Media Lions 2021 celebrated big ideas that made a huge social impact
Following a year like no other, Cannes’ media accolades have shown that innovation and ingenuity are still alive and well in media and marketing, writes the executive editor at Bloomberg Studios EMEA.
The Media Lions has always been an interesting barometer for the direction of travel of the world’s commercial media.
From the arrival of social media and influencers, to interactive gaming, geotargeting and the use of artificial intelligence, all have been chronicled in the winning work over the years.
It feels apt that this year’s winners, announced yesterday, reflect the innovation that was born from the necessity of the pandemic and skew heavily towards purpose-driven campaigns that had a significant social impact.
No “big media idea” last year captured the zeitgeist quite as viscerally as Michelob Ultra’s “Courtside” campaign, by FCB New York.
As the world grappled with Covid and basketball fans had been locked out of stadiums, Michelob’s Gold Lion-winning work harnessed Microsoft technology to enable people to experience live events again.
Screens placed fans in virtual stadium seats and allowed them to watch NBA games together again, talk to one another, cheer and interact as if they were courtside. Powered by Microsoft’s AI-driven Together Mode, fans were immersed into the digital arena with millisecond data transfers, a never-before-seen railcam, and 120 spatial audio contact microphones.
The partnership brought the energy of live audiences back to 24 games and provided some welcome light relief during some dark days. It resulted in a 32% sales lift and secured Michelob Ultra’s place among AB InBev’s fastest-growing brands.
But it’s testament to this year’s entries that two other campaigns made even bigger social impacts.
The 2021 judges awarded two Media Grand Prix winners for the first time in Cannes Lions history.
While the jury had two years worth of entries to choose from, they were not obliged to pick two winners; but felt compelled to after seeing the quality of these entries.
Following the civil unrest after the unlawful killing of George Floyd last year, Boards of Change by FCB Chicago brought America’s disenfranchised voices from the streets to the polls.
Plywood boards that barricaded storefronts during the Black Lives Matter protests, filled with messages of unity and justice, were turned into voting booths. They inspired residents in dozens of Chicago’s low-turnout neighbourhoods to create systemic change through the power of their vote by enabling them to register.
Amplified by outdoor, social media, and national press activity, “Boards of Change” empowered Black Americans to know their vote counts and helped Chicago attain a record number of registrations and voters.
Today, “Boards of Change” lives on at the DuSable Museum for African American History, as part of an historical moment for the Black community.
Ogilvy Pakistan was awarded the other Media Grand Prix for its work with Telenor Pakistan, the country’s second-largest mobile network.
The partnership tackled the dramatically low birth registration rates in the more rural parts of the country, which has the all too real potential of limiting people’s lives before they’ve even begun.
The campaign, “Naming the Invisible by Digital Birth Registration”, centred around a mobile app that enabled previously “invisible” children in Pakistan to be registered for birth certificates. Working with Unicef, the app enables children to be processed by community leaders and healthcare staff in just 10 minutes.
The app has already changed the lives of more than 60 million children who are now recognised and in the system, resulting in access to better education, medical care and social security.
This is a partnership that can literally change the lives and experiences of millions of people. Following a year like no other, it’s good be reminded of the innovation and ingenuity present throughout the media and marketing ecosystem.
This year’s president of the Media Lions jury Philippa Brown, global CEO of PHD Worldwide, said: “The work was so exceptional this year. One of the clear trends has been big businesses and big brands helping smaller businesses and organisations in ways where there was a real authentic support.
“Importantly, these have all been supported by clear and tangible results. In terms of Ogilvy Pakistan’s Grand Prix-winning work, I’m pleased to learn it’s now going to be rolled out into other developing markets where it can make a real difference.”