Creativity excels at Cannes Lions 2017
This year͛s Cannes Lions festival is coming to an end, and as a crowd of creative enthusiasts bid each other adieu, it is not without fair recognition of the true quality of work on offer. Yet as droves of delegates honoured a plethora of creative collaboration at the Palais des Festivales, last night saw the winners of the Entertainment Lions for music, media, design and product design take centre stage. The awards coincide with Cannes Lions' preparation to futureproof its growing momentum, with the announcement of an advisory committee to aid in shaping the future of the festival.
Recognising the capacious body of work is no small task, as this year’s combined awards welcomes over 8,000 entries, whittled down to 50 gold, 100 silver and 185 bronze. In Entertainment, ‘Beyond Money’ took the Grand Prix for Santander Bank by MRM and McCann Spain. In Music, ‘Original is Never Finished’ by Johanes Leonardo for Adidas Originals took home the same honour. The Design Lions Grand Prix went to ‘The Unusual Football Field’ by AP Thailand. Equally, the Product Design Lions was awarded to ‘Payphone Bank’ by Grey Colombia, Bogota for TigoUNE. Each of the winning projects sought to change the landscape, from offering something new to reimagining the old.
Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and chief executive of Universal Music Group was honoured as the Cannes Lions Media Person of the Year, for his work in shaping the future of creative communications and remaining an influential figure in an everchanging industry. Media Network of the Year was awarded to OMD Worldwide, with second place going to Mediacom and third to Starcom.
In much the same way, the planned advisory committee aims to bolster the festival’s imprint within the industry, with commitments from several notable individuals and reputable companies, including Keith Weed, chief marketing officer at Unilever and Fernando Machado, head of brand marketing at Burger King. Philip Thomas, CEO of Ascential Events, organisers of Cannes Lions, says, “As well as clients who have offered to help shape the future of the Festival, we will – as usual – consult with all global creative leaders, heads of holding companies and other major partners. There have been a lot of discussions this week about the structure of the Festival, and we want to create the right Cannes Lions experience for all participants. The thing that unites them all is their belief in creativity as a powerful force in the world, and this is at the heart of everything we do.”
With speaker sessions and creative talks winding down, the festival’s star-studded entertainment is set to conclude the event. Artists such as A$AP Rocky and Ellie Goulding shared their experiences within the creative world, bringing together business, arts and brand through unique and memorable experiences.
