Cannes Lions 2022: Canada Wins in Four Categories
The campaigns of Heinz Ketchup, previously acquired by Rethink some Lions creative agency, were added to their portfolio this year, excelling in categories where partner agencies worked hard to breathe life into creative ideas and reach their target audience.
The film "The Hot Dog Pact" won the Silver Lion for Public Relations, an area where the agency collaborated with Middle Child. The campaign generated a buzz for hot dogs and ketchup, with a media budget of $13.1 million and 1.2 billion impressions across paid and organic media channels.
In the meantime, the campaign "Draw Ketchup" won the only Canadian Bronze Lion in the Media category, thanks to the efforts of Carat. The campaign played on the idea that when asked to draw a ketchup bottle, most people draw a Heinz bottle. The media plan included obtaining actual drawings from various sources, which were featured on billboards, print ads, and even store shelves.
Zulu Alpha Kilo film titled "The Tough Turban" won a Bronze Lion for those who already won in the Public Relations category, where the agency worked with Select PR. The chapter also brought DDB Canada its first Lion of the year and a Bronze medal for "Blacked Out History" campaign for the Ontario Black History Society. The campaign literally covered up the non-Black parts of history books, drawing attention to the times they were ignored in the region educational curriculum.
The Social & Influencer category also saw Zulu Alpha Kilo success with a Silver Lion for "The Micropedia of Microaggressions." The campaign was created in collaboration with various organizations, including the Black Business and Professional Association, the Canadian Congress on Workplace Diversity and Inclusion, Pride at Work, and the Diversity Institute at Metropolitan University in Toronto. The campaign revolved around an online database of hundreds of subtle microaggressions people face in their daily lives, aiming to educate people about words and actions that may unknowingly perpetuate systemic racism.
"The Hot Dog Pact" film also received a Bronze medal from Rethink in the Social & Influencer Lions category for the campaign social media sweep, which gathered over 35,000 signatures on a petition.
Finally, FCB Canada secured Canada sole Direct Lion with the Silver Lion for the "Dream Drop" campaign for Lotto Max, which transformed a range of products into scannable lottery tickets.
The Direct Grand Prix went to "Less Talk, More Bitcoin," created by Accenture for Coinbase. The campaign leveraged cryptocurrency exchange during the Super Bowl for 60 seconds - a time when many digital currency platforms competed for attention - by displaying a reversible QR code like a screensaver. By visiting the link, many people were able to redeem an equivalent of $15 in Bitcoin, although the website experienced a traffic surge (fun fact: $15 in Bitcoin is approximately $8.30 today).
The PR Grand Prix was awarded to BBDO Belgium for the Decathlon campaign "The Breakaway" as part of the retailer goal to make sports accessible to everyone. The campaign provided a virtual Zwift cycling platform for 11 inmates in a Belgian prison and allowed them to compete as a team. By competing with thousands of cyclists worldwide, who were unaware they were riding alongside convicted criminals, the aim was to eliminate stigma and help inmates better integrate into society.
The Media Grand Award also honored AMV BBDO "Hope Reef" campaign for Sheba Pet, which previously won in Industry Craft. The campaign served as the starting point for a coral reef restoration project, including an installation that made the word "hope" large enough to be visible on Google Earth.
Lastly, Vice World News' film "The Unfiltered History Tour" from Dentsu Creative.
