The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival

Definition:

One of the most prestigious awards an advertiser can win is a Cannes Lions, which is awarded by the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival for doing exceptional work.

If the name sounds familiar, it should. It was inspired by the equally celebrated Cannes Film Festival, when screen advertising contractors felt (and rightly so) that makers of film advertisements deserved similar credit that their movie-making peers received. Thus, in 1954, the Cannes Lions I.F.A. was born, and the now coveted trophy made its first appearance, modeled after the lion of the Piazzo San Marco in Venice.

Today, the festival runs for seven days, usually in the later weeks of June, and thousands of advertisers and marketers from around the world compete for a prize. In 2010, more than 24,000 entries were received. Categories include:

• TV/Cinema (merged in 1983)
• Print
• Web
• Outdoor
• Radio (added in 2005)
• Design
• PR
• Promo & Activations (added in 2006)
• Direct Response (added in 2002)
• Film Craft
• Titanium - for fully integrated campaigns (added in 2005)

The awards are decided upon by a jury of experts in the fields of advertising and design, and are instructed to award work that is highly creative in both idea AND execution. Although anyone can enter, these high standards usually exclude work that was done outside of professional ad shops.

Other awards given out include:

• Network of the Year
• Direct Agency of the Year
• Media Agency of the Year
• Interactive Agency of the Year
• Agency of the Year
• Independent Agency of the Year
• Media Person of the Year
• Advertiser of the Year
• Palme d'Or for the best production company

It's also a terrific event to expand your mind, with notable speakers from advertising, entertainment, business and technology coming to provide seminars, workshops and keynote speeches.

Also Known As: Cannes Lions