15 Campaigns That Award-Winning Creatives Think Will Snag Cannes Lions Awards

Ahead of the 2024 Cannes Lions festival, ADWEEK asked creatives who have either won a prestigious Cannes Lions Award or served on a jury at the event to give us their picks for creative they think will win this year.

The picks ranged from spots that ran on advertising’s biggest stage—the Super Bowl—to fantastic films from Apple and Uber One. There’s a brilliant in-the-moment reaction from Coors Light and meaningful purpose driven work from Orange and the Digital Public Library of America.

Below, check out the 15 campaigns that some of the industry’s brightest minds plucked as this year’s likely big winners.

Creatives could not pick work from their agency. Their feedback has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Orange: “WoMen’s Football” by Publicis’ Marcel

Vida M Cornelious, senior vice president, creative and strategy, T Brand/New York Times Advertising 

In support of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, this ad by telecommunications company Orange immediately went viral and was heavily debated. Excellent execution of deepfake technology using the heads of well-known professional male soccer players were used to replace the real players—women from the Orange-sponsored French soccer team. The digital reveal in the spot made for a memorable moment to clearly illustrate the gender bias we have in not recognizing the excellence of women’s sports.

Richard Brim, chief creative officer, adam&eveDDB

I first saw this in the wild way before I logged into LinkedIn for my weekly self-flagellation session and thought it was brilliant. A simple and smart thought brilliantly told, it’s the perfect example of what this industry does when it’s at its very best. It does, however, pose one question: Film as case study, case study as film? Who cares? It will definitely be this year’s most awarded hands down, the fuckers. 

Also picked by:

Frances Webster, CEO, Walrus; Vince Lim, CCO, Barbarian; Rose Bardales, CCO, VML NY

CeraVe: “Michael CeraVe” by Ogilvy

Omid Amidi, co-CCO, McKinney 

CeraVe’s Super Bowl ad not only stood out, but the lead-up made sure it would stand out. Unlike the usual “teaser” clip that no one outside of advertising cares for, they made it entertaining for the actual audience they’re targeting. And it’s for a skin care brand in a category that usually is anything but skin deep. 

Vince Lim, CCO, Barbarian 

The CeraVe Super Bowl spot is not only hilarious, but it’s a great example of a brand listening to the conversations taking place on social and then leaning into it. The spot is memorable, and the brand really comes through. 

Frances Webster, CEO, Walrus 

“Michael CeraVe” was hilarious and unexpected and a great example of an agency’s public relations, media, and creative teams coming together to create a fully integrated effort that built significant buzz in the lead-up to the Super Bowl with their core Generation Z audience and culminated with the Super Bowl spot, which very likely expanded the brand’s reach, audience and sales.  

British Airways: “Windows” by Uncommon Creative Studio

Rose Bardales, CCO, VML NY 

“Windows” for its simplicity, memorability and bravery.  

Tom Murphy, CCO, VML North America 

The brilliant simplicity of the British Airways “Windows” campaign is jealousy-inducing. It manages to say everything without a single word. And it conveys genuine human emotion—not easy in out-of-home. We all know that hopeful feeling of looking out the plane window as the sun comes up. 

Greg Hahn, co-founder and CCO, Mischief @ No Fixed Address 

This is a master class in restraint. This series says so much by saying just enough. It captures the excitement of travel and the experience of what flying British Airways is like, without cliche images or promises. It’s all backstory. Special points to the client for allowing its logo to exist as a hint. Trust and confidence are raw materials of metal.  

Sydney Opera House: “Play It Safe” by The Monkeys

Richard Brim, CCO, adam&eveDDB 

There is an inherent laid-backness to everything they do and a massive sense of not taking themselves too seriously, and this film encapsulates all of that … Tim Minchin’s lyrics are word perfect, and that, coupled with Kim Gehrig’s directorial magic, makes it feels effortless. I recently sat in a room with some of the industry’s most cynical and scary personalities, and when this finished playing, everyone was beaming.

Tom Murphy, CCO, VML North America 

The “Play It Safe” film for the 50th anniversary of The Sydney Opera House is truly epic. And there isn’t enough “epic” in our business these days. 

Oreo: “Codes” by VML Commerce

Rose Bardales, CCO, VML NY 

Oreo “Codes” for its iconicity and contagiousness. I literally see Oreos everywhere now. 

Coors Light: “Coors Lights Out” by Rethink

Tom Murphy, CCO, VML North America 

The Coors “Lights Out” campaign shows how one of the oldest mediums (OOH) can be extremely modern and topical. Judges love solutions that push an old medium forward. 

Apple: “Fuzzy Feelings” by TBWA\Media Arts Lab

Andrés Ordóñez, global CCO, FCB 

Apple’s “Fuzzy Feelings” film is everything we’ve come to expect from the tech giant—emotional, beautifully crafted and subtly integrated with its latest technology. This short film captures the essence of human connections and the small moments that make life special, all while showcasing how Apple products seamlessly fit into and enhance these experiences. 

The film’s strength lies in its ability to evoke genuine emotions and create a narrative that feels both personal and universal. High production value and a strong storyline make it not just an advertisement, but a piece of art. Apple’s knack for storytelling, combined with its emphasis on the positive impact of technology, positions this campaign as a standout.

Uber One: “Best Friends” by Mother

Justine Armour, CCO and partner, FIG 

This Uber One spot is just so extremely charming; a simple idea perfectly cast and executed. It’s over three minutes long and holds your attention for the duration, with so many well-written scenes throughout that don’t let you look away. Whenever there’s a long-form spot as gorgeous as this, it gives me hope that we’re still in the entertainment business, after all. 

Doritos: “Silent” by Sips & Bites

Omid Amidi, co-CCO, McKinney 

As a gamer, this is easily the thing I wish I had been part of in 2024. Simple. Smart. Solving a real annoyance. All gamers get it. Absolute smash.  

Terre des Femmes: “Cutcakes” by TBWA\Zürich

Vida M Cornelious, senior vp, creative and strategy, T Brand/New York Times Advertising 

Some may consider this more of a niche entry, but it is one that tackles a humanitarian subject with intelligence and thoughtfulness. A unique use of data visualization, the campaign uses birthday cupcakes (“cutcakes,” as they call them) modeling female genitalia to represent the data points surrounding this global practice still endangering the lives of women. The point was to show a birthday—something to be celebrated, not feared—as the critical marker for when female genital mutilation becomes a threat to a girl’s life.  

Mattel: “Barbie”

Vida M Cornelious, senior vp creative and strategy, T Brand/New York Times Advertising 

This, of course, was a studio mega-hit at the box office, but it was also a well-orchestrated bacchanalia of integrated marketing. The only way you missed this campaign is if you were not only “living under” the proverbial rock, but you were the actual rock. As polarizing a figure as Barbie may historically be, launching her back into modern culture with the assistance of modern marketing sparked a conversation of empowerment and self-actualization for women (and men) across ages, gender norms, race and economics. A win for everyone.  

(Editor’s Note: Barbie’s marketing and partnerships were done in-house and by multiple agencies. The Barbie Airbnb Dreamhouse pictured above was done by Verb)

Digital Public Library of America: “Banned Book Club” by FCB Chicago

Gian Carlo Lanfranco, CCO, L&C 

Giving access to books that have been censored in a simple and brilliant way, using data as the main tool to give people access. 

Heineken: “Pub Museums” by Publicis Dublin

Samira Ansari, CCO, Ogilvy

I love this idea because as I look back at my life—as a student, as a creative, as a friend—so many key life moments happened in a pub. Hundreds of ideas were formed, friendships made and stories written, over a beer or two. Such an insightful idea to preserve the understated pub.

Sphere: “Exosphere” by Sphere Entertainment 

Frances Webster, CEO, Walrus 

It’s the coolest entertainment venue of all-time. Immersive, beautiful and a never-been-done-before concept that positions Las Vegas as a must-visit market to see U2, Dead & Company, Phish, etc. Marketers will follow.  

DoorDash: “Dash All the Ads” by Wieden+Kennedy

Scott Bell, CCO, Droga5 NY

DoorDash’s “All the Ads” is a shining example of modern advertising that seamlessly blends humor, strategy and consumer engagement. The idea of delivering every product advertised during the Super Bowl broadcast to one lucky winner is both audacious and perfectly aligned with DoorDash’s brand message of delivering “anything, anytime.”

What’s truly impressive is the nature of how the ad came together. They had to watch all the spots, not knowing what would air, and offer it on their platform to make this all work. Plus, the hype around the long promo code to select a lucky winner added a layer of suspense and engagement. It was a master class in leveraging the cultural moment of the Super Bowl to create something truly unique.