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Cannes Lions

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Cannes Lions
The Cannes Lions logo
Awarded forExcellence in advertising and creative communications
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byInforma Festivals
Formerly called
  • International Advertising Film Festival
  • International Advertising Festival
First awardSeptember 1954; 72 years ago (1954-09)
Websitecanneslions.com

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is an annual festival held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France, focused on creativity, effectiveness, and innovation in the advertising, marketing, and communications industries.[1] Cannes Lions are widely considered to be the most prestigious awards in advertising,[a] and are often referred to as the Oscars of the advertising industry.[b]

First organized in Venice in 1954 as the International Advertising Film Festival, the event moved permanently to Cannes in 1984. Over time, the festival has evolved beyond an awards programme and agency networking event into a broader industry gathering for chief marketing officers, technology leaders, creators, entertainment executives, and entrepreneurs.[1]

History

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Inspired by the Cannes Film Festival staged since the late 1940s, a group of European cinema screen advertising contractors set out to establish similar recognition for advertising filmmakers.[2][3] Organized by the Screen Advertising World Association, the inaugural event, originally named the International Advertising Film Festival, took place in Venice, Italy, in September 1954.[4][3][5] It attracted 187 entries from 14 countries, with the first Grand Prix awarded to a three-minute Italian cinema commercial for Chlorodont toothpaste.[5][6] The festival's trophy, the Lion, was inspired by the winged lion statue at the Piazza San Marco in Venice.[4][5] The festival relocated to Monte Carlo in 1955 and then to Cannes in 1956. For several decades, the event alternated between Venice and Cannes.[4][5] In 1984, organizers made Cannes the permanent host city.[2] The decision came after several years during which the festival had been the target of industrial action. Following the move, Italian officials banned the festival from using replicas of the Venetian winged lion, prompting organizers to redesign the trophy into a wingless lion.[6][7]

Cannes Lions ceremony in 2009.

In 1987, French executive Roger Hatchuel acquired a financial stake and spearheaded the festival's transformation into a commercial enterprise.[7] In the early 1990s, the festival introduced educational seminars intended to help redress the advertising crisis during the first Gulf War.[5] Having historically focused on television and cinema advertisements,[4][5] the competition expanded to print entries in 1992,[7] subsequently renaming itself the International Advertising Festival.[5] In August 2004, EMAP (later Ascential) acquired the festival for £52.5 million, ending Hatchuel's 17-year tenure.[8] To reflect a broader focus on creative communications rather than just traditional advertising, the event was rebranded as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2011.[4][9]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 festival was canceled after an initial postponement.[10] Cannes Lions returned in 2021 as a fully digital event before resuming as an in-person gathering on the French Riviera in June 2022.[11][12] Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Cannes Lions banned entries and delegates from Russian organizations from the 2022 festival, while waiving fees for Ukrainian delegates and refunding submission fees for Ukrainian agencies.[13][14] In October 2024, Informa completed its £1.2 billion acquisition of Ascential, the festival's owner at the time.[15]

Awards

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Structure

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Cannes Lions are widely considered to be the most prestigious awards in the advertising industry,[a] and are often referred to as the sector's Oscars.[b] In 2011, Cannes Lions received a record 28,828 entries, the highest in its 58-year history at the time.[33] Submissions reached a new peak in 2016 at over 43,000, up 7% from the previous year.[34] Following the cancellation of the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 iteration accepted work spanning both 2020 and 2021, recording 29,074 entries from 90 countries, a 6% decline compared with 2019.[35][36] In 2026, total entries dropped by 25.5% to 20,050 after organizers introduced stricter eligibility and verification requirements following the 2025 cheating scandal, including enhanced fact-checking, stricter client sign-off procedures, and bans on agencies that submit fake or manipulated work.[37][38]

While the festival's primary purpose is to recognize creative advertising, it has also developed into a networking event for marketers, agency executives, emerging creatives, creators, and trade journalists. The competition is divided into multiple Lions categories covering different areas of creative work.[39] The awards evolve each year to reflect changes in the creative communications industry and how brands, agencies, and platforms shape culture, business, and society.[40] Following criticism over rising costs, the proliferation of award categories, and the festival's growing focus beyond creative advertising, Cannes Lions announced a major overhaul for 2018, shortening the event from longer than a week to five days, reducing the price of its full delegate pass by €900, removing more than 120 award subcategories, and limiting each campaign to 6 award entries.[41] The competition comprises various award categories, each presenting distinct levels of recognition, beginning with shortlisted entries, followed by Bronze, Silver, and Gold Lions. A Grand Prix may then be selected from the Gold-winning entries for the best overall work in the category, but it is not awarded if the jury determines that no submission meets the required standard.[39]

Integrity

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The festival has historically faced issues with scam or ghost ads created solely for awards.[7][42][43] In 1995, jury chairman Frank Lowe stirred controversy by refusing to award a Grand Prix, maintaining that none of the submitted work met the required standard.[7][44] In 2000, Lowe Lintas Sydney made an unprecedented move by returning two Bronze Lions after an internal investigation found the winning entries to be unauthorized or otherwise ineligible.[45] In 2002, the festival stripped DPZ Propaganda of two Gold Lions after determining that its Johnson & Johnson KY advertisements had not been approved by the client and that the agency had lost the account three years earlier.[46][47] In response to recurring concerns over deceptive entries, Cannes Lions introduced policies on scam ads in 2009, providing for sanctions against the individual creatives responsible rather than their agencies.[48][49] The following year, the competition stripped Ogilvy Mexico of the Press Grand Prix for its Mattel Scrabble campaign 45 minutes before the ceremony after discovering that the campaign had previously failed to make the shortlist when entered in 2008; the award was subsequently presented to AlmapBBDO's Billboard entry.[50]

In 2011, the festival withdrew a Silver Lion in Press and a Bronze Lion in Outdoor from Brazilian agency Moma Propaganda over a Kia Motors campaign criticized for overtones of lust and pedophilia.[51][52][53] The revocation occurred after the automaker publicly confirmed it had neither approved nor commissioned the advertisements.[52][54] This marked the first time Cannes Lions banned the responsible creatives from entering future work, imposing a one-year ban for the 2012 festival to the five individuals credited at Moma Propaganda.[51][55] In 2025, the competition revoked 12 awards won by DM9, a Brazilian subsidiary of DDB, most notably the Creative Data Grand Prix, after determining that its case film contained AI-generated and manipulated content, including altered CNN Brasil footage.[56][57] The festival subsequently introduced new integrity standards for 2026, including mandatory AI disclosure, enhanced verification procedures, and bans of up to three years for deliberate misrepresentation.[58][59] Ad Age reported that 22 executives interviewed for its investigation – most of whom had served on Cannes Lions juries or participated in award submissions – described bribery, vote manipulation, and collusion among jurors as widespread and worsening.[60] Agency executives reported that the 2026 submission process became significantly more burdensome due to mandatory client sign-off, proof-of-impact documentation, and a dual-layer human and AI fact-checking system for campaign claims.[61]

Controversies

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In the 2010s, Cannes Lions faced growing scrutiny over its environmental impact, including its carbon footprint from international travel and waste from single-use plastics and discarded promotional materials.[3] In 2019, members of Extinction Rebellion were arrested after blockading the Palais des Festivals and staging protests on the beachfront.[62][63] Three years later, Greenpeace launched a guerrilla campaign in Cannes targeting the advertising industry's ties to fossil fuel companies.[64] During the festival's opening ceremony, Gustav Martner, a 2007 Gold Lion winner and former jury member,[65][66] returned his award in protest, unfurling a banner that read, "No awards on a dead planet."[66][67]

Cannes Lions has faced criticism over its handling of sexual misconduct in the advertising industry. Cindy Gallop has recounted experiencing harassment at the festival.[68] In 2018, the event drew criticism for not including a dedicated panel on the issue amid the wider MeToo movement.[69] Following reports of sexual harassment and assault at the 2024 festival, Cannes Lions introduced designated "Safe Zones" in 2025,[70] though the measures faced criticism and prompted an industry petition for stronger protocols.[71][72]

Notes

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  1. 1 2 Attributed to multiple references:[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
  2. 1 2 Attributed to multiple references:[1][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 Williams, Paul (21 June 2026). "Poised to Roar: What to Expect at Cannes Lions 2026". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 2165-1736. Archived from the original on 31 July 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 Jones 2000, p. 169.
  3. 1 2 3 Swiatek 2024, p. 124.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Richards 2022, p. 224.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nudd, Tim (18 June 2012). "History of the Cannes Lions, From Ad Films to Carnival of Creativity". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 "The History of Advertising 20 - A Cannes Lion". Campaign. Haymarket Media Group. 24 June 2011. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Tungate 2013, p. 230.
  8. ↑ Martinson, Jane; Sommerich, Phil (10 August 2004). "Emap buys Cannes advertising festival". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Sweney, Mark (20 June 2011). "Cannes advertising festival rebrands to reflect digital age". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Szalai, Georg (3 April 2020). "Cannes Lions Festival Canceled Due to Coronavirus Pandemic". The Hollywood Reporter. ISSN 0018-3660. Archived from the original on 8 April 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  11. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (7 April 2021). "Cannes Lions Goes Virtual For 2021". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Holdsworth, Nick (20 June 2022). "Cannes Lions Draw Creatives and Execs From the Advertising and Marketing Industries". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  13. ↑ Diaz, Ann-Christine (4 March 2022). "Cannes Lions bans Russian entries and delegates". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Stewart, Rebecca (4 March 2022). "Cannes Lions Bans Russian Delegates and Entries from 2022 Awards". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Tobitt, Charlotte (24 July 2024). "Informa to buy Cannes Lions owner Ascential as it reveals price of AI deals". Press Gazette. ISSN 0041-5170. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Tavory, Prelat & Ronen 2022, p. 4.
  17. ↑ Meléndez-Rodríguez & Roca 2023, p. 1295.
  18. ↑ Grybś 2014, p. 164.
  19. ↑ Perrey & Spillecke 2013, p. 249.
  20. ↑ Cochoy et al. 2017, p. 208.
  21. ↑ Galan-Ladero & Alves 2019, p. 15.
  22. ↑ Rose 2012, p. 13.
  23. ↑ Hardy 2021, p. 13.
  24. ↑ Belch & Belch 2024, p. 100.
  25. ↑ Jung & Dalton 2021, p. 105.
  26. ↑ Deighton, Katie (19 June 2023). "After Bud Light Debacle, AB InBev Takes a Bow at Ad-Biz Oscars". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 1042-9840. Archived from the original on 31 July 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  27. ↑ A.R. (29 August 2012). "Not same, very different". The Economist. ISSN 2978-4360. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  28. ↑ Bosman, Julie (22 November 2005). "Stuck at the Edges of the Ad Game". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  29. ↑ Field, Matthew; Warrington, James (22 June 2024). "How advertising lost its sense of humour". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  30. ↑ Cozens, Claire (16 January 2002). "Goodby to head Cannes juries". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. Archived from the original on 31 July 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  31. ↑ Krashinsky, Susan (14 June 2012). "In Cannes, ad awards win critics". The Globe and Mail. ISSN 0319-0714. Archived from the original on 31 July 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "Global Goalscast: How the "advertising Oscars" could change the world". CBS News. Columbia Broadcasting System. 24 May 2018. Archived from the original on 31 July 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  33. ↑ Sweney, Mark (1 June 2011). "Cannes Lions entries hit record". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  34. ↑ Oakes, Omar (15 June 2016). "Cannes Lions sees record 43,000 award submissions". Campaign. Haymarket Media Group. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  35. ↑ Jardine, Alexandra (17 June 2021). "Cannes Lions award entries are down from 2019 amid pandemic". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  36. ↑ Lepitak, Stephen (17 June 2021). "Cannes Lions 2021 Records Decline in Entry Rates Despite Accepting 2 Years of Work". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  37. ↑ Nudd, Tim (20 June 2026). "Cannes Lions entries drop more than 25% as stricter rules kick in". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  38. ↑ Spanier, Gideon (22 June 2026). "Cannes Lions award entries drop 25% in 2026". Campaign. Haymarket Media Group. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 3 August 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  39. 1 2 Sanchez, Sabrina (10 June 2024). "Cannes Lions—everything to know about the 2024 ad festival". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  40. ↑ "Cannes Lions 2025: The four awards changes you need to know". Campaign. Haymarket Media Group. 3 April 2025. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  41. ↑ Bruell, Alexandra (13 November 2017). "Cannes Lions Ad Festival Makes Changes After Agencies Scale Back". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 1042-9840. Archived from the original on 3 August 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  42. ↑ Meléndez-Rodríguez & Roca 2023, p. 1307.
  43. ↑ Wentz, Laurel (11 June 2001). "Ghosts of Cannes". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  44. ↑ Hall, Emma (4 January 2010). "Original Mad Man Frank Lowe Leaves Red Brick Road". Ad Age. London. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 1 August 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  45. ↑ Hornery, Andrew (10 July 2000). "Specter of `ghost' ads haunts Cannes competition". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  46. ↑ O'Sullivan-Gavin & Amazeen 2016, p. 14.
  47. ↑ Penteado, Claudia (26 June 2002). "Cannes Winner Questioned as Possible Scam". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 1 August 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  48. ↑ Davisson & Booth 2016, p. 131–32.
  49. ↑ Patel, Kunur (14 October 2009). "Cannes: No Ban for Agencies Behind Scam Ads". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 30 July 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  50. ↑ Sweney, Mark (24 June 2010). "Cannes Lions grand prix ad winner stripped of prize". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  51. 1 2 Wentz, Laurel; Penteado, Claudia (21 July 2011). "Fake Kia Ad Gets 5 Brazilian Creatives Banned From 2012 Cannes Festival". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  52. 1 2 Edwards, Jim (22 July 2011). "Cannes Yanks Awards Given to Pedophile Ads for Kia, and Exposed by BNET". CBS News. Columbia Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on 1 August 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  53. ↑ Nudd, Tim (21 July 2011). "Agency Stripped of Cannes Lion Won for Scam Pedophilia Ad". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  54. ↑ Nudd, Tim (21 July 2011). "Agency Stripped of Cannes Lion Won for Scam Pedophilia Ad". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  55. ↑ Eun-Jung, Jung (24 July 2011). "Fake Kia ad stripped of Cannes award". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 1 August 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  56. ↑ Bonilla, Brian (27 June 2025). "Three winning DM9 campaigns are withdrawn from Cannes Lions, as festival pledges tighter oversight". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  57. ↑ Stewart, Rebecca (1 July 2025). "The Cannes Lions 2025 Controversies Casting a Shadow Over Big Awards". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  58. ↑ Bonilla, Brian (10 July 2025). "Cannes Lions updates awards standards following string of controversies". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  59. ↑ Thumann, Emma (1 July 2026). "Jurors pull back the curtain on Cannes Lions' new integrity era". Campaign. Haymarket Media Group. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 3 August 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  60. ↑ Rittenhouse, Lindsay; Bonilla, Brian; Larkin, Ewan (15 July 2025). "Inside Cannes' cheating crisis—ad leaders on bribery, collusion and who is to blame for award show scandals". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  61. ↑ Kiefer, Brittaney; Stewart, Rebecca (14 May 2026). "Agencies Say New Cannes Lions Entry Rules Are 'Burdensome' But Necessary". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 2 August 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  62. ↑ Jardine, Alexandra (14 June 2019). "Climate change activists plan disruptive action at Cannes". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  63. ↑ Jardine, Alexandra; Rittenhouse, Lindsay (20 June 2019). "Environmental activists arrested after protests in Cannes". Ad Age. ISSN 1557-7414. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  64. ↑ Frost, Caroline; Whittock, Jesse (23 June 2022). "Cannes Lions Sees Greenpeace Protest Atop The Palais As Guerrilla Campaign Continues To Disrupt Ad Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 29 July 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  65. ↑ Swiatek 2024, p. 125.
  66. 1 2 Lundstrom, Kathryn (21 June 2022). "Climate Issues Wrestle Their Way to the Forefront at Cannes 2022". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 29 July 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  67. ↑ Martner, Gustav (21 June 2022). "Euroviews. Winning a Cannes Lions made me a climate criminal. So I crashed the stage to hand it back". Euronews. Euronews SA. Archived from the original on 29 July 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  68. ↑ O'Reilly, Lara (12 June 2015). "Cindy Gallop was sexually harassed at the Cannes ad festival and that's why she thinks half of all managers should be women". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 29 July 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  69. ↑ Oster, Erik; Coffee, Patrick; Rittenhouse, Lindsay (13 June 2018). "Is Cannes Lions Missing Out on an Opportunity to Address Sexual Harassment in Advertising?". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 29 July 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  70. ↑ Stewart, Rebecca (27 May 2025). "Cannes Lions Introduces Safe Zones Staffed by Trained Professionals". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  71. ↑ Ostwal, Trishla (25 June 2025). "Petition Urges Cannes Lions to Boost Anti-Harassment Efforts, Despite New Safety Measures". Adweek. ISSN 0199-2864. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  72. ↑ Charles, Gemma (26 June 2025). "Cannes Lions faces calls to step up action on sexual harassment". Campaign. Haymarket Media Group. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.

Bibliography

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