Cannes Lions 2016: WPP is Holding Company of Year; O&M takes home Agency Network title

WPP won the title of world's most creative holding company for the sixth consecutive year

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | June 27, 2016

The 63rd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity concluded with a final awards ceremony on Saturday, June 25, to announce the winners of the Film, Film Craft, Titanium and Integrated Lions, alongside this year's remaining special awards.

Film received 2,801 entries and 70 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix went to Shoplifters for Harvey Nichols by adam&eveDDB, which utilised security camera footage to promote a rewards card for the luxury retailer. “Low budget, rich in narrative and hugely entertaining, it challenged our perceptions,” said Jury President Joe Alexander, Chief Creative Officer of The Martin Agency.

From 2,317 entries received in Film Craft, 71 Lions were presented, including a Grand Prix to Under Armour Phelps for Under Armour by Droga5. The winner delivered content that elevated the written script and transcended the craft so it became invisible. “The jury was completely immersed in the experience,” said Jury President Laura Gregory, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Great Guns.

In Titanium, 254 entries resulted in 5 Lions with a Grand Prix to#OptOutside for REI by Venables Bell & Partners, which also claimed the Cyber Grand Prix earlier in the week. The jury looked for winning work that marked a new direction, got people to reconsider the norm and connected with the cultural zeitgeist. “The work drew on what was happening in the outside world and attached the brand to the conversation,”said Jury President Sir John Hegarty, Founder of BBH.

Integrated received 278 entries and 13 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix went to House of Cards FU 2016 for Netflix by BBH New York. While many entries succeeded in clever integration across a range of mediums, the winner took this further. “This brilliant work leveraged current culture in the US to draw in its audience. Every element was brilliantly executed,” said Hegarty.

During the ceremony, Marcello Serpa was honoured as this year's Lion of St. Mark in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the industry. Blake Mycoskie founder and leader of ethical shoe brand TOMS received the LionHeart Award for his socially responsible business model.

Samsung Electronics was named Creative Marketer of the Year for its commitment to customer-focused, creative communications work. Samsung's Executive Vice-President of Global Marketing, Mobile Communications Business, Younghee Lee, collected the award.

The Grand Prix for Good was won by Malak and the Boat for UNICEF by 180LA, Santa Monica, USA. “Sometimes you have to support an idea whose moment is now,” Hegarty remarked. “This campaign was incredibly emotional and as a jury we played a small part in helping it reaching more people.”

Other awards presented at the concluding ceremony were:

Agency of the Year: AlmapBBDO Sao Paulo. Grey New York came second and INGO, Stockholm, third.

Independent Agency of the Year: Droga5, New York. Second place went to Jung von Matt and third to Wieden+Kennedy, Portland.

The Palme d'Or, given to the most awarded production company, was presented to Tool, USA. Epoch Films, USA came second and Stink, United Kingdom third.

The Network of the Year award was presented to Ogilvy & Mather. Second was BBDO and third, Y&R.

Also awarded was Holding Company of the Year, which went to WPP. Second was Omnicom and third, Interpublic.

WPP has been named the world's most creative holding company at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the sixth consecutive year.

Another strong performance from its agencies at the industry's premier festival and awards show saw WPP top the parent company rankings once again. The holding company award is based on the accumulated points won by the agencies within each group.

The win in Cannes means that WPP holds the title of holding company of the year in 2016 at four of the industry's leading awards programmes: Cannes Lions, the Effies, the Warc 100 and The One Show.

WPP agencies from 46 different countries took home Lions. Winning work included: Y&R Auckland's “McWhopper” for Burger King; “The Swedish Number” by Ingo Stockholm (Swedish Tourist Association); J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam's “The Next Rembrandt” (ING); “Breathless Choir” by Ogilvy & Mather London (Philips); David Buenos Aires' “Man Boobs” for MACMA (Breast Cancer Help Movement); “The Everyman Meal” by Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg (KFC); J. Walter Thompson Costa Rica's “The Second Scoreboard” (Teletica, Inamu, Fedefutbol); “Behind The Leather” by Ogilvy & Mather Bangkok (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals); Grey San Francisco's “The Most Dangerous Town On The Internet” (Norton By Symantec); “Beauty Tips By Reshma” by Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai (Make Love Not Scars); “Man, Lady, Office” by Monday Bangkok (Dutch Mill Co); Ogilvy & Mather London's “Tongue, Breathing, Blinking” (Unilever); Memac Ogilvy's “Lamp, Table, Bookcase, Bed, Nightstand” (IKEA Saudi Arabia); and “Paper Glasses” by Grey Mexico (Save The Children and Santillana).

Sir Martin Sorrell

Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder and CEO of WPP, said, “In my cricketing career I have rarely, if ever, hit a six. This is the most gratifying one of the few. Although this award is handed to WPP, it is really testament to the ability, effort and success of the people within our agencies all around the world, and the good judgement of the clients who commission the work. So congratulations and thank you to them. I would also like to say, for the benefit of our colleagues across Europe, both within and beyond WPP, that although the UK has voted to leave the EU, WPP has not. We are as European as ever, and will become even more so.”

John O'Keeffe, Worldwide Creative Director of WPP, said, “Amid, sadly, much heightened security this year we saw the true face of humanity, with fierce competitors putting aside any differences to pledge, as an industry, to work together to help bring the UN's Sustainable Development Goals to fruition. As we look across all the wonderful work that has rightly been recognised this week, I can only think, what a force for persuasion we make. The competition for the coveted Creative Holding Company of the Year award gets more intense every year. My congratulations to all the winners and indeed all the great clients who bought this brilliant work. As ever in Cannes, The Big Idea is The Big Winner. And always will be.”

This year, over 15,000 attendees came to Cannes Lions and the Festival included eight days of content, over 43,000 entries, seven awards shows, two galas and networking opportunities throughout.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com