Cannes Lions 2019: Winners of Craft and Entertainment Tracks announced

Second day of the 66th edition of Cannes Lions saw a host of keynotes take to the stage covering a wide spectrum of topical issues relevant to the creative industry. The many speakers of today included four-time Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón, Wieden+Kennedy’s Colleen DeCourcy and David Linde of Participant Media discussing how art and activism can drive change in a world where people are more purpose-driven. Multi-award-winning designer Thomas Heatherwick joined Richard Edelman of global communications firm Edelman to discuss the ground-breaking impact of taking risks. And a candid conversation with industry great David Droga of Droga5 and Brian Whipple of Accenture Interactive took place about the shape of the industry today and their hopes and vision for the future.

This evening’s Award Show honored the winners of the Craft Track, focusing on the artistry, skill, talent and flair required to deliver beautifully executed ideas with the power to cut through and bring the creative idea to life, as well as the Entertainment Track, celebrating creativity that goes beyond branded communications to create authentic entertainment that engages consumers and impacts culture.

Digital Craft Lions – Craft Track

797 entries demonstrating technical artistry were submitted with 23 Lions awarded: 1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 7 Silver and 11 Bronzes Lions

The Grand Prix was awarded to VIRTUE, Copenhagen for Carlings’ ‘adDRESS THE FUTURE’, whereby the multi-brand chain created a digital fashion collection to raise awareness of the environmental damage of fast fashion.

Jury President Rei Inamoto, Founding Partner, Inamoto & CO, said: “This is a Grand Prix with the ambition to tackle a huge problem that humanity faces. The unexpectedness of the idea itself, the ingenuity and the scalability makes this a worthy winner.”

Film Craft Lions – Craft Track

Celebrating on-screen artistry, a total of 1,924 entries competed in the Film Craft Lions. The jury awarded 1 Grand Prix, 12 Gold, 24 Silver and 41 Bronze Lions.

Final Cut, New York picked up the Grand Prix for ‘The Truth Is Worth It’ campaign for The New York Times which aims to show that original, independent journalism requires resources, time and commitment, and that subscribing to The NY Times is crucial in that effort.

Jury President, Rebecca Skinner, Managing Director/Executive Producer, Supreme Films, USA, commented: “Over seven days of judging there were many perspectives and discussions across all of the work, but when it came to the Grand Prix it was unanimous. A bold and courageous campaign crafted in a unique way.”

The jury pointed out that whilst the craft was very diverse and shone through, there was a high level of brands touching on social issues.

Industry Craft Lions – Craft Track

Celebrating creative artistry, 1,697 entries were submitted with 1 Grand Prix, 6 Gold, 14 Silver and 20 Bronze Lions being awarded. The jury noted that much of the work was emotionally powerful using creative craft to present their messages.

The Grand Prix was presented to Momentum Worldwide, New York for Nike who transformed a church into a basketball facility called ‘Just Do It HQ at The Church’ for Chicago’s youth.

Trevor Robinson OBE, Founder & Executive Creative Director, Quiet Storm and Jury President, commented: “It’s a Grand Prix that celebrates bringing restraint to craft, with a legacy that lives beyond this award”

Entertainment Lions – Entertainment Track

Celebrating creativity that turns content into culture, 830 entries were submitted with 27 entries picking up a Lion – 1 Grand Prix, 3 Gold, 10 Silver and 13 Bronze Lions were awarded.

UM Studios, New York won the Grand Prix for Johnson & Johnson’s ‘5B’, a feature film showing how powerful nurses are.

Jury President, Scott Donaton, Global Chief Creative & Content Officer, Digitas, Global, said: “5B is a brave idea and a beautiful story that’s brilliantly crafted. It can – and will – stand as a piece of great entertainment as well as an example of bold marketing. We need more stories like this, stories that make people care, that reflect a brand’s values and that point the way forward for our industry.”

Entertainment Lions for Music – Entertainment Track

A total of 391 entries, celebrating creative musical collaborations and original music content were submitted. 14 Lions were awarded: 2 Grands Prix, 2 Gold, 3 Silver and  7 Bronze Lions.

Doomsday Entertainment, Los Angeles won the Music Content: Excellence in Music Video Grand Prix for ‘This Is America’ for Childish Gambino which looked at the representation of black people in America and the prejudices they faced. The second Grand Prix in this category awarded for Community: Fan Engagement/Community Building, was awarded to AKQA São Paulo, the first Entertainment Lion for Music Grand Prix for Brazil, for ‘Bluesman’ by Brazilian rapper Baco Exu Do Blues, aiming to unify audiences in the quest for equality and peace.

Entertainment Lions for Sport – Entertainment Track

Launched this year, this category celebrates creativity that taps into fan culture and leverages the power of sports and eSports in connecting people to brands. 702 entries were entered with a total of 29 Lions awarded: 1 Grand Prix, 4 Gold, 10 Silver and 14 Bronze Lions.

The first ever Grand Prix has been awarded to Wieden+Kennedy Portland for Nike’s ‘Nike Dream Crazy’, which leverages the power of sport to move the world forward.

This is the second Grand Prix they’ve won at Cannes, having earlier won in the Outdoor Lions Billboards category. The jury, led by Steve Stoute, Founder & CEO, Translation Enterprises noted that many of the work judged centered around diversity and inclusion in sport, and in particular women in sports with a call to action to fight back against gender bias.

Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is currently taking place in Cannes until 21 June. For those unable to attend, the Festival Digital Pass, provides a mix of live and on-demand content from the Festival, including a live stream each day of the awards.