John Foss, an outspoken advocate for commercial free speech and head of the Association of Canadian Advertisers for well over a decade, died Feb. 28 from complications from pneumonia while on vacation in Ecuador with his wife Pat. He was 74.

A native Norwegian, Foss moved to Canada in 1957 and made an indelible contribution to the advertising industry during a long career that began at Canadian Canners, where he became director of advertising.

He chaired the Association of Canadian Advertisers for the 1973-74 term and later became the association’s president and CEO, a post he held for 14 years (from 1979 to 1993).

In 1996, Foss was awarded the ACA’s Gold Medal for his contributions to the advancement of advertising. Specifically, he was cited for his role in the establishment of the ACA’s educational initiatives, in the formation of the Canadian Congress of Advertising and its Cassies Awards Program, and his strong support of the principle of commercial free speech.

During the 1970s, Foss was a forceful opponent of proposed federal legislation that would have placed severe restrictions on advertising creative.

Foss was also involved with a number of other industry organizations, including the World Federation of Advertisers, the Canadian Advertising Foundation (now Advertising Standards Canada), the Canadian Advertising Research Foundation and the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Strategy is on the ground in Cannes, bringing you the latest news, wins and conference highlights all week long. Catch all the coverage here.

Thursday’s batch of Silver and Bronze winners included the Creative Business Transformation, Creative Effectiveness, Creative Strategy, Luxury Lions, Brand Experience & Activation, Innovation and Creative Commerce Lions categories. Canadians were recognized with three Lions today: a Silver in Brand Experience & Activation, a Bronze in Creative Commerce and a Bronze in Creative Effectiveness. Rethink was awarded twice on Day 4, while Weber Shandwick rounded out the Canadian agency wins with one Lion. Below is a look at the work. Catch the Gold winners later this afternoon when they’re revealed at the gala in Cannes.

Creative Commerce (1 Silver)

1 SILVER: “U Up?” by Rethink for IKEA

IKEA’s “U Up?” campaign has legs, it turns out. The campaign is getting major love at Cannes. The IKEA work, created in collaboration with Rethink Toronto, added to its Cannes Lions tally with a Silver medal in Creative Commerce. That now makes five total Lions for the work, including two Golds on Wednesday night, for Direct and Socal & Creator. The campaign has been lauded by jurors for its dexterity, contextual timing and humour.

Creative Effectiveness (1 Bronze)

1 BRONZE: “Heinz Ketchup & Seemingly Ranch” by Rethink for Kraft Heinz 

Both Rethink and Kraft Heinz picked up another Lion, this one a Bronze in Creative Effectiveness for their collaboration on “Heinz Ketchup & Seemingly Ranch.” Not only did the work capture a culture moment spurred by Taylor Swift, but it also created a new product, “in under 24 hours,” to match. The latest two Lions makes 10 total wins for Rethink. Kraft Heinz and Rethink also picked up a rare Gold Lion for Media a day earlier.

Brand Experience & Activation (1 Bronze)

1 BRONZE: “Airbnb Icons” by Weber Shandwick for Airbnb

The Weber Shandwick work, “Airbnb Icons,” won Bronze on Thursday in Brand Experience & Activation after claiming a Bronze in Media Wednesday. Airbnb turned media brands into a destination, partnering with the likes of Marvel and Disney to offer travellers experiences like drifting off in the Up house or crashing at an X-Men mansion. The first 11 experiences rolled out mid-2024, and most of the experiences were free or under $100, with over 4,000 tickets sold by the end of the season.