Cannes Lions and the Andys have streamlined their awards.
The Andys explained its changes with these lofty words, “Award shows in their truest form are a barometer for our industry. In our shared quest to serve it, we have listened to the community and consulted with its leaders and outliers. Then we did what any great brand does, we looked inward to our unique strengths and asked the question: what’s next for us?”
There is little doubt that both sets of changes respond to criticism from the hands that feed them. The networks.
Cannes has removed 120 sub-categories and set a new entry cap that allows each piece of work to be entered into a maximum of six Lions. And creative work will feature more prominently throughout the Festival. For the first time, every awards show will be available to view for free on all major platforms.
The 2018 Cannes Lions festival will be shorter (5 days) and sharper. Price freezes for the Festival and money-saving packages will help to stop agency budget blow-outs.
The Lions will be now organised across nine core tracks. These will provide the foundation for the Festival’s content — speakers, panel sessions and workshops – so attendees can navigate their way through it more easily.
The points allocations for the Special Awards – Holding Company of the Year, Agency of the Year, Network of the Year – have been changed to reward the very best work appropriately.
Charity and NGO work will be presented to the jury separately from brand-led work.
Lions Innovation and Lions Entertainment return in their established home in Palais 2. Lions Innovation will extend across the entire week with a full programme of content.
Cyber Lions, Integrated Lions and the Promo Lions will be retired
Brand Experience & Activation, Creative e-commerce and Social & Influencer Lions will launch.
The craft categories within Print, Outdoor and Design will be removed from their respective Lions to be judged by a specialist Industry Craft Jury.
One Young Lions delegate pass will be given free to every office which entered more than 15 entries at the 2017 Festival, totalling over 650 free places for the Festival in 2018.
The Andys has eliminated categories entirely.
“We know that it takes a lot of careful consideration and dollars to ensure you’ve entered the right work in the right categories. And it’s our feeling that if you enter your best work and it wins ANDY you shouldn’t have to enter it multiple times for it to get all the recognition it deserves — because a great idea is a great idea,” the Andys stated.
The best ideas will win an Andy AND be considered in the following areas:
- ANDY RESET (innovative or ground-breaking ideas)
- ANDY Distinction for Craft
- ANDY Socially Conscious Ideas (Richard T. O’Reilly Award)
- ANDY Bravery Award (best examples of creative/marketer collaboration)
- Student Work will remain its own competition (Glenn C. Smith Award)
The Andys will continue to award a Grandy winner (best in show) and a scholarship to the winner of the student competition, as well as make a donation to the charity behind the best in show for pro bono work.
Finally, you will be able to view judging, through a partnership which the Andys will announce soon
The Andys’ top brass includes:
- Gina Grillo, President & CEO, The ADVERTISING Club of New York / International ANDY Awards
- Pete Favat, Chair, 2018 International ANDY Awards Jury / Chief Creative Officer, Deutsch
- Laura Jordan Bambach, Chief Creative Officer, Mr. President
- Elvis Chau, Partner / Executive Creative Director, Anomaly
- Colleen DeCourcy, Global Co-Chief Creative Officer, Wieden+Kennedy
- Andrew Keller, Global Creative Director, Facebook
- Jeff Kling, Chief Creative Officer, Fallon
- David Nobay, Creative Chairman, Marcel
- John Patroulis, Global Chief Creative Officer, Grey
- Tom Punch, Global Executive Creative Director, Vice Media
- Jaime Robinson, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Joan
- Eric Silver, North America Chief Creative Officer, McCann
