U.S. Hispanic agencies had a strong showing at industry awards shows this year, earning 12 Cannes Lions across four different agencies and other honors at Latin adfests around the globe.
Though they didn’t top their record-setting performance in 2017, when seven shops collectively earned 20 Lions, it’s a significant improvement from last year’s lackluster eight honors at advertising’s biggest awards event.
U.S. Hispanic agencies submitted a total of 245 entries to Cannes, of which nearly 13.5 percent made the shortlist and 4.9 percent won Lions (Gold, Silver, Bronze). According to festival organizers, typically about 10 percent of Cannes entries make it to the shortlist and about 3 percent score Lions.
“If you think about the number of entries that we submitted as a market, winning 12 Lions is something we should feel very proud of, especially at a difficult time in the U.S., when Latinos are struggling to find a voice and place in the country,” says Gustavo Lauria, a co-chair on the board of Circulo Creativo, an industry organization that supports U.S. Hispanic agencies.