A lot of the main PR company teams are represented within the 2023 Cannes PR Lions shortlist and have three days of expectation and suspense earlier than the winners are introduced Wednesday afternoon U.S. time.
There are 163 contenders for the PR Lions on the 70th iteration of the Cannes Competition of Creativity out of an preliminary entry checklist of 1,600, roughly 10%.
PR corporations represented for the coveted thought creation credit – those that actually matter – embody ordinary suspects corresponding to Edelman, Weber Shandwick, Ketchum, Golin, MSL, BCW, Stagwell-owned Forsman & Bodenfors and Citizen Relations – in addition to Purple Havas Center East and Mischief PR in London.
Further businesses getting PR credit embody Alison Brod, FleishmanHillard, Zeno Group, Hill+Knowlton Methods, Allison+Companions, London’s Hope & Glory and plenty of others.
Jurors this yr need to award work that makes a significant long-term influence slightly than PR stunts or entries which were constructed principally to win an award. Goal remains to be vital, nevertheless it needs to be genuine and never pushed by gimmicks. Cannes is considerably hampered right here by having a section known as occasions and stunts, and 13 campaigns are shortlisted below this class.
It was good to see work shortlisted that has already been honored in PRWeek’s Oscars of the PR trade (PRWeek US Awards), World Awards, Healthcare Awards and Goal Awards.
Our World Awards Marketing campaign of the Yr, Prime Weber Shandwick’s Comfortable Birthday from Earth robotic lawnmower activation for Husqvarna, is shortlisted. Edelman’s See My Pores and skin for Vaseline received Greatest Well being Fairness on the PRWeek Healthcare Awards and quite a few PRWeek Goal Awards in 2022.
Citizen Relations Toronto’s Reclaim Your Title for #Elimin8 Hate received Greatest Nonprofit activation on the PRWeek World Awards.
It’s considerably ironic that Golin London’s Dramatic Transformation marketing campaign for Asics is shortlisted for a PR Lion in 2023, provided that Edelman received the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for its Everlasting Run activation for Asics in 2021 within the Leisure for Sport class. Asics transferred its enterprise to Golin within the yr following that achievement.
Cannes has at all times been weak on disaster PR campaigns and just one activation is shortlisted this yr – Banda Company in Kiev’s Be Courageous Like Ukraine. Utilizing Nationwide Branding to Resist Army Aggression piece for Ukraine.
Nonetheless, jurors did determine a number of campaigns that positively certified as disaster activations however that had been entered within the flawed classes. It mirrored a standard theme of entrants not submitting to the fitting classes, which isn’t to say corporations ought to carpet bomb the Lions with a number of entries for a similar activations – slightly they need to be completely focused and centered ensure that they get the fitting campaigns in the fitting classes.
As at all times, and that is frequent suggestions, entrants additionally want to make sure they’re creating bespoke movies for his or her entries with narratives that actually match the marketing campaign being entered.
That is usually cited as the explanation inventive businesses do higher at Cannes than their PR counterparts, nevertheless it needs to be famous that the judging is finished blind and jurors don’t know which company is getting into when they’re reviewing the movies.
When it comes to what we will count on of the winners when they’re introduced on Wednesday, jurors are specializing in honoring earned-first work. Having an excellent trigger by itself is not going to move muster – the marketing campaign needs to be based mostly on a terrific thought and make a significant influence. Having stated that, 14 campaigns are shortlisted within the company goal and social accountability section.
It was good to see 12 of the shortlisted campaigns categorized below the cultural perception section, though solely two of the shortlist are categorized below PR effectiveness, a longstanding Achilles’ heel of the career. Three shortlisted campaigns are particularly acknowledged for media relations.
The jury can also be eager to widen the scope of the winners to additionally acknowledge enjoyable, entertaining and joyful work. Edelman London’s Mayo McHack for Hellman’s Mayonnaise, Gray New York’s Style My Face for Applebee’s (with a PR credit score for Present World) and DDB Chicago’s Apology for Skittles (with a PR credit score for Weber Shandwick) are among the many shortlisted campaigns that tick a few of these containers.
The story at all times adjustments considerably as soon as the winners of the PR Lions are introduced however, within the meantime, there may be lots to chew on it phrases of recognizing what’s pushing the boundaries of efficient and inventive PR observe.
