As the curtain falls on the 71st edition of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, we bring you a comprehensive summary of the winners from the region, along with key observations and insights from this year's lineup of winners.
The Middle East brought back home 25 lions across various lions. Impact BBDO Dubai bagged another Grand Prix for Good another year in a row for the UN Women's Child Wedding Cards campaign, which also won a Gold and a Bronze.
Publicis Groupe Middle East further raised the bar for regional creativity bringing home 7 lions across three categories. Leo Burnett Dubai's Protectasbih for Saudia Airlines bagged a Gold and a Bronze on the first night in the Health and Wellness category. Other winning campaigns under the creative agency's helm came from entries under the Industry Craft category led by Jury President, Kalpesh Patankar, Chief Creative Officer at Leo Burnett Dubai. The Great Indian Dunk - a campaign executed by Leo Burnett in partnership with NBA India won a Gold, another campaign from NBA under the agency's creatorship - Jordan 23 bagged a Silver; Protype Studio's Zael - The Disappearing Font received a Bronze. Saatchi & Saatchi swept - a Silver under the craft category for its client Kinokuniya's Fake Readers; and a Bronze for their Nana's Taboo Totes under the Social & Influencer Lions.
Kalpesh Patankar, Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnett ME told Communicate, "It's always a pleasure to be at Cannes, but to serve as Jury President – and that too for a category like Industry Craft – was the highest honour. It stood testament to everything we have achieved as Leo Burnett Dubai, as Publicis Groupe ME, and as a MENA region collectively becoming a global creative powerhouse. The work, as it is every year, was a refreshing and rewarding commentary on culture, creativity, and the future of our industry. There were some clear trends across the world, such as ideas being born from cultural moments in which brands could play a meaningful role, or brands choosing to co-create with their audiences and being brave enough to allow them to re-imagine the brand through new and unique lenses, and even the championing of real, human craft in a world of artificial intelligence and machine-made content."
FP7McCann earned a Silver Lion for its work with The Testicular Cancer Society (group agencies involved were UM & MAGNA Global). The agency also took home 5 Bronze Lions: 3 for McDonald’s (media: UM Dubai, PR: Weber Shandwick MENAT), 1 for Puck Arla's infamous Selfless Shelves campaign, and 1 for Ketch-up Insurance, Heinz. Both wins for Puck and Heinz were achieved through a close collaboration between FP7McCann and sister MCN PR agency – Current Global.
Expressing his gratitude, Tarek Miknas, CEO of FP7McCann said, “On behalf of the entire team, I extend my heartfelt thanks to our clients for their collaboration and boldness in creating impactful and pioneering work. I am immensely proud of our teams for their unwavering commitment to placing creativity at the core of our business impact for clients.”
Organon's Mis(s)diagnosed - a campaign aimed at raising awareness around silent symptoms of a heart attack in women, executed and entered by Mullenlowe MENA and McCann Health Dubai received a Bronze Pharma Lion. Another win under Impact BBDO Dubai's portfolio includes a Bronze Lion under the PR Lions for Annahar Newspaper's AI President.
BMW Group Middle East's BMW IJACK also grabbed a Bronze under the Media Lions being the only one representing the region in the category. Film Lions presented one winner from the region: Floward's The Mobster won a Silver.
