ADVERTISING AWARDS

Iconic Cannes Lions industry showcase to make a ‘live’ comeback

By our News Team | 2021

After a Covid-enforced break from its traditional home on the French Riviera, the global industry awards will make a 2022 comeback.

The advertising and marketing industry’s long-time global showpiece, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, is scheduled to make a post-lockdown return as a ‘hybrid’ event next year, featuring both in-person and online programmes.

It will be back in its usual home on the glamorous French Riviera from 20-24 June, 2022. The last ‘live event was in 2019, pre-Covid, with the last two years being purely virtual.

Philip Thomas, Chairman of Cannes Lions, said the event “can’t wait to reunite the industry and bring the community together once again”.

“For over 67 years, Cannes Lions has served as a convening force for the global creative community. As the world continues to shift and change, we know that our role as conveners needs to evolve,” said Thomas.

Image courtesy Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

Cannes Lions will still have a hybrid component to pursue the digital initiatives launched over the last 18 months. “It provides us with an opportunity to democratise, innovate and reinvent the festival for the future,” the Chairman explained.

Putting new foundations in place

The festival is now working with Lions Membership, a subscription-based digital offering launched in March 2020 and which now has more than 10 000 members. The Lions Membership allowed members to receive complimentary access to Cannes Lions Live in 2021.

Simon Cook, Managing Director for Cannes Lions, said the event was putting the “foundations in place to build a purposeful festival that allows our community to come together in a meaningful way”.

Added Cook: “Through highly curated content, community networking opportunities and agenda-setting initiatives, Cannes Lions will provide an annual forum for the global industry to address the most pressing issues the industry and world are facing today.”

More than 29,000 entries were submitted from across the globe to the 2021 celebration of advertising creativity.

African agencies have traditionally featured in the Cannes Lions awards and punched above their weight against high-level competitors from across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East.

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