During the week of festivities at the Cannes Lions in June, an exhibit by ACT Responsible (Advertising Community Together), entitled ‘Taking Care of our Future,’ showcased about 400 advertising campaigns with a focus on social and environmental issues. JWT’s president/CEO Tony Pigott, who has helped shape the event of which JWT is a sponsor, wound his way through the campaigns and selected the following three – in random order – as the best of the bunch.

1. Greenpeace’s ‘Trees’

Campaign: A simple print execution by JWT Philippines in which the holes of the edge of a piece of paper seemingly pulled from a cahier double as trees. Hundreds of visitors to the exhibit voted this as the top print campaign and it was bestowed with a Cannes Dove Award.

Comments: ‘Very elegant, very simple, but it said a lot. I chose it for its simplicity and I think that elegant creative in telling these stories is very helpful.’

2. Microsoft and Nike’s ninemillion.org

Campaign: There are nine million child refugees in the world. Nike and Microsoft have joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as corporate sponsors. A compelling website aids awareness.

Comments: ‘They identified a problem then created a program they could own. [It] signals [a] social strategy companies are going to be adopting or creating more and more: very sharply defined programs that target significant social issues and they step forward and own it.’

3. General Electric’s Ecomagination

Campaign: Ecomagination is GE’s commitment – and division – devoted to developing eco-friendly products and solutions that help customers, shareholders and the public. Its multiplatform campaign includes a website, print and TV work.

Comment: ‘It’s significant for the actual business strategy as much as it is for the creative. It’s a telltale of a very significant pioneering effort where business is picking up on sustainability.’