Greece has won its first-ever Grand Prix at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity.
On day four of Cannes, McCann Athens ‘The Wedding Rice’ for Wikifarmer was awarded the Grand Prix for Creative Business Transformation Lions.
The category had 152 entries with 7 Lions awarded.
Telkom South Africa chief marketing officer and creative business transformation lions jury president, Gugu Mthembu, said The Wedding Rice demonstrated how cultural insights can be the spark of both creativity and business transformation.
“The creativity lay in the strategy's disarming simplicity - no new infrastructure, no complex strategy or significant go-to-market investment,” said Mthembu.
“The transformation came through repurposing a discarded product for new use and in turn unlocking a new revenue stream for their farming partners, ensuring their sustainability through a model that can be replicated and scaled beyond one market.”
Other Lions awarded included the Creative Effectiveness Lions, which went to ‘Three Words’, for AXA France, by Publicis Conseil, Paris.
There were 200 entries and 14 Lions awarded.
“A Grand Prix should always feel personal,” said Havas Creative Network president, Havas Creative Middle East CEO and creative effectiveness lions jury president, Bertille Toledano.
“And this one resonates deeply with all of us. It is socially, culturally and personally relevant.”
The Creative Strategy Lions went to ‘The Pub that Refused to Die’, for Heineken, by LePub, Milan / Publicis Dublin.
There were 744 entries and 22 Lions awarded.
“In Ireland, Guinness Country, the beating heart of small communities is the pub,” said Publicis chief strategy officer and creative strategy lions jury president Sarah Lemarié.
“‘The Pub that Refused to Die’ is a social solution to a social problem that builds on Heineken’s expertise to arm communities to take over pubs collectively.
“It’s a brilliant cultural engagement strategy, that captured the national attention, and enabled Heineken to find its way into Irish people’s hearts and pints.”
Luxury Lions went to ‘Warmer Together’, for Moncler, by Wesayhi, Sliema.
There were 130 entries and 5 Lions awarded.
“’Warmer Together’ earned the Grand Prix because it stripped luxury storytelling down to its most powerful truth: human connection,” said Design Army co-founder and chief creative officer and luxury lions jury president, Pum Lefebure.
“Warmth was never about the outside. It was always about what was happening on the inside.
“Two chairs, two lifelong friends, and the bond between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro felt cinematic, honest, and emotionally unforgettable. It proved that simplicity, when deeply human, is the ultimate expression of luxury.”
In the Brand Experience & Activation Lions, the Grand Prix went to ‘Expedition Impossible’, for Columbia Sportswear, by Adam&Eve\TBWA, London.
There were 1561 entries and 47 Lions awarded.
“The work managed to simultaneously return to the Award’s roots, while being firmly grounded in the present day. At its heart, this is a promotion,” said VML deputy global chief creative officer and brand experience & activation lions jury president, Rafael Pitanguy.
“A brilliant promotion. The kind of work this category was originally built to celebrate. Yet it speaks directly to the world we live in today. It isn't afraid to step into controversy and challenge irrationality.
"Most importantly, the audience wasn't just watching the idea. They were helping bring it to life. This project is also impeccable in its craft, in a category where craft is often overlooked.
“The copywriting is flawless, every word carefully chosen, every comma exactly where it should be. Everything is delivered with clarity, simplicity and a relentless focus on the brand, which is essential in the only category at Cannes that begins with the word ‘Brand’.
“More than any other piece of work this year, this project proves that the best way to become timeless is by being timely. What looked like an ‘Expedition Impossible’ became a powerful reminder that facts still matter.”
The Creative Commerce Lions Grand Prix went to ‘Lucky Fan Index’, for Wisła Kraków Football Club, by VML, Warsaw.
There were 393 entries and 14 Lions awarded.
“The best Creative Commerce work doesn’t just deliver value – it completely reimagines what value can even mean,” said Flywheel chief creative officer and creative commerce lions jury president, Phil Camarota.
“In the face of serious business challenges, this year’s Grand Prix innovatively used creativity and technology to engage their audience, inspiring purchase and loyalty in ways we’ve never seen.
“The commercial and creative success of this idea was unmatched in our category – which is why it now deservedly stands alone.”
Innovation Lions Grand Prix went to ‘Supernova Adaptive’, for adidas, by TBWA\Canada.
There were 162 entries and 5 Lions awarded.
“We awarded the Grand Prix to 'Supernova Adaptive' not because adidas simply built a shoe, but because it expanded the possibility of running for people with Down syndrome and moved society forward,” said Dentsu Inc. Japan executive creative director and innovation lions jury president Kazuhiro Shimura.
“In the age of AI, creating is easier than ever, but creating change is not. Our Jury judged by one perspective: Innovation is a shift from Proof of Concept to Proof of Change.”
Special Awards:
- Regional Network of the Year — Asia: Ogilvy
- Regional Network of the Year — Europe: TBWA Worldwide
- Regional Network of the Year — MENA: McCann
- Regional Network of the Year — Latin America: Ogilvy
- Regional Network of the Year — North America: Ogilvy
- Regional Network of the Year — Pacific: Leo
- Regional Network of the Year — Sub-Saharan Africa: Leo
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