Aires 24 Hour Bicycle Rental Ad was another winner. The main idea of billboards is the strongest natural attraction.
Bright nominees this year:
- Unicef children's foundation, anti-bullying advert on the Internet;
- Ecofill advertisement, which turned out to be the most striking of the presented and represents the life cycle of a print cartridge;
- advertisement for Honda dealer Alghanim Motors, which showed a graphic irony at the confusing tips of local residents to lost motorists;
- Look At Me campaign encouraging women not to tolerate domestic violence, and others.
Cannes Lions 2015 Advertising Festival. Winners
In 2015 gold"Cannes Lions" went to campaigns that reveal acute social and social problems. Among them - social advertising directed against female circumcision; bringing together project from Coca Cola; advertising for the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in the town of Mo; an advertisement for a cream to prevent the risk of breast cancer.
In addition to the acute sore problems of society, the festival also celebrated simply creative projects. For example, the ironic campaign of the Smart brand, aimed at the nearest competitors. Or a beautiful idea from Air Asia, showing waterfalls and other beauties of Thailand under the influx of tourists. Or the adorable Mars ad showing pet food packages ripped apart by cats.
Well, or a completely caustic work of a beer producer, in which there is a clear hint at the final of last year's Mundial.
Golden Lion - Advertising Oscar of Marketing Industry
The award annually gathers many guests from all over the world on the Cote d'Azur of France. The competition takes place in the most prestigious place - the Palace of Festivals and Congresses. This already speaks of the high status of the festival, of its authority not only in the advertising industry, but also in the world of art. The atmosphere of freedom and creativity, solidarity and originality reigns at the Cannes Lions event, but in addition, the festival is distinguished by strict competition, a decent level of organization and sufficient authority. This event is one of the ten most important culturalevents in France, along with the illustrious Cannes Film Festival.
Besides all this, the Cannes Lions commercials competition is a meeting point for businessmen and companies working in the advertising industry, a place for discussing various issues of the industry and solving its further development, a platform for sharing invaluable experience of creators from different countries.
Thus, the Cannes Lions award is one of the most famous and high-profile world festivals. Here they can give a start to beginners and perpetuate the names of famous ones. Politics or money does not matter at the competition, the main thing is creativity and creative thinking, allowing the really best to win.
