How Harvey Nichols' Lo-Fi Masterpiece 'Shoplifters' Cut Through a Sea of Highly Crafted Ads

In the Film Craft category, the Grand Prix winner was Under Armour’s “Rule Yourself: Michael Phelps” spot from Droga5, an exquisitely made masterpiece of craft (and Adweek’s Ad of the Year for 2016). But over in the Film Lions, the Grand Prix went to its polar opposite—the incredibly lo-fi “Shoplifters” spot for Harvey Nichols by adam&eveDDB.

“Shoplifters” was a revelation to the Cannes jurors, even those who had seen the spot on a computer before.

“When we got to see it on the big screen—this had never happened to me in a jury room before—once it was finished, the whole jury room spontaneously started applauding,” said Film juror Ana Balarin, executive creative director at Mother London.