As the smartphone technology seems to grow fast within the advertising industry, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity introduced a section dedicated especially to performances within this area in 2012.
The Cannes’ jury rewards “device-driven creativity” within the Mobile category. It considers the main ideas of the works, their execution, the relevance of the platforms and, of course, the impact and results of the campaigns.
68 Mobile Lions were awarded at this year’s event. Of that total, 35 campaigns were awarded the Bronze, 24 the Silver and 8 the Gold. What about the Grand Prix, you ask? Let’s inspect at the decorated remarkable campaigns first, and leave the best for the last.
We chose a campaign that represents the ideology of both Cannes’ Mobile category and Branding.news from each category. The following initiatives were found notable because they highlight how social media and technology can contribute to solving important social problems.
Bronze Lion
Awarded with two Bronze Mobile Lions, the VR campaign “Stop the Cycle” shows what exactly happens behind the scenes of a beautiful ad image, in an interactive way.
Huffington Post teamed up with Native VML and found an effective way to show the real manufacturing process of a clothing item, as well as the other side – the negative impact on labourers and the environment.
To highlight the consumerism side of our society, the South African agency used Facebook’s 360-degree photography platform and invited users to go on a virtual journey of wage and child slavery and environmental destruction.
The technology allowed users to see the full picture behind the products we buy, but not necessarily need. What seems to be a regular photo advertisement is, in fact, a perfect place to hide the manufacturing cycle of three industries: fashion, mobile communication, and chocolate. Will it make you think about your next purchase?
Silver Lion
Honored with two Silver Lions and one Bronze within the Mobile category, the “Kiss the Kremlin” campaign is a powerful tool used by SSEX BBOX — a Brazilian social justice project — to fight for LGBTQ rights in Russia. While in other countries the gay community can freely manifest its rights, the ‘Putin government’ forbids people from expressing their perspectives on sexuality publicly.
With just a click, the LGBTQ community (and basically anyone) can fight for their rights in the ex-communist country, without the need of their actual physical presence there.
In partnership with DM9DDB, the organization has identified Instagram as the perfect instrument that can be used to fight homophobia in Russia. To take part at this move, users are asked to post a photo of a kiss on the social network, geotag Moscow Kremlin as the location, and finally use the hashtag #kiss4LGBTQrights.
“Kiss the Kremlin” is a clear proof of activism: so far, thousands of people have joined the movement, including supermodels Lea T, Naomi Campbell, Maria Carla Boscono, and many other celebrities. “Together, we can give more visibility to thousands of people in Russia,” says SSEX BBOX. Would you share your #kiss4LGBTQrights?
Gold Lion
In addition to the already-won two Silver Lions in the same section, Snicker‘s “Hungerithm” scooped two more Gold Lions. The Mars-owned company joined forces with Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and developed an analyzing system able to identify internet users’ grumpy mood.
People tend to be angry when they get hungry, a fact that has been successfully certified by scientists and hence referred to as “hangry.” So, the message of the wider campaign “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” is actually based on a scientific fact. Well, Snickers thought of a cure to soothe the spirit of angry people: cheaper candy!
When Internet users’ anger went up, the prices of the Snickers bars dropped down at 7-Eleven stores. The system was built on a 3,000-word lexicon and tracked over 14,000 comments of Twitter users a day to determine the cranky mood of the Internet. Moreover, the algorithm, which was able to identify even sarcasm and slang, “reflects the future of communication,” says the company.
Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Cannes’ Mobile went to “The Family Way” campaign by Dentsu Y&R Tokyo for Recruit Lifestyle. Besides claiming the big prize, the campaign picked up two more awards in the same category, a Gold and a Silver Lion.
The kind initiative promotes Seem, a special kit that allows men analyze their fertility from the comfort of their homes. The kit includes a collection cup and a stick, a microscope lens, and a measurement ticket and works only with a smartphone app. By using the video camera, men can monitor their sperm count and check their reproductive health.
The Tokyo-based agency’s campaign encourages men to test themselves in a way that is not invasive or painful at all. Seem is accompanied by a web platform that provides all the necessary information for its correct use.
Also, to spread awareness about these health concerns, the agency created a corresponding video. The 2-minute-long film features a couple who used the Seem kit and is now expecting a baby. The emotional story is a part of the brand strategy to make men give up misconceptions about their infertility.
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