{"id":32355,"date":"2021-06-29T14:22:07","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T18:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hearts-sciencecom.local\/?p=32355"},"modified":"2021-06-29T14:41:35","modified_gmt":"2021-06-29T18:41:35","slug":"social-impact-campaigns-win-big-at-cannes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hearts-science.com\/en-fi\/social-impact-campaigns-win-big-at-cannes\/","title":{"rendered":"Social impact wins big at Cannes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cannes returns with some new changes<\/h1>\n

Cannes Lions returned this week\u2014albeit in virtual form with none of the typical ros\u00e9 drinking and late nights at the Gutter Bar, though MediaLink hosted an in-person gathering in New York<\/a> for 200 people with proof of vaccination.<\/p>\n

The rules were a bit different this time around, with the eligibility period including both 2020 and 2021. (No awards were given out last year after the live event was canceled.) Judges had the option to award a Grand Prix per year for each category.<\/p>\n

Overall entries were down by about 6% from 2019<\/a>, despite two years of work being accepted, which is probably indicative of agencies being more cost-conscious coming out of the pandemic. It will be interesting to see if Cannes returns to normal next year, assuming the pandemic is under control, or if aspects of this year\u2019s livestream version will stick. A virtual Cannes has the benefit of being accessible to more people\u2014not just the senior agency and client-side executives who typically go.<\/p>\n

Below are a few of the highlights. You\u2019ll notice that purpose-driven campaigns driving social impact were big winners.<\/p>\n

Pandemic-themed work dominates<\/h2>\n

Unsurprisingly, work that touched on COVID-19 and its aftermath was everywhere. Take Dove\u2019s \u201cCourage Is Beautiful\u201d<\/a> campaign from Ogilvy London and Ogilvy Toronto, which won a Grand Prix for Print and Publishing, as well as for Industry Craft. A tribute to frontline workers from April 2020, it shows real doctors and nurses with the imprints of masks on their faces after long days of wearing PPE.<\/p>\n

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Other work sought to make a difference and help people in need. Take Heineken and Publicis Italy\u2019s \u201cShutter Ads\u201d<\/a> (an Outdoor Grand Prix winner), where the brand diverted some of its OOH budget to advertising directly on the shutters of closed bars in Argentina so they wouldn\u2019t have to permanently shut down. The idea was exported globally and provided financial relief to about 5,000 bars during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

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Meanwhile, LinkedIn and FCB Inferno won a Creative E-Commerce Grand Prix for an initiative to help homeless and vulnerably housed people<\/a> in the UK sell a newspaper about poverty and homelessness online. The pandemic had limited their ability to sell it on the street, threatening an important income source for many of them.<\/p>\n

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Why it matters:<\/strong> Award shows are increasingly likely to honor work that has a social impact instead of work that only pulls at our heartstrings, and consumers will follow. Research from Facebook showed that, on average, 28% of shoppers across 12 markets encouraged others to buy a product<\/a> after learning about a business\u2019 values, causes or practices.<\/p>\n

Media\u2019s big winners are purpose-driven<\/h2>\n

The Media Grand Prix awards were given to campaigns that tackled voting rights and child poverty<\/a>, respectively.<\/p>\n

The City of Chicago\u2019s \u201cBoards of Change\u201d by FCB Chicago converted plywood that had been used to barricade storefronts during the city\u2019s BLM protests into voter registration booths, which may have contributed to Chicago\u2019s record voter registration and turnout last November.<\/p>\n

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Telenor Pakistan and Ogilvy Pakistan\u2019s \u201cNaming the Invisible by Digital Rebirth\u201d involved partnering with UNICEF to provide a digital path to registration for 60 million Pakistani children who lack a birth certificate, which currently limits their ability to attend school and get medical care.<\/p>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Since social justice issues are top of mind for regular consumers in addition to Cannes jury members, purpose-driven campaigns can help brands drive new customer acquisition and increase brand loyalty.<\/p>\n

The rise of \u201cData for Good\u201d<\/h2>\n

The sole Grand Prix in Creative Data was awarded to Warner Music Group and Dublin-based Rothco (part of Accenture Interactive) for an initiative that uses pop songs to help children with speech impediments.<\/p>\n

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Speech therapy typically requires kids to repeat nonsensical phrases that are stacked with challenging sounds, such as \u201ct\u201d and \u201cch,\u201d but this can quickly become boring. The \u201cSaylists\u201d initiative analyzed 70 million songs to identify ones with the required repetition of certain sounds. Instead of doing a rote repetition of silly phrases, kids can sing popular songs like AJ Tracey\u2019s \u201cDinner Guest,\u201d which uses the \u201ct\u201d sound 13 times in one verse.<\/p>\n