15 hidden gems among the 2024 Cannes Lions winners

With more than 800 trophies awarded at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity last week, it’s easy to miss some of the really special work, particularly since so much attention is focused on the Grand Prix winners. Below, check out 15 Lion-winning campaigns from around the world that we felt deserved a second look. They include many that won multiple golds and were in the conversation for the Grand Prix in a number of categories—as well as some personal favorites that we just found delightful. And revisit all the Grand Prix winners here. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Assume That I Can CoorDownEntrant: Small, New York Gold Lion, Social & Influencer Two Silver Lions, Health & Wellness Two Silver Lions, Social & Influencer Bronze Lion, Film Bronze Lion, Film Craft OK, this wasn’t exactly hidden—it won seven Lions and came close to winning the Grand Prix for Good. But it deserves a mention for being one of the most stylish, defiant and joyful campaigns of the year. In addressing the stereotypes and biases that affect the lives of people with Down syndrome, “Assume That I Can” called for a shift in mindset that could end that prejudice. In a wonderful moment last Wednesday night, Madison Tevlin, the Canadian actress with Down syndrome who stars in the film, accepted the Gold Lion for the work (in the Social & Influencer category) on stage in the Palais. Breathe Through It HallsEntrant: David Madrid Gold Lion, Audio & Radio Bronze Lion, Audio & Radio Halls | Not in the Family Drawing Halls | Chatstreet Boys Lots of difficult situations require you to step back and take a deep breath. But what if you can’t because you’re stuffed up? That’s the amusing premise behind these Halls radio spots, featuring narrators who face their challenges with troubled minds but clear noses. Clean Sponsorship ConsulEntrant: DM9 Sao Paulo Gold Lion, Brand Experience & Activation Gold Lion, Media Gold Lion, Outdoor Silver Lion, Direct Silver Lion, Outdoor Brand sponsor imagery has run amok on pro soccer jerseys worldwide, with barely any room left for the jersey itself. Consul washing machines found a clever way to push back on this—getting Clube Atlético Juventus in Brazil to wear a “clean” jersey without the logo of any sponsor, not even Consul. Gonna Need More Tide TideEntrant: Saatchi & Saatchi New York Two Gold Lions, Social & Influencer Winners Silver Lion, Social & Influencer Bronze Lion, Social & Influencer Tide digitally inserted Kumail Nanjiani into viral videos where someone or something has made a mess, tapping into the popularity of such content on TikTok. The “Gonna Need More Tide” spot ran on digital and TV, and was accompanied by memes, GIFs and lenses on social platforms. Heinz Ketchup & Seemingly Ranch Heinz KetchupRethink Toronto Gold Lion, Direct Gold Lion, Social & Influencer Silver Lion, Brand Experience & Activation Bronze Lion, Creative Business Transformation Bronze Lion, Creative Commerce Bronze Lion, Direct Two Bronze Lions, PR This campaign picked up a whopping eight Lions in seven categories, tied for third-most of any campaign. And what a fun case study it is. When Heinz first launched Kranch, a ketchup-ranch mashup, in 2019, it soon became the lowest-performing sauce in the Heinz portfolio. But when Taylor Swift was spotted eating ketchup and “seemingly ranch” (as described by a fan account) at a Kansas City Chiefs game last September, the brand moved quickly. Within 24 hours, it re-released Kranch with a new name and label: Heinz Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch. Out-of-home ads were up in Times Square within days, and Walmart ordered cases for immediate release on Walmart.com. Long Lasting Reviews DartyEntrant: Publicis Conseil Paris Gold Lion, Direct Bronze Lion, Brand Experience & Activation Bronze Lion, Direct More than three-quarters of people who review products online do so within a week of purchase. But how do you really know if a product will deliver on its promise over time? Darty, the electronics retailer in France, launched an initiative inviting people to share their reviews on products that have been purchased and used for more than 12 months—assessing their real value over time. Lusion.co LusionEntrant: Lusion, Bristol, U.K. Silver Lion, Design Bronze Lion, Digital Craft Lusion, a digital studio in the U.K., wanted its website to embody its offering to clients, which it describes as “epic realtime interactive experiences to blow people’s minds.” And the site lives up to that billing, taking users down a colorful, hallucinatory path at lusion.co. Make Italy Green—The Floating Boat E.On ItalyEntrant: BBDO Italy Silver Lion, Outdoor A simple, beautiful environmental message, “The Floating Boat” was created by contemporary artist and installed on Lake Garda in northern Italy to show just how much the lake levels have dropped since 2019—almost three feet. The campaign went viral and The Floating Boat can still be seen on Google Maps. Pink Chip Degiro, UN WomenEntrant: AKQA Amsterdam Gold Lion, Creative Strategy Gold Lion, Glass: The Lion for Change Gold Lion, Sustainable Development Goals Silver Lion, Direct Silver Lion, Innovation Pink Chip, developed by AKQA, is a collection of indices that track the performance of exceptional women-led businesses around the world. Created with Thematic, Degiro and UN Women NL, it’s the first index to align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5, and the first to launch in collaboration with UN Women. Pink Chip allows investors to see for themselves how investing in women is better for their bottom line, boosting their returns while also supporting female leaders. It is freely available on pinkchip.org and the Degiro app. Pub Museums HeinekenEntrant: LePub Milan and Publicis Dublin Gold Lion, Brand Experience & Activation Gold Lion, Creative B2B Gold Lion, Direct Gold Lion, Outdoor Silver Lion, Audio & Radio Silver Lion, Brand Experience & Activation Silver Lion, Outdoor Silver Lion, PR In Ireland, pubs are the beating heart of the social scene—few buildings or businesses maintain the same function over the span of centuries. To preserve them, Heineken is turning them into museums, collecting their stories for virtual exhibitions. Another juggernaut at Cannes, this campaign won eight Lions, including four golds. SHT Ikea CanadaEntrant: Edelman Toronto Gold Lion, Creative Commerce Silver Lion, PR Bronze Lion, Direct In Canada, a 13% harmonized sales tax (HST) is applied to every sales transaction. This is true when buying used items as well, even though the tax was already paid when the item was purchased new. So, Ikea Canada introduced the SHT (second-hand tax), which is a -13% tax on used goods in Ikea’s second-hand marketplace. It’s a fun remixing of the letters in HST and made for provocative ads that read, “SHT is happening.” Sweethearts Situationships SweetheartsEntrant: Tombras, Knoxville, Tennessee Gold Lion, Brand Experience & Activation Gold Lion, PR Bronze Lion, PR Bronze Lion, PR There are lots of blurry, misprinted candies in boxes of Sweethearts, the iconic candy conversation hearts. But rather than throw them out, Tombras boxed them up separately and sold them around Valentine’s Day to those whose own relationship status is murky. Test Bético Real BetisEntrant: VML Spain Silver Lion, Direct As everyone knows, love of a particular sports franchise is instilled at birth. Spanish soccer team Real Betis leaned into this with a unique new product—a pregnancy test that shows the results in green and white, the distinctive colors of the team’s striped jersey. Umbrella Species WWFEntrant: TBWA\Paris Gold Lion, Design WWF focused much of its 50th anniversary efforts on raising awareness of so-called “umbrella species”—species that are particularly worth protecting because doing so indirectly protects other species in that ecosystem. To easily explain umbrella species to the public, TBWA\Paris represented them as nesting dolls—creating a real-life series of them, and sharing the visual content across social and influencer content, as well as billboards. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

15 hidden gems among the 2024 Cannes Lions winners

Featured Stories