‘Original Forever’, for adidas, by Johannes Leonardo, New York / adidas, London, wins two Grands Prix in Entertainment Lions and Entertainment Lions for Music
Cannes Lions has announced the winners of the Entertainment Lions, Entertainment Lions for Gaming, Entertainment Lions for Music, Entertainment Lions for Sport and Design, Digital Craft, Film Craft and Industry Craft Lions in the second Awards show of the Festival.
Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “Our Jurors have set the creative benchmark with this year’s Entertainment and Craft Lion winners. This body of work spotlights how craft is transforming brands and consumer experience and how the power of fandom is building brand relevance and driving business growth.”
From 656 entries received in the Entertainment Lions, celebrating creativity that turns branded content into culture, 20 Lions were awarded: 3 Gold, 6 Silver, 10 Bronze. The Jury awarded the Grand Prix to ‘Original Forever’, for adidas, by Johannes Leonardo, New York / adidas, London. Drawing on adidas’s cultural legacy with Oasis, the brand partnered with the band to create official tour merch and indelible cultural moments to build fandom.
Entertainment Lions Jury President, Chris Beresford-Hill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide, said: “Choosing a Grand Prix was difficult, but in the end one piece of work stood apart because it understood the moment perfectly. At a time when so many brands are trying to manufacture relevance, this was a reminder that the most powerful thing a brand can do is show up in the right moment, for the right community, with something worth caring about.”
Entertainment Lions for Gaming, honouring creative work that connects people to brands through gameplay, received 216 entries, and 8 Lions were awarded by the Jury: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Copycats Welcome’, for Clash Royale, by David, New York. Targeting the game’s imitators to win loyalty, this boundary-crossing work blends brand film, community activism and interactive gaming experience.
Entertainment Lions for Gaming Jury President, Lolly Thomson, Joint Global Chief Creative Officer, M+C Saatchi Group, said: “The Jury debated hard, but when we got there, we were unified. This year’s Grand Prix did something radical— an amnesty. Instead of lengthy IP battles, it went after the millions playing knock-offs and said: we see you, come home, bring everything with you. Progress, hours, accrued wealth— all transferable, no quibbling. Re-establishing the original as the most generous version of itself— a masterclass in value exchange. When you do something like that, the community takes over. You don’t need to shout. They do it for you.”
In Entertainment Lions for Music, celebrating creative musical collaborations and branded music content, 318 entries were received and 13 Lions awarded: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 7 Bronze. The Jury also awarded two Grands Prix, to ‘Rosalía Ft. Björk, Yves Tumor – Berghain’, for Rosalía, by Canada, Barcelona / Rosalia, Barcelona; and ‘Original Forever’, for adidas, by Johannes Leonardo, New York / adidas, London.
Entertainment Lions for Music Jury President, Matt Murphy, Global Chief Creative Officer, 72andSunny, commented: “This Award is about music driving the storytelling experience, where the brand endorses the artist, as much as the artist endorses the brand. We were looking for breakthrough collaborations between artists and culture. Ultimately, it came down to COMMITMENT. Going all in on an idea. We awarded two Grands Prix: adidas ‘Original Forever’, a fantastic integration of Brand, Band and Audience. It not only reignited nostalgia for older fans, it ushered in an era of new ones. Rosalina ‘Berghain’. Wow! Just wow! A feast for the eyes and ears, integrating classical and modern, fantasy and reality.”
From 660 entries received in the Entertainment Lions for Sport, honouring creativity that taps into fan culture, 21 Lions were awarded: 3 Gold, 6 Silver, 11 Bronze and the Grand Prix, which went to ‘The Thousand Sponsors of Muni’, for Club Deportivo Municipal, by McCann, Lima. A sponsorship platform turning football club supporters into sponsors, the work tapped into fan loyalty and created a national conversation.
Entertainment Lions for Sport Jury President, Shannon Washington, Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner, 11 Ounces, said: “What got me about ‘The Thousand Sponsors of Muni’ is the sheer, simple ingenuity of it! Taking a club in crisis and turning that crisis into a thousand acts of belonging. The craft is exceptional, down to the math behind the pricing and the grid on the jersey itself. But what makes this Grand Prix-worthy for the room is what it says about sport: this is fandom doing the work that money used to do, and community deciding what the future of a club looks like. It’s a reminder that sport’s real power isn’t the sponsorship deal – it’s the people who refuse to let the thing they love disappear.”
In Design, from 792 entries received, 26 Lions were awarded: 5 Gold, 8 Silver and 13 Bronze. The Grand Prix was presented to ‘Apple TV Rebrand’, for Apple, by TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Los Angeles / Apple, Cupertino. The brand design is as cinematic as the shows and films it represents, and the exceptional craft brings the same weight, texture and presence as the content it lives alongside.
Design Jury President, Greg Quinton, Chief Creative Officer, Design Bridge and Partners, said: “We awarded the Grand Prix because it’s gloriously human-made. It recaptures the drama of cinema and the sheer magic of light and sound. Frankly, at a time obsessed with tech threats, this is a beautiful rebellion. Had they not shown how it was crafted, the magic may have evaporated. Instead, you can genuinely feel the love poured into it. A brilliantly simple, soulful design with a proper beating heart and a glorious brand transformation”.
Digital Craft received 355 entries, and 11 Lions were awarded: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 5 Bronze. The Grand Prix was presented to ‘Project Genie’, for Google, by Google, Mountain View. ‘Project Genie’ is a first-of-its-kind application of the Genie 3 model, bridging the gap between DeepMind’s frontier research and a functional consumer interface.
Digital Craft Jury President, Andrés Ordóñez, Global Chief Creative Officer, McCann, commented: “’Genie’ earned the Grand Prix because it perfectly embodies what Digital Craft should celebrate: not just where technology is today, but where creativity can take it next. The work gives us a glimpse of new creative possibilities, transforming a powerful tool into a platform for imagination. It reminds us that technology alone is never enough. The real breakthrough happens when creativity unlocks what technology can become.”
From 1433 Film Craft entries, 43 Lions were awarded: 6 Gold, 15 Silver, 21 Bronze. The Grand Prix went to ‘Your Way Out’, for Coinbase, by Isle of Any, New York, a film that challenges perceptions about today’s financial system through video game aesthetics and original craft.
Film Craft Jury President, Pip Smart, Executive Producer and Partner, Revolver, said: “‘Your Way Out’ was the film that organically rose to the top as we worked through the judging process. Whilst a few of the Jurors may have their hearts in other places to begin with, eventually it was hard to argue for any other piece for the Grand Prix. Ultimately, it was awarded a Grand Prix for direction primarily because the depth and originality of the craft was undeniable.”
In Industry Craft, 649 entries were received and 18 Lions awarded: 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 10 Bronze. The Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Tiny Coffee Shops’ for De’longhi, by LOLA, Madrid. De’Longhi transformed five iconic coffee machines into handcrafted, miniature cafés to change perceptions about drinking coffee at home, deepening brand engagement.
Industry Craft Jury President, Rafael Gil, Chief Creative Officer, Artplan, said: “‘Tiny Coffee Shop’ reconnects us with something rare: the ability to feel like children again. Every detail was crafted with extraordinary care, turning tiny decisions into giant emotions. Throughout the judging, this work consistently stood out. And in the final moment, when the lights of the tiny coffee shop turned on, something else lit up as well: our conviction that this was the perfect symbol of what Craft can be. And that is exactly the role of a Grand Prix: to be the symbol of a category today, and an inspiration for the industry tomorrow.”
Live on stage, the Cannes LionHeart Award, honouring an individual who has harnessed their platform to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the world, was presented to Oprah Winfrey, global media leader, producer, philanthropist and actress.
All shortlists and winners are available to view on The Work. Further information on Cannes Lions can be found at canneslions.com
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.canneslions.com ’
