Nike’s Colin Kaepernick campaign is still reeling in creative awards more than two years after it debuted. The so-called 'Dream Crazy" effort from Wieden+Kennedy Portland today won the Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness at Cannes Lions.

The campaign is being recognized again because the category includes a necessary lag: Work must have previously won a Lion or have been shortlisted for one and it also must demonstrate that it drove business results over time. 

Nike’s polarizing campaign certainly won attention when it debuted in late 2018. And according to the Cannes jury—led by Ann Mukherjee, chairman and CEO at Pernod Ricard North America—it also did great things for the brand’s business. The effort led to $163 million in earned media, boosted the brand’s value by $6 billion and led to a 31 percent sales increase, according to stats included as part of a Cannes presentation about the campaign.

The effort started with a nine-word tweet from Kaepernick on a quiet Sunday afternoon in September. “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything," it read, along with the hashtag "#JustDoIt" and a close-up image of Kaepernick's face. 

The tweet went on to garner tons of media coverage while burnishing the sports apparel giant’s social justice credentials. By putting Kaepernick at the center of the campaign, Nike was seen as backing his effort to bring attention to racial inequities, which started with him kneeling during the national anthem. The ex-quarterback became a lightning rod, beloved by progressives but criticized by conservatives. Nike’s campaign fueled a conversation still going on today about what role brands should—or should not—play in tackling societal issues.

The campaign, meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the brand’s famed “Just Do It” tagline, actually featured a wide array of athletes, including Nike endorsers LeBron James and Serena Williams, as well as lesser-known athletes like 10-year-old Isaiah Bird, a wrestler who was born without legs.

The effort previously nabbed top honors at the Cannes Lions in 2019, when it earned the Grand Prix in Outdoor as well as the Inaugural Entertainment for Sport Grand Prix. 

Winning Gold in the category are Burger King for its “Whopper Detour” campaign from FCB New York; and Pernod Ricard for its “The Time We Have Left” campaign from Leo Burnett Madrid.