EXCLUSIVE: LePub Responds to Cannes Case Study Controversy With Disciplinary Action

LePub has taken disciplinary action against responsible employees after concluding an internal investigation into a Cannes Lion–winning campaign that drew controversy for allegedly misrepresenting results, ADWEEK has learned.

The Bronze Lion–winning “Followers Store,” for New Balance and São Paulo FC, came under fire last month for presenting misleading and unverified results and lacking client approval. The case video claimed the campaign sold 45,000 jerseys in a single day using geo-targeted push notifications—but an independent reporting cast doubt on those claims, and New Balance denied authorizing the submission.

“After a thorough investigation, we have found that the case in question, which involved our LePub São Paulo office, fell short of our high standards,” a LePub spokesperson told ADWEEK. “We have taken strong disciplinary action with those responsible. At LePub, we have made our reputation on delivering real work for leading clients, and are committed to continuing to do so.”

LePub declined to elaborate on the specific actions taken or name those impacted.

The controversy began when Brazilian journalist Demétrio Vecchioli published a LinkedIn investigation alleging that several elements of the case study—including sales data, press coverage, and influencer content—were unverifiable, misleading, or taken out of context. New Balance told Vecchioli it had no prior knowledge of the submission and did not approve it.

LePub responded by pledging a “swift and thorough investigation.”

The case study has since been removed from the Cannes Lions archive, but organizers have not yet commented on the status of LePub’s award.

The investigation closed just as Cannes Lions introduced new integrity standards for 2026, aimed at restoring trust in the festival’s awards process. The new rules include dual-layer fact-checking by both AI and human reviewers and mandatory senior sign-offs from both agency and brand executives. Agencies that knowingly submit false work face a possible ban of up to three years.

LePub is one of several agencies to face scrutiny in the wake of the 2025 festival.

Cannes Lions revoked a Grand Prix and two additional awards from DM9, part of Omnicom’s DDB network, after it was found to have used AI-generated footage to fake a CNN Brasil segment. DM9 chief creative officer Icaro Doria stepped down from his role as a result of the scandal.

Other campaigns—by agencies including Gut Amsterdam, Talented India, and FCB India—have also been called into question for allegedly overstating agency contributions, greenwashing, or submitting work without proper client sign-off.