Cannes Lions: First winners in 2019 were announced

Cristina Blanaru Festivals & Awards

After a first full-day of learning and networking, Cannes Lions announced the first Lion winners at an Awards Show packed with inspirational work.

The winners of the Health Track, which celebrates creativity in branded communications with the unique power to truly change lives, were revealed alongside categories from the Communication Track, celebrating the power of human creativity, bringing campaigns to life through brilliant people, partnerships and processes.

Health & Wellness Lions – Health Track

Applauding creativity for personal wellbeing, a total of 1,186 entries from 52 countries were submitted with 33 Lions being awarded: 1 Grand Prix, 5 Gold, 10 Silver and 17 Bronze Lions.

The Grand Prix was won by McCann, Tel Aviv for Ikea’s ‘ThisAbles’, whereby the furniture retailer created add-ons for existing products to make them more accessible for people with disabilities.

Commenting on the Grand Prix winner, Jury President, Shaheed Peera, Executive Creative Director of Publicis LifeBrands, Publicis Resolute and Real Science, Global, said:

The world can be a cruel and heartless place at times. The Grand Prix demonstrated how brands can help normalize the everyday for the most marginalized in society.

Pharma Lions – Health Track

Hailing creative communications from pharmaceutical clients and services surrounding this highly-regulated industry, of the 363 entries from 23 countries, 11 were awarded with Lions – 1 Grand Prix, 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 5 Bronze Lions.

McCann Health, Shanghai picked up the Grand Prix for ‘Breath of Life’ a diagnostic tool for COPD for pharmaceutical company GSK Glaxosmithkline.

Robin Shapiro, TBWA\WorldHealth, Global, and Jury President of the category, commented:

COPD is one of the top three causes of death in China and it’s terribly underdiagnosed and undertreated. Breath of Life combines Chinese blow art, creative data visualization, and mobile technology into one irresistibly engaging diagnostic tool. This is highly personalized health engagement with scalable human impact and is the essence of life changing creativity which is what Cannes Lions Health is all about.

No Lions Health Grand Prix for Good was awarded. Rajesh Mirchandani, Chief Communications Officer, United Nations, explained:

This tells us that doing good is not the preserve of charities or the public sector anymore, companies are embracing the Sustainable Development Goals, and it’s time to think about maybe recalibrating this award so charities and brands embracing social responsibility alike are eligible.”

Design Lions – Communication Track

Celebrating visual craftsmanship, 1,469 entries from 65 countries were entered into the Design Lions, with 47 Lions awarded: 1 Grand Prix, 6 Gold, 16 Silver and 24 Bronze Lions.

Google Creative Lab, New York, won the Grand Prix for Google’s ‘Creatability’, which explores how creative tools – drawing, music, and more – can be made more accessible using web and AI technology.

Outdoor Lions – Communication Track

Celebrate creativity experienced out of home, a total of 2,389 entries from 66 countries were entered with 65 campaigns winning Lions. The jury awarded 1 Grand Prix, 10 Gold, 20 Silver and 34 Bronze Lions.

Wieden+Kennedy Portland picked up the Grand Prix for ‘Nike Dream Crazy | Colin Kaepernick’ for Nike, and extension to the ‘Just Do It’ campaign featuring high-profile athlete Kaepernick.

Jury President, John Patroulis – Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Grey, Global, said:

This particular category comes to life in so many different ways. A lot of the entries are using lots of new innovation and are creating new things. But we kept coming back to this campaign when we thought about the absolute single best piece of work in the show. Nothing lived up to the power of this image at this moment in time, culturally and in society.

Print & Publishing Lions – Communication Track

Honoring the best creativity in circulation, of the 1,252 entries  from 62 countries competing, 32 Lions were awarded: 1 Grand Prix, 6 Gold, 7 Silver and 18 Bronze Lions.

Winning the top award and taking home the Grand Prix in this category for the UAE is Impact BBDO, Dubai for ‘The Blank Edition’ for leading Lebanese daily newspaper, An-Nahar, issued as a form of protest of the political situation in Lebanon.

Jury president, Olivier Altmann, CEO & Chief Creative Officer, Altmann + Pacreau, France, commented:

We are very happy to award the Grand Prix to a piece of work that celebrates creativity and journalism. We have seen some great campaigns over the past few days, where the new magazines the newspapers need our creativity to promote freedom of press and the Grand Prix is a white page of paper, multiple white pages of paper that are the proof that a great idea can help democracy to work better.

The following special awards were also announced:

  • Cannes Lions Healthcare Network of the Year went to McCann Health, while FCB Health ranked 2nd and Havas Health & You – 3rd.
  • Cannes Lions Healthcare Agency of the Year went to McCann Health, Shanghai, seconded by Place Area 23, An FCB Health Network Company, New York, while the podium was closed by Havas Lynx, Manchester.