UK Advertising Roars with pride at Cannes Lions
JUNE 28, 2023
Cannes Lions, the renowned global gathering of the advertising industry, once again took place this June. As part of the Advertising Association, through the UK Advertising Export Group in collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade, we proudly facilitated the participation of over 50 companies eager to expand their business worldwide.
Over the course of four days, the UK Advertising Exports Group hosted and attended 24 events, collectively amassing an impressive 46.25 hours of engagement.
We believe that great results start with a smart conversation, so we injected this into every event. We hosted roundtables featuring key markets like the USA, Japan, UAE, and India, allowing for invaluable exchanges that will pave the way for future collaborations. We also hosted a global roundtable with Campaign that looked at how the merging of tech and human creativity is driving new avenues for creative expression, tech delivery and commercial success. “The discussion at the roundtable was a love letter to UK Advertising, we are early adopters, and we encourage all clients to work with UK Advertising as we make the perfect test market.” Aisling Conlon, International Trade Director, Advertising Association.
In addition, we also hosted the inaugural GREAT Global Dinner that brought together more than 140 esteemed global guests from across the industry, to celebrate the power of creativity. Entertainment on the evening was provided by global superstar, Rob Mayhew.
UK Advertising showcased its thought leadership during the event, with a remarkable 11 sold-out talks held across the Croisette. Notable highlights included St Luke’s engaging discussion on harnessing the power of Dirty social on TikTok. Chrome Productions and VCCP further explored how brands can secure a position on the podium through e-sports, coinciding with the launch of the e-sports Olympics. Furthermore, insightful conversations on community took place with Umbrella and Fanatics. It was also a pleasure to have the esteemed presence of Selfridges, the world’s leading department store, as they joined MDRX in a compelling debate on the metaverse’s potential for delivering ROI.
In the judging rooms, the British sense of humour is often a topic of conversation. To bring laughter to all, we organized CANNED @ Cannes with Nemorin, a room 101-style gameshow on Monday night, with the support of VCCP. Additionally, we partnered with Billion Dollar Boy to host a friendly global Boules tournament, providing some enjoyable competition away from the stage.
UK Advertising presence was also in the Palais and on the award stage. We are thrilled to announce that the UK secured a total of 106 awards. The total breakdowns as follows; 5 x Grand Prix, 27 x Gold, 33 x Silver, 41 x Bronze firmly cementing our position among the top three most awarded countries and the most awarded country per capita.
In addition, adam&eveDDB was awarded Agency of the year and Agency of the year (Classic). adam&eveDDB brought home the largest haul of awards among UK companies, picking up 19 gongs at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this year. This included a Film Grand Prix for ITV and the Campaign Against Living Miserably “The last photo”, which aimed to break down stereotypes around suicide. Adam & Eve/DDB also won six gold Lions, the most of any UK entrant. Gold wins included four for “The last photo” and two for Marmite’s “Baby scan”.
“These results reflect the extraordinary talent, innovation, and creativity within our advertising industry. UK Advertising is the jewel in the crown.” Aisling Conlon, International Trade Director, Advertising Association.
See how the UK Advertising Roared with pride at Cannes Lions here.
If you would like to join us for Cannes Lions 2024, we will be announcing our plans in September, but you can reach out to us before that to find out more about UKAEG plans at other global events throughout the year.
Contact: aisling.conlon@adassoc.org.uk, Aisling Conlon, International Trade Director, Advertising Association.
