The Grand Prix winners that stole the show at Cannes Lions 2023

Known for celebrating the pinnacle of creativity, Cannes Lions 2023 honoured groundbreaking work across multiple categories. From Print and Publishing to Glass: The Lion for Change, a total of 34 Grand Prix were awarded to exceptional campaigns that captivated audiences worldwide.

From India, this year, the Grand Prix went to Ogilvy Mumbai in the Creative Effectiveness category for "Shah Rukh Khan My Ad" done for Cadbury. Let's take a closer look at all the winning entries falling under various categories.

Outdoor Lions

The Outdoor Lions, celebrating creativity experienced out of home, received 1938 entries and 59 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix went to ‘A British Original’ by Uncommon Creative Studio, London for British Airways. The work explores the multitude of reasons people travel by responding to the box-ticking question ‘What is the purpose of your visit?’ With witty responses across 500 print, digital and outdoor executions, the work was delivered with impressive scale.

Print and Publishing Lions

In the Print and Publishing Lions, which honour creativity in circulation, 814 entries were received and 26 Lions awarded. The Grand Prix went to 'Newspapers Inside The Newspaper Edition' by Impact BBDO, Dubai for AnNahar Newspaper. The work honours freedom of speech in Lebanon and the crisis that affected the publishing industry, using the newspaper’s daily edition to revive publications that had been shut down due to political failure and pressure.

"The Print and Publishing Jury said, “The Grand Prix was awarded to a brave piece of work that put into action a publication-based idea to defend the sanctity of a free press, and did it in a way that we hope sends a signal to the industry on how eternally innovative the future of publication can be.”

Radio and Audio Lions

Radio and Audio Lions, celebrating creativity that is wired for sound, received 715 entries and 22 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix went to the 'Phone It In' campaign by Colenso BBDO, Auckland for telecommunications company Skinny, New Zealand.

Health and Wellness Lions

In the Health and Wellness Lions, honouring creativity for personal well-being, 1297 entries were received and 37 Lions awarded. The Grand Prix went to ‘The Last Performance’ By Special, Auckland, for Partners Life.

Pharma Lions

In the Pharma Lions, which celebrate life-changing creativity, from 354 entries, 13 Lions were awarded. The Jury awarded the Pharma Grand Prix to ‘Scrolling Therapy’ for Eurofarma by Dentsu Creative Buenos Aires/Dentsu Creative New York/Dentsu Creative Chicago.

Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good

The Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good was also announced and the Grand Prix went to ‘Working with Cancer’ for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), by La Foundation Publicis Chicago/Publicis Conseil Paris/Le Truc New York/Digitas New York/Saatchi and Saatchi Health, New York/Publicis Groupe UK, London.

Entertainment Lions for Gaming

In the new Entertainment Lions for Gaming, celebrating creative work that connects people to brands through gameplay, 609 entries were received and 26 Lions were awarded by the Jury. The Grand Prix went to ‘Clash from The Past’, for Clash of Clans, by Wieden+Kennedy Portland, USA. The work rewrote the history of the most successful mobile game of all time, in a documentary celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Clash universe.

Entertainment Lions for Gaming Jury President, Francine Li, Global Head of Marketing, Riot Games, said, "Our inaugural Gaming for Entertainment jury wanted to recognise brave work that respects the nuances of gaming culture and creatively adds value to the player experience. The Grand Prix winner does this in spades. It taps into a universal truth in games: players don’t just love games, they love the whole universe around them."

Design Lions

In the Design Lions, honouring visual craftsmanship, 985 entries were received and 34 Lions were awarded by the Jury. The Grand Prix went to ‘ADLaM - an Alphabet to Preserve a Culture’ for Microsoft, by McCann New York, which made the ADLaM Display, an evolution of the West African Pulaar alphabet, available on Microsoft 365 suite, desktop, and mobile platforms; preserving an ancient culture.

Film Craft Lions

The Film Craft Lions, celebrating onscreen artistry, received 1736 entries and 55 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix was awarded to ‘We Cry Together - A Short Film’, for pgLANG, Los Angeles, USA, a compelling music video for Kendrick Lamar and Taylour Paige shot in one captivating take.

Film Craft Lions Jury President, Kim Gehrig, Director, Somesuch, commented, “The Grand Prix winner is a trailblazing piece that uses film craft in all its strengths to create a work that is seminal and genre defining. There are so many creative choices in the direction and execution of this film where craft is what fuels its evocative power. From the choice of the camera choreography, the lighting, the framing, the language, the drama and the truly extraordinary performances. All these craft decisions culminate to make the brave piece of work that effectively challenges us to question ourselves. I am personally inspired by this piece of work as were the entire Jury.”

Digital Craft Lions

From 618 entries received in the Digital Craft Lions, which celebrate technological artistry, 20 Lions were awarded by the Jury. The Grand Prix was presented to ‘Never Done Evolving Feat Serena’ for Nike, by AKQA, Sao Paulo/AKQA, Portland/AKQA, Melbourne. Through advanced AI and machine learning, this piece of work displays the evolution of Serena Williams' game in a highly original format.

Industry Craft Lions

The Industry Craft Lions, celebrating the creative artistry, talent and skill required to bring a creative idea to life, received 965 entries and 28 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix went to ‘My Japan Railway’, for JR GROUP, for the Japan Railway 150th Anniversary Campaign, by Dentsu Inc. Tokyo.

Entertainment Lions

In the Entertainment Lions, 774 entries were received and 28 Lions awarded by the Jury. A second Grand Prix went to ‘Clash From The Past’, for Clash of Clans, by Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, USA.

Entertainment Lions for Music

From 437 entries received in the Entertainment Lions for Music, honouring creative musical collaborations and branded music content, 18 Lions were awarded. Two Grands Prix were awarded to ‘Beautiful Life’, for Michael Kiwanuka, by SMUGGLER, London /Michael Kiwanuka, Los Angeles. A second Grand Prix was awarded to Apple, Cupertino for their work ‘The Greatest’.

Entertainment Lions for Sport

Celebrating creativity that taps into fan culture and leverages the power of sports and eSports in connecting people to brands, the Entertainment Lions for Sport received 607 entries and 20 Lions were awarded by the Jury. The Grand Prix went to ‘Dreamcaster’, for Michelob ULTRA, by FCB New York. By inventing a new technology, the work empowers blind sports fans to feel a live game, rather than just hear the audio to transform the live sports experience.

Entertainment Lions for Sport Jury President, Rob Doubal, Co-President of McCann London and Joint Chief Creative Officer of McCann UK, McCann London, said, “This year’s winning Grand Prix leveraged emerging tech, strong partnership and had intrinsic inclusivity at its core to engage fans with one of the best and most innovative live broadcasts of the year. It showed a strong impact on the brand and its approach, execution and provision of new technology is sure to provide a legacy for all those who come after.”

Creative B2B Lions

In the Creative B2B Lions, celebrating game-changing creative work in the B2B space, 446 entries were received and 16 Lions awarded. The Grand Prix that went to ‘Eart4’, for B3 Stock Exchange and United Nations Global Compact, by AlmapBBDO, São Paulo. This work focused on a B2B strategy that targeted and reached +20,000 business leaders, encouraging them to invest in Earth, by aligning their companies with the UN's long-term sustainability goals.

Creative B2B Lions Jury President, Tom Stein, Chairman and Chief Growth Officer, Stein IAS, said, “This is just the second year for the Creative B2B Lions, and the Grand Prix our jury awarded illustrates the profound progression of B2B creativity. With its powerful, highly relevant and deeply emotional call to action - literally launching an IPO for planet Earth - the work is catalysing the global business community to become part of the UN Global Compact. Through it, Brazil’s stock exchange has strengthened its worldwide brand reputation as a progressive force, innovator and market leader. The massive, systemic impact of B2B at its very best is on full display.”

Creative Data Lions

From 418 entries in the Creative Data Lions, celebrating the interplay of ideas and information, 15 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix was awarded to ‘The Artois Probability’, for Stella Artois, by GUT, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The work showcases an innovative use of creative data by intertwining historical knowledge, art, and technology, highlighting Stella Artois' heritage, raising brand awareness, and presenting an opportunity for outdoor installations while offering a unique experience for audiences.

Direct Lions

The Direct Lions, celebrating targeted and response-driven creativity, received 1939 entries and 60 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Runner 321’, for Adidas, by FCB Toronto, Canada. To solve the problem that people with Down syndrome don’t see themselves represented in sport, even though they stand to reap significant benefits from participation in exercise, this work brings inclusivity to the world’s most accessible sport, running, and succeeded in starting a social movement with demonstrable results.

Media Lions

In the Media Lions, which demonstrate work that enhances and amplifies through game-changing channel strategy, 1853 entries were received and 60 Lions were awarded by the Jury. The Grand Prix was presented to ‘#Turnyourback’, for Dove, by Ogilvy, London / DAVID, Madrid. This influencer-led piece of work underpins Dove’s #NoDigitalDistortion mission by encouraging people to turn their back on TikTok’s Bold Glamour filter.

Media Lions Jury President, Christian Juhl, Global CEO, GroupM, said: “In awarding the Grand Prix, we wanted to recognize work that fully harmonizes creative and media with purpose and product. #TurnYourBack not only set the standard for bringing these components together, it’s a timely example of how our industry can use the power of media to protect young people and empower them to reject the pressure they feel to conform to artificial standards and be confident in their true, unfiltered selves.”

PR Lions

The PR Lions, which honour strategic and creative communication - work with storytelling at its core, which establishes, protects and enhances reputation and business, awarded 52 Lions from 1600 entries.

The Grand Prix went to ‘Self Love Bouquet’, for DoorDash by GUT, Los Angeles, USA.  This work tapped into the 72% of US adults that believe self-pleasuring is a form of “therapy” and destigmatised female self-pleasure using the Valentine’s gift: a bouquet of red roses. It showed consumers that DoorDash could be a go-to destination for same-day flower delivery on Valentine's Day by reaching 200MM earned media impressions and 500k social impressions.

Commenting on the Grand Prix, PR Lions Jury President, Jo-Ann Robertson, CEO, Global Markets, Ketchum, UK, added, “With a deep understanding of their audience, DoorDash were able to deliver a culturally of the moment campaign that made their customers feel something whilst delivering incredible business results. Their focus on celebrating and empowering single women's self-love was simple, brave, and the campaign was perfectly built with earned at the core”.

Social and Influencer Lions

From 1462 entries received in the Social and Influencer Lions, 49 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix was presented to ‘Flipvertising’, for Samsung, by CHEP Network, Sydney, Australia. To launch Samsung’s flagship smartphone, the brand flipped the idea of ad targeting to create a competition for Australian GenZers to win a flagship Galaxy Z Flip 4 phone, boosting brand sales by 34%.

Brand Experience and Activation Lions

In the Brand Experience and Activation Lions, honouring creative, comprehensive brand building through experience design, activation, immersive, retail and 360° customer engagement, 2226 entries were received and 69 Lions awarded by the Jury. The Grand Prix was awarded to ‘FIFA 23 X TED LASSO’, for EA Sports & Apple, by Apple, Cupertino / EA Sports, Redwood City.

Innovation Lions

In the Innovation Lions, celebrating ground-breaking innovation, technology and problem solving, 152 entries were received and 6 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix went to ‘MouthPad^’, for Augmental. The campaign was done by Augmental, San Francisco. Wunderman Thompson provided brand support and brand experience for Augmental’s MouthPad^, led from the Wunderman Thompson team in Peru and working with the Wunderman Thompson’s Inclusive Experience Practice. This innovative tongue-controlled device opens up a new way for people with disabilities to interact with the world.

Mobile Lions

In the Mobile Lions, celebrating device-driven creativity, from 348 entries received 12 Lions were awarded by the Jury. The Grand Prix went to ‘World Cup Delivery’, for PedidosYa, by GUT, Buenos Aires. The work reached football-mad Argentinians by using real time data to track the flight that brought the World Cup Trophy 2022 back to Argentina, and became the #1 trending topic.

Creative Effectiveness Lions

Honouring the measurable impact of creative work, the Creative Effectiveness Lions received 289 entries and the Jury awarded 16 Lions. The Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix went to ‘Shah Rukh Khan-My-Ad’, for Mondelez, by Ogilvy, Mumbai, India. The work lent a hand to small businesses struggling during the pandemic with a data-driven campaign using machine learning to create advertisements for thousands of local businesses, as well as its product, Cadbury Celebrations, and boosted sales as a result.

Creative Strategy Lions

In the Creative Strategy Lions, 774 entries were received and 25 Lions were awarded by the Jury. The Grand Prix went to ‘Renault - Plug-Inn’, for Renault, by Publicis Conseil, Paris, a peer-to-peer app that connects electric car drivers to home charger owners. Like an Airbnb for charging spots, this new business model solves the problem of driving long distances through remote places with zero charging stations.

Creative Strategy Lions Jury President, Amrita Randhawa, CEO, Publicis Groupe, Singapore & Southeast Asia, added,“There is creative strategy that results in the movement of consumer, culture, and business results. And then there is a creative strategy that redefines the product category, opens entirely new revenue models for brands, delivers real value for consumers, solves infrastructural problems and is globally scalable – that is our Grand Prix winner. An obvious contender from the get-go, it became our North Star for the very definition of the future of creative strategy and its ability to deliver transformational brand building.”

Creative Business Transformation Lions

In the Creative Business Transformation Lions, which honour the creativity that drives businesses forward, 251 entries were received and 10 Lions were awarded by the Jury.  The second Grand Prix of the week was awarded to ‘ADLaM - an Alphabet to Preserve a Culture’ for Microsoft, by McCann, New York.

Creative Commerce Lions

In the Creative Commerce Lions, honouring the innovative and creative approach to online and offline commerce, payment solutions and transactional journeys, 467 entries were received and 17 Lions were awarded by the Jury. The Grand Prix went to ‘The Subconscious Order’, for HungerStation, by Wunderman Thompson, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a food delivery service that allows users to order food online by harnessing the power of their subconscious mind.

Film Lions

In the Film Lions, celebrating the creativity of the moving image, 1,867 entries were received and 49 Lions awarded. The Jury chose to award two Grand Prix: 'Relax, it's ‌iPhone‌ – R.I.P. Leon', for Apple, by Apple, Cupertino, USA; and 'The Last Photo', for ITV X CALM, by adam&eveDDB, London, United Kingdom.

Glass: The Lion for Change

Glass: The Lion for Change, which honours culture-shifting creativity, received 184 entries and 7 Lions were awarded. The Grand Prix went to ‘Knock Knock’, for the Korean National Police Agency, by Cheil Worldwide, Seoul, South Korea. Inspired by Morse code, the work offers a solution that allows victims of domestic violence to alert the police without saying a word. After dialling 112, they simply tap any number twice, and a link is sent to them.

Sustainable Development Goals Lions

The Sustainable Development Goals Lions, which celebrate creative problem solving, solutions or other initiatives that harness creativity and seek to positively impact the world, received 691 entries. The Jury awarded 21 Lions. The Grand Prix went to ‘Where To Settle’, for Mastercard, by McCann Poland, a platform that enables Ukrainian refugees to check the cost of living and income opportunities in selected cities and towns in Poland.

Dan Wieden Titanium Lions

In the Dan Wieden Titanium Lions, honouring provocative, boundary-busting, envy-inspiring work that marks a new direction for the industry, 176 entries were received  and the Grand Prix went to ‘The First Digital Nation’, for The Government Of Tuvalu, by The Monkeys, Part of Accenture Song, Sydney, Australia.

 Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Good

The Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Good recognises and celebrates the use of creativity to positively impact not only businesses and brands, but also the world at large. The Jury chose to award this year’s Grand Prix for Good to ‘Anne De Gaulle’, For Fondation Anne De Gaulle Association, by Havas Paris, France.

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