Four Canadian agencies are earning hardware on the first day of Cannes Lions 2022 in the Print & Publishing and Outdoor categories.
Leading them is Rethink, hauling in a Gold Lion in Print & Publishing for Kraft Heinz’ “Draw Ketchup,” which capitalized on the fact that, when asked to literally “draw ketchup,” most people draw the iconic Heinz Ketchup bottle. Drawings of the bottle were used across platforms, including on limited edition labels in stores.
The agency also picked up a Bronze Lion for “Colours of Pride,” a campaign for Fondation Émergence that made a rainbow Pride flag out of close-up images 0f bruises and other signs of struggle in the ongoing fight for 2SLGBTQ+ rights.
The other Canadian work earning awards in Print & Publishing came from Cossette, which picked up a Campaign Bronze in the “Grand Opening” campaign. That campaign used hundreds of balloons to create big sculptures that and resembled different McDonald’s menu items – such as the Big Mac or fries, the two pieces recognized by the Cannes jury.
The Print & Publishing Grand Prix went to Impact BBDO in Dubai for “The Elections Edition” for newspaper An-Nahar. The campaign was an attempt to call a bluff of government officials in Lebanon, who claimed that a shortage of ink and paper could lead to it cancelling its upcoming elections. In response, An-Nahar cancelled its print edition for the day, with the supplies donated to voting stations and newsstands instead directing would-be readers to a website explaining its situation.
Meanwhile, in Outdoor, Publicis and Taxi earned Bronze Lions for very different campaigns.
Taxi earned hardware for its “Uncomfortable Truth,” campaign, which co-opted an ad for Kanye West’s Yeezy brand, with a QR code that, instead of sending people to an ecommerce site, spread information about the fashion industry’s use of forced labour of Uyghur and Turkic Muslim peoples in Xinjiang.
Publicis’ Montreal also earned a Bronze Lion for one of its competition-skewering ads promoting Burger King’s delivery services.
The Outdoor Grand Prix went to Havas Middle East for Adidas’ “Liquid Billboard” campaign. To promote the brand’s new line of swimwear – a range that included both two-piece suits and modest wear – to women in Dubai, the agency made a billboard out of something resembling a giant fish tank as a way to boost women’s confidence to get into the water.
There were no Canadian agencies shortlisted in Radio & Audio, but the Grand Prix in that category went to Dentsu Creative for “The Unfiltered History Tour.” Created to promote Vice World News, the augmented reality experience was a take on the traditional museum audio tour. However, this tour was created without the knowledge of the British Museum, as it took a critical look at the history of British colonialism and how it was represented by the artifiacts on display, many of which have been the subject of numerous attempts to have them returned to their original peoples.
Print and Publishing
Gold
Rethink
Heinz Ketchup (Kraft Heinz), “Draw Ketchup”
Social Behaviour
Partners: Carat Toronto, Starcom Chicago, Salt XC, The Colony Project, Vapor Music Group, R+D Productions
Bronze
Cossette
McDonald’s Canada, “Balloons Grand Opening – Big Mac”
McDonald’s Canada, “Balloons Grand Opening – Fries”
Retail
Rethink
Fondation Émergence, “Colours of Pride”
Social Behaviour
Partners: Grayson Music
Outdoor
Bronze
Publicis
Burger King “Burger King Home Delivery: Ron’s”
Retail
Partners: Illusion CGI Bangkok
Taxi Canada
Human Rights Foundation, “Uncomfortable Truth”
Not-for-profit/Charity/Government
