By Jennifer Horn & Josh Kolm
It’s time to pop some bubbles, raise the Canadian flag, and call it a day. The 2023 Cannes Lions festival has come to a close.
Canada did not, unfortunately, go out with a bang tonight, having been shut out of the Film, Glass and Sustainable Development Goals Lions (the final three categories the country was shortlisted in), but we did break a record with the most Lions ever won for the country – 56 in total.
Canadian marketers Mike Miura and Ryan Grippo from MLSE, as well as creatives Cory Hansen and Anthony Curran from Milestone Integrated Marketing gave Canada a presence on the world stage tonight, though, winning a Gold in the Young Marketers and a Silver in the Young Lions Film competitions.
A total of 13 agencies won 56 Lions in total, of which one was a Grand Prix, 12 were Gold, 22 were Silver and 19 were Bronze, plus Gold and Silver Young Lions wins. Meanwhile, 25 shops landed on shortlists, of which there were 202 nods for Canada.
FCB led Canadian agencies with its Grand Prix, three Gold, four Silver and two Bronze Lions, though Rethink had the most Lions overall with three Gold, four Silver and eight Bronze. In terms of an individual campaign, Muskrat Magazine’s “Missing Matoaka” earned two Gold, three Silver and three Bronze for BBDO Toronto.
“This week, the global industry has seen what we at home already know – that Canada is a creative force to be reckoned with,” said Max Geraldo, CCO at BBDO Canada. “The energy and positivity around Canadian agencies has been incredible.”
Lions Nominations & Wins (By Category)
Brand Experience & Activation: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze, 9 shortlists
Creative B2B: 0 shortlists
Creative Business Transformation: 0 shortlists
Creative Commerce: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 7 shortlists
Creative Data: 1 Bronze, 4 shortlists
Creative Effectiveness: 1 Gold, 1 shortlist
Creative Strategy: 1 Silver, 2 shortlists
Design: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze, 7 shortlists
Digital Craft: 2 Silver, 6 shortlists
Direct: 1 Grand Prix, 2 Bronze, 19 shortlists
Entertainment: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze, 10 shortlists
Entertainment for Sport: 0 shortlists
Entertainment for Music: 0 shortlists
Entertainment for Gaming: 1 shortlist
Film: 4 shortlists
Film Craft: 2 Silver, 15 shortlists
Glass: 1 shortlist
Health & Wellness: 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze, 13 shortlists
Industry Craft: 1 Bronze, 8 shortlists
Innovation: 1 shortlist
Media: 1 Gold, 1 Bronze, 7 shortlists
Mobile: 1 Silver, 2 shortlists
Outdoor: 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze, 17 shortlists
PR: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze, 18 shortlists
Pharma: 1 Bronze, 2 shortlists
Print & Publishing: 1 Silver, 2 Bronze, 10 shortlists
Radio & Audio: 1 Gold, 2 Bronze, 12 shortlists
Social & Influencer: 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze, 22 shortlists
Sustainable Development Goals: 4 shortlists
Titanium: 0 shortlists
Lions Nominations & Wins (By Agency)
FCB Toronto: 1 Grand Prix, 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze, 21 shortlists
Rethink: 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 8 Bronze, 63 shortlists
BBDO Toronto: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze, 19 shortlists
Ogilvy Toronto: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 14 shortlists
Klick Health: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze, 15 shortlists
Angry Butterfly: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 shortlists
Dentsu Creative Toronto: 1 Silver, 2 Bronze, 12 shortlists
Citizen Relations: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze, 7 shortlists
Performance Art: 1 Silver, 7 shortlists
Broken Heart Love Affair: 1 Silver, 5 shortlists
Edelman: 1 Silver, 5 shortlists
Cossette: 1 Silver, 4 shortlists
Taxi: 1 Bronze, 6 shortlists
Bensimon Byrne/Narrative: 4 shortlists
LG2: 3 shortlists
Courage: 2 shortlists
McCann Toronto: 2 shortlists
Tank/Grey: 2 shortlists
Zulu Alpha Kilo: 2 shortlists
123w: 1 shortlist
Fuse Create: 1 shortlist
The Hive: 1 shortlist
No Fixed Address: 1 shortlist
Publicis Toronto: 1 shortlist
Wunderman Thompson Toronto: 1 shortlist
Country totals (53 Lions)
Grand Prix: 1
Gold: 12
Silver: 22
Bronze: 19
Young Marketer: Gold
Young Lion Film: Silver
Young Lion Media: Shortlist
Young Lion Digital: Shortlist
Lion Shortlists: 202
