The Creativity Toolbox
A return to traditional craft techniques, embracing constraints and investing in robust research emerged as three strong themes.
LOEWE X SUNA FUJITA | LOEWE LOEWE MADRID | 2024 GRAND PRIX, LUXURY & LIFESTYLE LIONS
“Even when you have AI in the mix, the heart of the creative process is still people.”
So said Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s VP and General Manager of Advertising. And there was a clear shift towards the fundamentals of craft on Cannes Lions stages and in Lion-winning work.
Power up storytelling
A range of traditional techniques were used in winning work – including illustration, stop-motion animation and even embroidery. The Grand Prix winner for the inaugural Luxury & Lifestyle Lions, ‘LOEWE x Suna Fujita’, used animation to approach storytelling through a more human lens. The result of a collaboration with Japanese ceramic studio Suna Fujita, the hand-crafted stop-motion film brought the natural world to life, leading to a 35% increase in revenue for the Spanish luxury fashion house’s festive season. Jury President Charles Georges-Picot, CEO of Global Luxury Practice and Global Client Lead at Publicis Groupe, said: “It blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.” The accessibility of these craft techniques allows messages to resonate on a more global scale – a point made by Chaka Sobhani, President and Global Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide. Silver Film Lion-winning stop-motion animation ‘47’ was one example of a message that went global. Developed for Café Joyeux, a chain of coffee shops committed to employing people with intellectual and learning disabilities, it depicted the true story of a boy with Down syndrome through an animated film. And so it celebrated the Down community, making the case for inclusion. This echoed the message from Yannis Konstantinidis, Co-Founder and Creative Director of animation studio NOMINT. He said: “Animation is universally relatable, and it can handle sensitive topics without being overbearing or triggering.” He added: "Animation has an evolutionary advantage… we are hardwired to trust it."
LOEWE X SUNA FUJITA | LOEWE
LOEWE, MADRID | 2024 GRAND PRIX, LUXURY & LIFESTYLE LIONS
47 | CAFÉ JOYEUX
KLICK HEALTH, TORONTO | 2024 SILVER, FILM LIONS
IF YOU'RE INTO IT, IT'S IN THE V&A | V&A ADAM&EVEDDB, LONDON | 2024 GOLD, MEDIA LIONS
Craft-led rejuvenation
An investment in craft can rejuvenate brands. ‘If you’re into it, it’s in the V&A’, which took a Gold Media Lion, connected people’s interests like golf, knitting and music to exhibits in the V&A museum in the UK – bridging the gap between past and present. And Film Craft Lions Grand Prix winner ‘The Square Meter’ for Hornbach DIY Home Improvement Superstores used a light touch to tackle a difficult brief: the shift towards people living in smaller homes because of rising inflation. To show how you can still get creative within confined spaces, it showed a crew of artists, architects, pantomime performers and dancers in cramped sets.
“This turned DIY into a film with magical intrigue.” Prasoon Pandey Ad Film Maker, Corcoise Films | Film Craft Lions Jury President
THE SQUARE METER | HORNBACH D.I.Y. / HOME IMPROVEMENT SUPERSTORES
HEIMAT\TBWA, BERLIN | 2024 GRAND PRIX, FILM CRAFT LIONS
THE GREAT INDIAN DUNK | NBA
LEO BURNETT DUBAI
GOLD, INDUSTRY CRAFT LIONS | 2024
Do your research
The need for thorough research before execution came through loud and clear. “Go really deep into what you want to tell before crafting the shit out of it,” advised Alexander Schill, Global Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Serviceplan Group. Cultural respect played a key role in guiding research processes and developing nuanced storytelling. ‘C4 Idents 2023’ was the result of a collaborative effort between 17 diverse contributors. They brought their different perspectives together to create a new set of idents representative of Modern Britain. It took home a Gold Lion in Film Craft. Industry Craft Gold Lion winner ‘The Great Indian Dunk’ immersed itself in Indian communities, engaging deeply with locals and respecting their perspectives when the NBA launched in India. “Cricket is like religion in India,” said Kalpesh Patankar, Jury President and Chief Creative Officer at Leo Burnett. “So, the NBA went straight into the cultural fabric of the country.” ‘Transition Body Lotion’ was a lesson in co-creation. Unilever-owned skincare brand Vaseline worked with trans women in Thailand for two years on researching a lotion that met their specific needs. It took the Grand Prix in Glass: The Lion for Change.
C4 IDENTS 2023 | CHANNEL 4
ART PRACTICE, LONDON | 2024 GOLD, FILM CRAFT LIONS
Mie-Leng Wong, SVP Global Brands at Mondelēz, stated that, “emotional brands get under the skin of their consumers, understanding local cultures and nuance”. And Cameron Adams, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Canva, emphasised the necessity of these local insights.
CAMERON ADAMS | CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER, CANVA | CREATIVES ON THE TERRACE
Keep it simple
Across the stages were numerous calls for simplicity. Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer of AB InBev, commented: “This is a human business – let’s make sure we put people first… Simplicity helps a lot.” And simplicity in creative work isn’t only about how you execute your ideas: it’s also about your approach. Restraint can help here, particularly in disciplines like photography, where “the moment you reduce the possibilities, you start to focus”, according to Riccardo Fregoso, Chief Creative Officer at Dentsu Creative. Gold Design Lion winner ‘Umbrella Species’ for the World Wildlife Fund proved that using simple visual aids can raise awareness about complex global issues. So, far from being usurped by tech, this year’s Festival showed how craft’s ability to tell stories and build brands is stronger than ever.
“The tactile nature of ‘Umbrella Species’ goes back to our humanity, our childhood and the stories we can remember. And they’re powerful. We were sitting around fires telling stories a long time ago. It’s all about simplicity and finding the humanity.” Raymond Otene McKay Chief Creative Officer, RUN Aotearoa | Design Lions Juror
UMBRELLA SPECIES | WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF) TBWA\PARIS | 2024 GOLD, DESIGN LIONS
