Cannes Lions to recognise effectiveness
The organisers of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival have moved to address one of the longest running criticism of the awards that they focus on creativity at the expense of effectiveness.
Next June’s contest will see the launch of the Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions.
According to the announcement: “Creative Effectiveness Lions will honour creativity which has shown a measurable and proven impact on a client’s business – creativity that effects consumer behaviour, brand equity, sales, and where identifiable, profit.
Only shortlisted entries from the Lions’ creative categories will be eligible for consideration. The criteria will be strategy (25%), idea (25%) and results (50%). The data will be subject to audit by PWC.
Festival chairman Terry Savage said: “With the introduction of the Cannes Creative Effectiveness awards we aim to establish a direct correlation between creativity and effectiveness. Cannes Lions has always been, and always will be, a Festival of Creativity. However now more than ever, ROI is paramount to the client and it is important that we acknowledge and reward this but without losing the essence of Cannes Lions.”
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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What an excellent idea. No doubt some of the finest outputs of marcoms will be found to lie in the sweet-spot between “creative” and “effective”.
Any tips on how to blag a ticket to Cannes next year?!
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I remember when winning a Cannes Lion was special.
They have opened up far too many categories in the last few years IMHO.
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The only reason they’ve introduced a new category is to milk yet more money from the ad industry. If they were genuinely serious about this they’d simply add effectiveness criteria to the relevant existing categories such as DM and Promo.
Something they really should have done years ago anyway
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I’m not sure I agree, Tim.
The creative categories have always been unashamedly about the creative. That’s transparently what it’s about and fair enough.
I also think having a criteria that the work has to have been shortlisted in another category in order to win an effectiveness Lion is a good thing. That way the Lions will only be rewarding work which is both effective and creative. It removes the risk that the festival gives one of its most coveted (and it will be) trophies to a dull piece of work.
I think they’ve found a way of starting to answer a legitimate criticism. If it brings in some more entry fees, than they are a business, after all.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Your first point, fair enough Tim.
But I fail to see what they accomplish with this shortlist in another category system that couldn’t be achieved more simply by adding an effectiveness component to the current entry forms in the result relevant categories. Aside, of course, from generating yet one more award that agencies will have to pay to try and win.
Perhaps I’m being overly cynical, but if the intention is to add a level of effectiveness, then categories already that should probably be judged along those lines.
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Hey guys,
In the Dm and promo section effectiveness is already part of the judging process, In DM I know from judging that it is weighted at 30% of the over all score. So it does have its place in the in relevant categories.
It never has had a place in the more ‘traditional’ categories or the ones that are harder to effectively measure.
So it is a good thing.
But I do agree, there are two many Lions now. It used to be to win a gold was a good thing. Now the number is more like 5. Same piece of work, different categories. It’s getting pretty silly.
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what a massive PR blunder by Cannes Lions
this announcement just highlights to the business world (ie advertisers ) that their commercial interests are not of fundamental concern to their agencies
it reinforces the notion that the ad industry is anachronistic and unaccountable
they should have just quietly introduced effectiveness criteria in the award categories and dialled up the weighting over time so perhaps in a decade they could be on par with the modern advertiser’s actual requirements
if you want to be creative, go and write books or make films. If you want my money, create something that sells my products
It’s really not that hard a concept to grasp, is it?
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