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Wednesday’s batch of 1st and 2nd runners-up included a mix of Media, Direct, Social & Creators (new to Cannes this year) and PR work from Canada: a total of nine for agencies Rethink, Ogilvy / PHD, Critical Mass, We Are Social and Weber Shandwick. On sleep-deprived Day 3 at Cannes, the jury remained focused in the press conference following their days (and evenings) of judging. Below is a look at the work and what the jury presidents had to share with strategy. Catch the Gold winners later this afternoon when they’re revealed at the gala in Cannes.

Direct Lions (1 Silver, 1 Bronze)

1 SILVER: “U Up?” by Rethink for IKEA

IKEA’s “U Up?” campaign was launched in February on social (and actually started a bit of a DM war with some of its competitors), sending direct messages (or, DMs) to customers who were still awake in the wee early hours – offering them a free mattress to aid their sleeplessness. The Cannes jury lauded the campaign, which was done in collaboration with Rethink Toronto, for bringing a diversity of tone to the Direct category.

What the judges had to say:

“Simplicity. Very direct. We loved the humour and it was very, very on point, even from a business point of view. For example, in Europe, IKEA is big, but in the U.S. it’s not that big. So we thought that was a very good challenge for a brand idea. And of course, they explained to us the ‘U Up?’ meaning. In many ways, it was quite brave for a brand to try to do that.” – Gaëtan du Peloux, president and chief creative officer, Marcel, France (Direct Jury President)

1 BRONZE: “Most Likely To” by Ogilvy Toronto for Dove

In keeping with the Direct jury’s focus on diversity, both in category and message, Dove’s “Most Likely To,” focused on teaching body confidence in the classroom. The work tapped into the unrealistic ideals of youth today using the school yearbook trope, with the work flipping the idea on its head by revealing the insecurities many students feel – followed up with the powerful reminder that body confidence can be taught in school.

What the judges had to say:

“We thought this was a brilliant idea. The creative lift was not as strong as other ideas, that’s why it was at the Bronze level. But we thought that finding solutions for real problems is a good way to think and act, without pushing into a Silver or Gold spot, because the creative was maybe not that magic. I think we are also rewarding the consistency.” – Gaëtan du Peloux, president and chief creative officer, Marcel, France (Direct Jury President)

Media (4 Bronze)

1 BRONZE: “Sleep With Rain” by Critical Mass Calgary / West BBDO, Los Angeles for AT&T Business

Today’s economy is keeping entrepreneurs up at night. So AT&T Business tapped into their after-hours anxiety by doing something no B2B brand had done before: it launched a sleep product with the famously dysfunctional cast of The Office. In “Sleep With Rain” actor Rainn Wilson (Dwight) and his sitcom colleagues come together to launch a talking pillow that’s voiced by Wilson and meant to help business owners rest easy. The campaign kicked off with a LinkedIn page for the business and it quickly went viral after debuting a mock “Launch Day” film and Spotify album.

What the judges had to say:

“‘Sleep With Rain’ was a B2B entry where they effectively created a mock company with the cast from ‘The Office.’ What was interesting about this is that it was a B2B campaign that really followed the traits of B2C advertising. It generated content, gained attention, got into the cultural conversation, all for AT&T, a B2B advertiser. So what we liked about it was that it wasn’t behaving like the category normally does. That’s what I’d take from that.” – Dan Clays | CEO, Omnicom Media Group, EMEA (Media Jury President)

1 BRONZE: “Most Likely To” by Ogilvy Toronto and PHD Toronto for Dove (Unilever)

This Dove campaign confronted a pretty painful reality: two-thirds of girls feel too self-conscious about their appearance to fully engage at school. Their lack of confidence can derail their school career and friendships. Or worse, future potential. To spotlight its self-esteem workshops for Canadian schools, Dove and Ogilvy created a raw and emotional short film featuring real high-school girls sharing how low self-confidence shapes their daily lives. It essentially flipped the familiar yearbook trope on its head to spark urgent conversation.

What the judges had to say:

“We really loved the insight. And we really, really loved the ambition behind it. That’s what sucked us in. I think the reason it didn’t go further was because there wasn’t enough media craft. It focused quite heavily on the creative aspect. But as a media jury, that was just what we were wanting to see more of. We encourage, in the future Media Lions, people don’t underplay media craft. For us as media practitioners – it’s really important to recognize that.” – Dan Clays, CEO, Omnicom Media Group, EMEA (Media Jury President)

1 BRONZE: “Airbnb Icons” by Weber Shandwick Toronto / San Francisco / Los Angeles / Seattle / Atlanta for Airbnb

Airbnb created reality out of fantasy with “Icons,” once-in-a-lifetime experiences hosted by some of the world’s biggest names in music, film, TV and sports. From drifting off in the Up house to crashing at an X-Men mansion or being private serenaded by Doja Cat, “Icons” brought travellers into new worlds. The first 11 experiences rolled out mid-2024, with more set to launch globally. And most of the experiences were free or under $100, with over 4,000 tickets up for grabs.

1 BRONZE: “Airbnb Up-House” by Weber Shandwick Toronto / San Francisco / Los Angeles / Seattle / Atlanta for Airbnb

The “Up-House” was one of the 11 experiences created by Airbnb, as part of its “Icons” platform (see above). According to the Airbnb listing, which was open for a limited time in the summer of ‘24, visitors could stay in a “detailed re-creation of [Carl’s] home, complete with more than 8,000 balloons, and located in the scenic red rocks of Abiquiu, New Mexico.”

What the judges had to say:

“Again, we would’ve liked to see more of the media craft come through. What we loved about it was that Airbnb was working with media partners and entertainment brands to create new content and new experiences that they would then amplify to their audience. And we loved the “Up-House,” specifically – the scale of rebuilding that house was just absolutely brilliant. So we recognized it with a Bronze.” – Dan Clays | CEO, Omnicom Media Group, EMEA (Media Jury President)

PR (1 Bronze)

1 BRONZE: “Airbnb Icons” by Weber Shandwick Toronto / San Francisco / Los Angeles / Seattle / Atlanta for Airbnb

Sparked by the viral success of its Barbie Dreamhouse stunt, “Icons” turns pop-culture into bookable experiences. Launched in May 2024, the permanent platform debuted with 11 stays – from Pixar’s Up house to the X-Men mansion – blending experiential marketing with brand partnerships. Each listings dropped with digital golden tickets, which sold out in record speed.

Social & Creator Lions (2 Bronze)

1 BRONZE: “U up?” by Rethink for IKEA

The “U up?” campaign for IKEA turned a flirty late-night text into a clever sleep marketing play. From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., insomniacs scrolling Instagram were met with a cheeky DM from IKEA asking, “U up?” – a message that led to sleep tips, 15% off deals, and even free mattresses. Supported with billboards and influencers, the campaign hit consumers when they were most craving rest.

What the judges had to say:

“I love that piece of work. We spoke about how simple and singular it was and its adoption of the language on the internet. We loved the contextual timing of it. We spoke a lot about how that idea wouldn’t have worked had it come in the middle of the day, had it come in a block of text. The team did an incredible job at that responsive nature of it. I think one thing that really stood out to us, as we read the entries and the KPI for this, was the short-term mattress sales. For creatives to have a brief around short-term mattress sales and to come up with something that is so delightful and so charming – and that not just drives business, but enacts brand love – was incredible for us.” – Beth Keamy, chief digital officer, TBWA/Media Arts Lab Global

1 BRONZE: “Four Seasons Baby” by We Are Social Toronto for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts

“Four Seasons Baby” turned a viral TikTok toddler into the world’s youngest luxury ambassador. After a baby’s enthusiastic “Meeee!” to a Four Seasons Orlando invite went viral, We Are Social sprang into action. Within a week, baby and family were flown in, hosted at Four Seasons Orlando, and featured in TikTok content packed with Instagrammable moments. The campaign reignited Four Seasons’ social presence and ranked as the brand’s highest-performing digital campaign. As the jury president said, who wouldn’t love that?

What the judges had to say:

“First of all, it’s a baby, and who doesn’t love a cute baby cheering about The Four Seasons? What we loved about that work was how real-time it was. We spoke about how challenging it can be to get things through layers of approvals internally at big companies. So we were impressed by their speed and the dexterity of it. I think the other thing that we remarked on when we were looking at the work is that the Four Seasons Hotel hadn’t posted on TikTok for something like two or three years, and so in order for them to be able to see that and activate, felt really authentic.” – Beth Keamy, chief digital officer, TBWA/Media Arts Lab Global