Cannes Lions 2025, new things to savor
By Amos Oladele
It is common knowledge that every year, the organizers of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, review the Awards to ensure they (awards) reflect the current landscape, while also paving the way forward.
As time ticks toward the 2025 edition of the global event, the Company has given a summary of the changes which it has made for the coming event. These include:
Redefining Glass: The Lion for Change
On its 10th anniversary, it is redefining Glass: The Lion for Change, explaining that in 2025, it’s expanding the scope beyond gender to celebrate creative excellence that promotes more equitable representation for a broader range of communities – from disability and race to sexuality and social inequity; adding that “Entrants will be asked to identify the specific community that the work is aiming to represent, explain the problem it’s trying to address and demonstrate how it’s having a meaningful and long-lasting impact on that community”.
Evolving the Social & Influencer Lions
To reflect the evolution of the creator economy within the marketing landscape, the organizers have redefined the Social & Influencer Lions; explaining that “With five new sub categories and a new name, in 2025 the Social & Creator Lions will help champion the world’s best creator-led marketing and celebrate the pivotal role creators play in shaping and amplifying brand messages”.
Broadening the Design Lions
It states, “We’ve updated the Design Lions to reflect the current priorities and evolving practices of design. The new Transformative Design section will celebrate innovative, forward-thinking work that demonstrates how design can shape behaviour, advance social and environmental goals and set new standards for creativity and impact. These new sub categories recognise work that not only stands out but also drives real progress and innovation, celebrating design’s power to effect change in a variety of contexts – from creating accessible, inclusive spaces to using technology in original ways that redefine how people interact with the world”.
Advancing the Creative B2B Lions
The organizers have introduced a question within the Creative B2B Lions to help clarify the type of work submitted. Entrants will specify if the work is for a traditional B2B model where one business sells directly to another, a model involving a partnership between businesses to reach consumers or work aimed at attracting consumers as a way to engage a business customer.
Expanding the Creative Business Transformation Lions
The Creative Business Transformation Lions exist to celebrate work that drives businesses forward. To reflect the end-to-end journey of a transformation project, they are introducing two new sub categories in this Lion: Transformative Strategy and Employee Experience. These categories will recognise both the original insights and strategic vision that launched the transformation, as well as the creative ways the organisation engaged their team to build support and advocacy internally.
Introducing a new Long-Term Brand Platform sub category
To recognise enduring brand platforms, a sub category is being introduced that celebrates brands demonstrating how continuous, effective and consistent investment in creative strategy can help deliver meaningful business results. This sub category will sit across multiple Lions, and work must show long-term effectiveness in building brand equity, fostering loyalty and delivering measurable business results through continuous, creative communication efforts.
Platforms must have been in the market for a minimum of three years to be eligible.
Introducing a Retail Media sub category
To acknowledge the rise of retail media, they have introduced a dedicated sub category for it in the Media Lions and Creative Commerce Lions.
It is emphasized that work entered into this category must demonstrate the effective use of retail media as a strategic channel to engage consumers and enhance brand relevance.
Introducing an Excellence in Image Description sub category
A new sub category has also been introduced that celebrates the use of image description and alternative text – i.e. text that sits alongside online image descriptions to help people with impaired sight visualise pictures. This sub category has been added to the Digital Craft Lions and the Industry Craft Lions to celebrate copy that elevates accessibility and user experience, while expressing creativity and brand voice. Work entered into this category should demonstrate impactful, finely crafted image descriptions that convey key information, evoke a mood and communicate brand essence for blind and partially sighted people.
Updating the written submission
Understanding how the creative idea helped a brand achieve its goals is a key factor in Jury discussions, the organizers have included a dedicated question in the written submission that asks for the objectives of the work. This is a compulsory element on each entry and will provide essential context when the Jury evaluates the work.
Requesting Subtitles on all video content
This year video content including case films, films, demo films and original content, must include English subtitles. This is compulsory on all content, whatever the original language, to ensure equitable access for our Jury members during judging. It’ll help everyone have a better experience, and it will be valuable not only during judging, but for any viewer – whether that’s at an awards show or on The Work.
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