Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival)[1][2] is a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered the largest gathering of the advertising and creative communications industry.[3][4]
The five-day festival, incorporating the awarding of the Lions awards, is held yearly at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France.[5] During the last week of June, around 15,000 registered delegates from 90 countries visited the Festival. They celebrated the best of creativity in brand communication, discussed industry issues, and networked with one another.[6][7] The week's activities include multiple award ceremonies, as well as an opening and closing gala.[8][9]
History[edit]
Inspired by the Cannes Film Festival, staged in Cannes since the late 1940s, a group of cinema screen advertising contractors belonging to the Screen Advertising World Association (SAWA) felt the makers of advertising films should be similarly recognized. They established the International Advertising Film Festival, the first of which took place in Venice, Italy, in September 1954, with 187 film entries from 14 countries. The lion of the Piazza San Marco in Venice was the inspiration for the Lion trophy.[10][11]
The second festival was held in Monte Carlo, and the third in Cannes. After that, the event alternated between Venice and Cannes before settling in the latter in 1984.[12] New categories have been awarded in recent years: the Press & Outdoor Lions competition in 1992; the Cyber Lions in 1998 (retired after 2017); Media Lions in 1999; Direct Lions in 2002; Radio, and Titanium Lions in 2005; Promo & Activation Lions in 2006 (retired after 2017); Design Lions in 2008; PR Lions in 2009; Film Craft in 2010; Creative Effectiveness in 2011;[12] Branded Content & Entertainment and Mobile Lions in 2012; Innovation in 2013; and Creative eCommerce and Social & Influencer in 2018. In 2018, the festival introduced several changes to better reflect the state of the modern communications world: including new categories, revising costs, and reducing the event from seven to five days.[13]
In the 1990s, the festival added programs of learning in the form of seminars and workshops.[12] This side of the festival experienced considerable growth, featuring around 130 sessions in 2013's week.[14] These included talks from Christopher Bailey, Jack Black, Jenson Button, Nick Cannon, Shepard Fairey, Arianna Huffington, David Karp, and Annie Leibovitz.
In 2004, British publisher and conference organizer EMAP plc (now called Ascential) purchased the festival from French businessman Roger Hatchuel – who had started managing it in 1987 – for a reported £52 million.[15] In June 2014, the Wall Street Journal[16] as well as Campaign Magazine[17] Reported on Nimrod Kamer's protestations at Cannes Lions.
Philip Thomas is the Chairman and Simon Cook the Managing Director. Thomas is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ascential Futures, under which Cannes Lions operates.[18]
Young Lions Competitions[edit]
The Young Lions Competitions (previously known as the Young Creatives competition, which started in 1995) is open to advertising professionals up to 30 years old working in teams of two. The competition takes place during the festival week in Cannes in seven divisions: print, digital, film, design, young marketers, media, and PR. Regional competitions are held in most countries[29] to select teams in the lead-up to the Festival, with winners of these going into the final round of the competitions at Cannes Lions.[30] A design competition was launched in 2012.[31]
Lions Health[edit]
In June 2012, Cannes Lions announced that it plans to launch a new two-day event for creative communications in healthcare, wellness, and sustainability. Taking place in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, just before Cannes Lions kicks off on 15th of June 2014, the event will offer two days of content that will explore and debate the essential and unique issues relating to the world of healthcare communications. The move was welcomed by some sections of the industry, with Jeremy Perrott, global creative director of McCann Health, commenting: "Lions Health gives the industry the highest stage to showcase its brilliance".[32] In 2017 Lions Health was moved to take place at the same time as the main festival, but remains a standalone event in another part of the Palais.[33]