Before we know it, the industry will be descending upon the South of France and the annual pilgrimage of creativity once again. Last year’s Grand Prix winners included some classic branding, but the majority of the awarded work attached to causes and purpose.
The judging process in the rooms at the Cannes Lions is compelling. While there is generally a convivial atmosphere, each jury president sets the tone and allows for constructive dialogue. Like most awards programs, expectations of the work are exceptionally high—but there tends to be more gravity when a Lion is on the line.
We asked the Cannes Jury—which reached gender parity for the first time in its history—what they expect to see, and what will make a winner come June.
Wyclef Jean, president and CSO, Carnival World Music Group
Category: Entertainment Lions for Music
Adweek: What excites you most about the past and present work in your category?
Having served on the entertainment jury a couple of years ago, I look forward to once again seeing true creativity at its best. We work to decide whether advertisers have made a real connection with consumers. In past years, I have seen some fantastic work in my category, like the Absolute One Source campaign and Childish Gambino’s “This is America.”
What do you hope you’ll see in the overall work at Cannes in 2020? Conversely, what do you hope you won’t see in this year’s entries?
Brands and musicians alike have come to understand how to address today’s fast-paced, tech-savvy consumer. I hope to see genuine care for connecting the message to the consumer in the most authentic way. Conversely, what I hope I don’t see is a disregard for what actually connects and makes people react.
See last year’s Entertainment Lions winners.
Karen Blackett, WPP UK country manager & chairwoman MediaCom UK & Ireland
Category: Glass
What excites you most about the past and present work in your category?
The Glass Lions category is work that essentially looks to change inequality in society. I genuinely believe that you can change the world by focusing on changing the immediate world around you. The Glass Lions highlights those brands that are doing just that—changing culture and changing society for the better. Previous winners have pushed taboos, normalized their discussion, are game-changing [and] brilliant.
What do you expect to see in Cannes-worthy work this year in your category?
I would hope to see work that continues to focus on creating culture change, create a worldwide phenomenon, and shine the light on true injustice and inequality.
What do you hope you’ll see in the overall work at Cannes in 2020? Conversely, what do you hope you won’t see in this year’s entries?
I hope to see work that reflects real consumer and cultural insight, work that demonstrates diversity, inclusion, and belonging authentically and naturally, not as a casting afterthought. Work that makes you think and work that is creative, and that can grow and transform brands. I hope to see data used responsibly and effectively, rather than data showboating. I hope to see integrated work that is the very best from our industry and pushes our it forward.
See last year’s Glass Lion winners.
Susan Credle, global CCO, FCB
Category: Titanium
What excites you most about the past and present work in your category?
My first time serving on the Titanium jury, Dan Wieden was the chair. He was also the visionary behind the Titanium Lion. He believed we needed to celebrate work that carves a new path and shows the industry the way forward. The impetus for this thinking was Fallon’s extraordinary BMW films campaign, which was never awarded at Cannes because it fit none of the existing categories—a travesty Dan wanted to ensure would never be repeated. I sat on the jury again last year, and we focused on the second part of Dan’s mission: show the industry the way forward. That’s what makes sitting on the Titanium jury remarkable. The type of work being awarded should evolve year after year.
