Is There a Formula for Success at Cannes?

4 big winners from past years reveal common themes

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Cannes Lions, the biggest advertising event in the world, is here. Vive les ads!

Brands and agencies are keeping their fingers crossed that their campaigns will win the hearts and eyes of the judging panel in the south of France. But just what makes a Cannes winner? Is there something in the DNA of an ad that makes an award winner? Is there a formula for Lions success?

Unruly dug into the data—from UnrulyPulse and Unruly Custom Audiences—to find out if previous Grand Prix winners had anything in common that helped them stand out from the crowd.

We analyzed four previous Cannes winners—Geico's "Unskippable: Family" (2015), Volvo Trucks' "Epic Split" (2014), Metro Trains Melbourne's "Dumb Ways to Die" (2013) and Nike's "Write the Future" (2011)—to see if there were any key themes or insights to success at Cannes.

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