Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022: Our Favorite Ads

This year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity just recently came to a close, and there were so many incredible, award-winning social media campaigns, advertisements, creative initiatives, and more. This is their first time back in-person after two years virtually. Although we didn’t have the luxury of attending the festival, we’ve been watching from afar! Here are some of our favorite ads from Cannes Lions 2022 (in no particular order):

• “Save Ralph” – Humane Society International

This stop-motion ad by the Humane Society of the US depicts a rabbit named Ralph who is a tester for cosmetic products. It’s impossible for viewers not to fall in love with Ralph and feel empathy for him while going through so much pain. “Save Ralph” won the Grand Prix For Good and will hopefully lead to necessary changes regarding animal testing in the cosmetics industry.

• “The Missing Chapter” – P&G

This video ad for P&G depicts a schoolgirl in India secretly passing out red flyers with information on menstrual cycles to other girls at school. The campaign was created for P&G’s Whisper sanitary protection brand to educate young girls in India about periods, keeping girls in school. “The Missing Chapter” won the Sustainable Development Goals Grand Prix Lion and was adapted to almost 30 different art styles and languages. 

• “Long Live The Prince” – Engine/EA Sports/Kiyan Prince Foundation

This ad for EA Sports talks about the life of football prodigy, Kiyan Prince, who was killed at the age of 15 before reaching his full potential. The ad also announced that players of EA Sports’ Fifa 21 will be able to play as Kiyan Prince. “Long Live The Prince” won the Titanium Grand Prix and encourages young people to be the best they can be. 

• “Hope Reef” – Sheba

This campaign for Sheba was created to restore coral reefs and protect our oceans. Hope Reef is located near Indonesia and spells out the word “HOPE” which can be seen from Google Earth. Sheba planted steel structures called reef stars with the help of local people for coral to regrow on. “Hope Reef” won the Media Grand Prix and will hopefully allow larger, more sustainable fish populations to grow.

• “Speaking In Color” – Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams created a voice-activated AI color system that produces different shades of colors based on “human inspiration” to help creators find their perfect color. Saying “Snow Canyon, Utah” will bring up various shades that match that description. You can even say things like “lighten it up,” and you’ll be given a lighter shade. “Speaking In Color” won the Creative B2B Grand Prix, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with next. 

• “Real Tone” – Google

This ad for Google Pixel, first seen during the Super Bowl, talks about how camera technology has been infamous for not capturing the complexions of people with darker skin tones. Google Pixel upgraded their technology to be more inclusive and to accurately capture everyone’s skin tone in photos and videos. “Real Tone” won the Mobile Grand Prix for highlighting a real problem and creating a solution.

• “Piñatex” – Dole Sunshine Company/Ananas Anam

Dole noticed that tons of pineapple leaves were going to waste each year and partnered up with Ananas Anam to form a solution to this issue. They turned their waste into opportunity by creating Piñatex, a sustainable alternative to leather made from pineapple leaves. “Piñatex” won the Creative Business Transformation Grand Prix, and we can expect to see more products made out of pineapple leaves in the future. 

• “Liquid Billboard” – Adidas

Have you ever seen a billboard you could swim inside of? Adidas did that! Their swimmable billboard was created to encourage people, especially women, to swim with confidence in public. The “Liquid Billboard” won the Outdoor Grand Prix, and we applaud them for the innovation!

Conclusion

This list is only a small portion of the incredible ads, campaigns, and creativity from the festival. Each year, brands and creators push the envelope of innovation, and we’re already looking forward to seeing next year’s winners!