Cannes Lions receives 26,900 entries for 2025
The annual festival of creativity, which runs from 16 to 20 June, is the biggest annual gathering in global advertising and is seen as a barometer of the ad industry.
Glass: The Lion for Change saw a 53 per cent increase in entries while the Strategy Track, encompassing Creative Strategy and Creative Effectiveness Lions, grew by 10 per cent.
The Design Lions, which have been updated to reflect the strategic and behavioural impact of design, rose by 17 per cent.
The number of entries from independant agencies rose by 18 per cent, and those from Latin America were up by 16 per cent.
As of today, 1,672 shortlists have been announced across 20 categories.
Simon Cook, Chief Executive of Lions, said: 'We know that world-class creativity can come from anywhere. For business leaders seeking growth opportunities, the global benchmark provides a unique insight into creativity's power as a catalyst for meaningful transformation and growth. With submissions from across 96 markets – and significant regional growth from Latin America – we look forward to seeing the breadth of groundbreaking ideas from across the world.
'We're excited to see the winning body of work that emerges over the next week as our Juries set the benchmark that will define the future direction for our industry.'
Social & Creator Lions have been updated to 'better reflect the growing influence of creators in today's landscape', and 18 per cent of all entries in this area were submitted in newly introduced sub-categories that focus specifically on creator-led content.
Entries to Creative B2B were up 13 per cent, while the Entertainment Lions for Sport rose by 15 per cent, 'reflecting an increasing emphasis on creativity within performance-driven and fan-led sectors,' Cook said.
Marian Brannelly, Global Director of Awards at Lions, said: 'The submissions this year reveal a shift in how creativity is being harnessed for meaningful change for both business and society. We're seeing record growth in categories that demand measurable impact, whether that's through design thinking that transforms user experiences or strategic approaches that deliver tangible business outcomes.'
'Overall, the data shows an industry that continues to evolve and embrace new opportunities to drive impact, with strong engagement with creator-focused submissions and the growth of independent agency participation, representing an industry embracing new models of impact, innovation and transformation,' she added.
This content was first published by Campaign UK.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Campaign ME
3 days ago
- Campaign ME
Keys to commercial success from Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions winners
Prioritising consistent creative and embracing fun and disruption are the current keys to commercial success, according to a new report by WARC, the global authority on marketing effectiveness. WARC's latest 'Creative Effectiveness Lions 2025 – Insights from the winners' report identifies trends and themes common to the award-winning campaigns of this year's Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions, rewarding creativity that has also met business goals and driven sustainable impact over time. Based on WARC's analysis of the entries and the jury's deliberations, the report unearths insights into what makes a campaign both creative and effective, offers a behind-the-scenes view on the strategies that led to commercial success, and provides takeaways for advertisers, agencies, media owners, people and planet. Commenting on the report, John Bizzell, Awards Lead, WARC, said, 'Marketers will learn a lot from this year's crop of winners. These campaigns are using the power of creativity to solve real business and societal challenges whilst driving commercial growth.' On the judging process, jury president Andrea Diquez, Global CEO, GUT, added, 'Everything this jury saw had won or been shortlisted for creativity in a previous year, so the body of work is always very impressive. When evaluating the entries this year, it was critical for us to assess the boldness of the ideas together with the significance of the impact. We were looking for work that was courageous and authentic.' The three key themes from the winners of the Creative Effectiveness Lions 2025 are: Compound creativity drives long-term success Brands that stick with creative platforms or themes, and allow them to build and strengthen over time, achieve greater recognition, loyalty, and financial returns. System1 research presented on stage at this year's Cannes Lions festival by Andrew Tindell, SVP Global Partnerships, found that the most consistent brands generated, on average, 27 per cent more very large brand effects, such as awareness, differentiation, and salience, and 28 per cent more very large business effects. Shot on iPhone, the longest-running campaign in Apple's history, and awarded this year's Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix, reported 14 billion views over its ten-year run and has seen iPhone consistently ranked as the #1 smartphone camera, resulting in 5 percentage points of growth in market share since 2015. Silver winning Dove's Real Beauty launched in 2004 also demonstrates how consistency delivers results. Having a sense of humour pays off with audiences WARC's report into what's working in humorous advertising, outlined how amusing ads trigger brain reward systems, making messages more memorable and distinctive. A study by The Martin Agency has revealed that 72 per cent of people would choose a brand that uses humour over a competitor that does not, and 91 per cent prefer brands to be funny. The 2025 Creative Effectiveness jury recognised that many campaigns aimed to induce laughter in audiences had also paid off for brands that commissioned them. Gold Lion winning campaign The Misheard Version for British eyecare brand Specsavers, skincare brand CeraVe's bronze winner Michael CeraVe, and cat food brand Sheba's The Gravy Race, which also won a bronze Lion, all leaned into laughs to increase impact. Market disruption creates breakthrough commercial results Brands challenging their sector's status quo achieve significant advantages over competitors. The jury highlighted skincare brand Vaseline's bronze winner Transition Body Lotion which disrupted the skincare category by becoming a cultural moment that demonstrated how addressing the needs of a specific, underserved community could lead to business success. Silver Lion awarded campaign Find Your Summer for Magnum, encouraged consumers to enjoy ice cream during the winter months, breaking the seasonal sales slump. McDonald's No Smiles silver-winning campaign redefined its workplace culture to attract Gen Z employees by promoting authenticity over forced smiles. Summing up, WARC's John Bizzell said, 'Prioritising consistent, long-term, emotionally resonant creative that challenge category conventions while remaining culturally relevant and authentic, is the key to Creative Effectiveness.' Bizzell added, 'Having spent two long days in the jury room, I learnt exactly what you need to do (and not do) to come out on top in this category. Focus your energy on telling the jury the story of the campaign's impact. It breaks down to three simple things: connect your results to your objectives, keep it simple, make it interesting.'
Tourism Breaking News
4 days ago
- Tourism Breaking News
Miral and Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches Inspire the Next Generation of Industry Leaders at Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Post Views: 22 Miral welcomed 26 senior hospitality management students from Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy Les Roches, for an immersive learning experience at Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The visit formed part of the students' Methods of Research Inquiry course in the Bachelor's in Global Hospitality Management program, with Miral supporting them in applying research skills to address workplace challenges and develop practical solutions for hospitality businesses. The session provided a valuable opportunity to bridge academic theory with real-world application, nurturing future leaders in hospitality, tourism, and guest experience management. It also contributed to the students' academic research projects focused on operational excellence and customer experience. As a world-class institution offering the same globally recognized hospitality education as Les Roches campuses worldwide, Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches equips students with the skills, knowledge, and industry exposure needed to excel in the dynamic hospitality sector. This initiative reflects Miral's long-term commitment to education, talent development, and industry engagement, while supporting national strategies to drive sustainable economic diversification and innovation within the sector. The initiative falls under the Education and the Arts, Culture & Tourism pillars of Miral's Group Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy and reflects Miral's commitment to empowering future tourism and hospitality professionals through purposeful, real-world learning. The programme was divided into three key parts, starting with a presentation introducing students to Ferrari World's strategic positioning, guest experience innovation, and career pathways in marketing, communications, and experience management. Following the presentation, the students conducted observational research across the theme park, applying their learnings to understand how data-driven decisions enhance guest satisfaction, operational excellence, and experience design. For the final round, the students took the stage to present their insights and strategic findings to a panel comprising senior leaders from both Miral and Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches. The session celebrated the students' academic excellence while demonstrating the practical relevance of their work. Standout presentations were acknowledged, reinforcing the true value of bridging theoretical knowledge with industry application and highlighting the impact of such partnerships in developing future-ready professionals. Miral's CSR Strategy is a testament to its long-standing commitment to the people and communities it serves. Its initiatives demonstrate Miral's dedication to creating a positive impact across the community and enriching lives through meaningful experiences.
Zawya
4 days ago
- Zawya
PIF continued to drive the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia while shaping global economies in 2024, growing AuM by 19%
Cumulative investments in priority sectors have exceeded $171 billion since 2021 RIYADH – PIF today published its 2024 Annual Report showing strong performance and continuous delivery on its unique mandate to drive Saudi Arabia's economic transformation and generate sustainable financial returns. PIF's assets under management (AuM) increased by 19% to $913 billion as of year-end 2024, with an annual average total portfolio return of 7.2% since 2017. Total revenue increased by 25%, and cash balance remains strong and broadly unchanged year on year as PIF maintains its robust liquidity. The report demonstrates significant progress against PIF's forward-looking investment strategy, reinforcing PIF's position as one of the world's largest and fastest-growing sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). PIF's cumulative real non-oil GDP contribution between 2021 and 2024 grew to $243 billion. PIF's portfolio reflects its focus on diversifying the Saudi economy as well as its commitment to global commercial partnerships. Yasir A. AlSalman, PIF's Chief Financial Officer, said: 'The annual report for 2024 is marked by significant growth underpinned by solid financial health, as PIF further established its position as one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds. PIF's portfolio delivered year-on-year growth of assets under management of 19% to reach $913 billion. Capital deployment across priority sectors reached $56.8 billion in 2024, bringing cumulative investment since the beginning of 2021 to more than $171 billion. PIF continues to innovate to deliver on its mandate and drive economic transformation.' Maram Al Johani, PIF's Acting Chief of Staff and Secretary General to the Board, said: 'Throughout 2024, PIF continued to lead with long-term vision and purpose. PIF deepened its impact and continued to drive the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia, while generating sustainable returns. PIF now represents 10% of the nation's non-oil economy, with PIF's cumulative real non-oil GDP contribution between 2021 and 2024 growing to $243 billion. 'PIF's portfolio reflects its focus on diversifying the Saudi economy, PIF continued to invest in and establish new companies, driving forward change and bringing the total number of portfolio companies at year-end to 225 of which PIF has created and established 103. PIF continued to drive development of strategic economic sectors in Saudi Arabia, through national champions, expanding the technical capabilities of PIF's investment portfolios, promoting localization, and stimulating innovation. 'The 2024 results highlight PIF's transition from digital transformation to digital leadership, with artificial intelligence and automation together becoming a vital part of operations. In 2024, PIF completed 58 digital projects, launched 15 new applications and automated more than 477 processes, enabling insights, strategy and the creation of economic value.' Building Global Presence and Partnerships PIF's international investment pool continued to expand during 2024, leveraging long-term, high-impact capital to generate sustainable returns while building partnerships across key international markets. PIF's global investments serve strategic objectives by growing and diversifying PIF's assets and returns, forming strategic partnerships with innovative companies, investment managers and influential investors, and investing in cutting-edge technology that is shaping the future global economy. Diverse Funding Sources Over 2024, PIF continued to diversify funding sources, raising $9.83 billion in public debt and an additional $7 billion in private debt. PIF's strength and stability were recognized internationally in 2024. Moody's upgraded PIF to Aa3 from A1, with stable outlook, and Fitch affirmed PIF's rating at A+, with stable outlook, both validating PIF's robust credit profile. Global Governance Best Practice PIF reached a major milestone in governance, sustainability and resilience (GSR) performance, achieving a 96% score on Global SWF's 2024 GSR Scoreboard. In 2025, PIF tied for first place globally among 200 sovereign investors, with a score of 100%. Global Brand Strength A study by Brand Finance, the world's leading independent brand valuation company, found PIF to have the most valuable and fastest-growing brand in the world among all SWFs, with an A+ rating. -Ends- About PIF PIF is the investment engine driving economic transformation for Saudi Arabia and the world. With an ambitious program to deliver Vision 2030, PIF invests in projects, companies and partners to diversify the Saudi economy, stimulate growth in every major sector, and create new opportunities for investment and employment. And as a global investor and catalyst of change, PIF actively partners with the most pioneering organizations across the world to accelerate their growth, and transfer the technology and knowledge needed to build industry ecosystems of the future. Since 2017, PIF has established 103 companies and is driving the transition to a more sustainable economy through strategic investments and partnerships across the Saudi public and private sector. PIF is laying the foundations for local and international partners to invest in the economic and societal transformation of Saudi Arabia. For more information, visit the website at Rupert Trefgarne: rtrefgarne@ +966 546 0057 33 PIF 2024 highlights include: January: PIF unveiled Electric 360, a multi-year partnership with Formula E, Extreme E (now Extreme H) and E1 to support the growth of electric motor sports and their role in advancing the future of electric mobility. February: PIF announced the launch of Alat, a PIF-owned company focused on advanced technology sectors, including semiconductors, smart devices and industrial automation. February: PIF and ATP unveiled a new multi-year strategic partnership, marking a significant shared commitment to enhancing global tennis for players, fans, tournament organizers and stakeholders at all levels of the sport. April: PIF and BlackRock agreed to establish a Riyadh-based multi-asset investment management platform to accelerate capital market development in Saudi Arabia. May: PIF and WTA unveiled a multi-year partnership to grow women's professional tennis and inspire more women and girls around the world to take up the game. May: PIF announced the establishment of the Neo Space Group, a wholly owned PIF company that will become a national champion in the satellite and space sector. July: PIF announced three new joint ventures to localize in Saudi Arabia the manufacturing and assembly of equipment and components needed for solar and wind power. August: PIF and the regional soccer body Concacaf announced a partnership to further elevate the game in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. September: PIF launched National Interactive Entertainment Company to deliver immersive, storytelling-based exhibitions focused on Saudi heritage, culture and history. November: PIF announced the sale of 100 million shares in stc group, the Saudi telecoms company. December: PIF launched Adeera to create homegrown Saudi hospitality brands and manage hotels ranging from midscale to luxury across Saudi Arabia. December: PIF acquired a 15% stake in FGP TopCo, the holding company of London's Heathrow Airport, one of the world's premier aviation hubs.
