In the lead-up to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Strategy tapped some of this year’s jurors from the Marketing Awards – since they recently spent a good chunk of time sifting through hundreds of cases from Canada’s top agencies – to tell us who they think will bring home a Lion in 2025. In part 2 of our three-part series, Nancy Crimi-Lamanna from FCB, Dhaval Bhatt from Courage and Brian Murray from Zulu Alpha Kilo tell us who they think will make waves next week.
The work: “Finish It”
The agency: Diamond
The client: The Terry Fox Foundation
Where it should win: Film craft (production design, art direction)
This campaign seamlessly combines heart and innovation while celebrating a deeply important Canadian icon. By digitally bringing Terry Fox’s journey to life and pairing it with a never-before-heard Tragically Hip track, it taps into a powerful national spirit of hope, resilience and community. Terry Fox’s story is woven into Canada’s cultural fabric and this campaign reignites our commitment to finish his mission – uniting the country around a cause bigger than any one person. That emotional resonance, paired with fresh creativity, makes it a stand-out. The only thing it requires is a global jury to understand it’s cultural importance and context.”
– Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, CCO, FCB
The work: “Nature’s Symphony”
The agency: Broken Heart Love Affair
The client: Royal Ontario Museum
Where it should win: Film craft (direction, visual effects)
“From pieces shot on film, sweeping cinematic stories, to ads that blur the lines with AI, Canada has a lot of strong work going into film craft this year. Despite it being one of the toughest categories in Cannes, I think ‘Nature’s Symphony’ for The ROM is a very strong contender for a Lion. From VFX to direction, the level of craft and vision in every aspect is undeniable. I believe it would play wonderfully at the Palais.”
– Dhaval Bhatt, founder and CCO, Courage
The work: “80 Degrees”
The agency: Courage
The client: Nescafé
Where it should win: Film craft (direction, cinematography)
“Most commercials are actually ‘videos’ these days, no matter how much we ad creatives like to call them ‘films.’ Well, Courage’s ’80 Degrees’ for Nescafé actually is a film – directed by Omri Cohen and shot on 35mm film to be exact – and it shows. Comprised of beautiful and authentic feeling moments shot around the world, the film encourages people to drink their Nescafé coffee at 80 degrees to maximize enjoyment, flavour and save some energy. Look for this wonderfully crafted piece to contend in craft categories like direction and cinematography. My compliments to director of photography Adam Richards and all the team.”
– Brian Murray, CCO, Zulu Alpha Kilo
