The United Arab Emirates wins 21 majestic Lions – 1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 6 Silver and 13 Bronze, at the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The 70th edition of the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity drew to a close on 23rd June 2023, with the United Arab Emirates winning a total of 21 Lions – 1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 6 Silver and 13 Bronze, across multiple categories, including first-time wins in the categories of Glass: The Lion for Change, Entertainment for Music, and Creative Data. The UAE also amassed an impressive count of 89 shortlists, truly exemplifying its creative prowess on the global stage.
Winning agencies from the UAE include Impact BBDO Dubai, FP7 McCann, Leo Burnett, ‿ and us, VMLY&R, Saatchi & Saatchi ME and Havas Middle East. Their remarkable achievements serve as a testament to the thriving creative landscape within the UAE and the country’s capacity to compete at the forefront of the global advertising and marketing industry.
Philip Thomas, Chairman, LIONS, said, “The body of Lion-winning work that emerged from the Jury rooms points the way forward, and demonstrates the power of the industry to drive change, build businesses and shape society. Congratulations to all those who entered, who made the shortlists, and who won a Lion at the Festival’s 70th edition to set the creative benchmark on the global stage.”
The 70th edition of the Cannes Lions Festival also marked a significant milestone for the UAE, as it boasted the largest contingent of jurors to preside over a single festival. Notably, Ali Rez from Impact BBDO made history by becoming the first-ever Jury President from the MENA region, while Sandro Gelashvili from Google contributed as a jury member for the inaugural Entertainment Lions for Gaming category.
Symon Medeiros and Jonathan Cruz from ‿ and us, along with Chloe Salloum from the American University in Dubai, proudly represented the UAE in two esteemed events as part of the Festival: the International Young Lions Digital Competition (for young creatives under 30 in the digital category) and the Roger Hatchuel Academy (a mentorship program for university students in creative communications). Their participation exemplifies the UAE’s commitment to nurturing and empowering emerging talent in the ever-evolving creative landscape.
Commenting on their experience at this year’s Festival, Saymon and Jonathan from ‿ and us, expressed, “Attending Cannes Lions is always a fantastic experience. It’s a hub of creativity and inspiration where we can gain insights from the best ideas around the globe. Moreover, it’s an excellent opportunity to interact with past colleagues and connect with individuals we aspire to collaborate with in the future. This year, the Young Lions competition centered around Rocket Learning, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young children prepare for school. We were given 24 hours to develop a digital solution for their brief. It was truly rewarding for us to utilize the power of creativity to assist them in solving real-world problems.”
Speaking about her experience at this year’s Roger Hatchuel Academy, Chloe Salloum from American University in Dubai said, “Representing the UAE at the Cannes Lions Roger Hatchuel Academy was a remarkable experience that exceeded all of my expectations. The week-long program has completely transformed my life and mindset, pushing me to embrace heightened creativity and purpose in my work. Beyond the educational aspect, I had the privilege of forging deep connections and friendships with my fellow Roger Hatchuel Academy graduates. As a member of SheSays Dubai, I was thrilled to learn that 80% of the academy members were women! That is a true testament to the brilliance of women in this industry, and I was ecstatic to be a part of it.”
She further added, “I want to thank my professor, Dina Faour, who has been the driving force behind all of this. I am grateful to American University in Dubai for providing me with the academic knowledge and professional exposure I need to start my career. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to the Motivate Val Morgan team, especially Dumindrini Ratnayake, for her professional guidance and support throughout the entire Roger Hatchuel Academy experience. The program has left a special mark on my heart, and I am eager to utilize the invaluable insights I have gained to contribute to the dynamic advertising industry in the UAE.”
As the official representatives of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the UAE, Motivate Media Group and Motivate Val Morgan extend heartfelt congratulations to the victorious agencies, esteemed jury members, and talented young representatives who proudly showcased the UAE at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Sources: Cannes Lions ‘The Work’
The 2023 Jury Presidents line-up includes ten global experts who will lead the juries to award outstanding creativity in branded communications across MENA
Dubai Lynx, MENA’s premier Festival and Awards for creative excellence in branded communications, has announced the ten industry experts who will lead the 2023 juries.
The Jury Presidents will judge work entered across 21 different categories, including the newly launched Creative Commerce Lynx.
About the Jury Presidents, Philip Thomas, Chairman LIONS and Dubai Lynx, said, “We’re delighted to announce a host of renowned international talent to the Jury President line-up for Dubai Lynx 2023, featuring some truly remarkable creative leaders. Our Jury Presidents will bring their talent and prowess to ensure the Dubai Lynx Awards set the creative standard for the MENA region, as well as setting the future agenda. We look forward to seeing the body of work that will emerge following their discussions next year.”
2023 Dubai Lynx Jury Presidents include:
Brand Experience & Activation, Creative Commerce, Direct and Outdoor
Vicki Maguire – Chief Creative Officer, Havas London, UK
Creative Effectiveness and Creative Strategy
Anna Vogt, Chief Strategy Officer, VMLY&R London, UK
Design and Industry Craft
Sbu Sitole, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, The Odd Number, South Africa
Digital Craft, Mobile and Social & Influencer
Zoha Zoya, Group Creative Director, Head of Experience Design, R/GA, EMEA
Entertainment
Amani Duncan, CEO, BBH, USA
Film Craft
Rajay Singh, Film Director & Founder, Directors Think Tank, South East Asia
Film, Print & Publishing and Radio & Audio
Gustavo Lauria, Chief Creative Officer, We Believers, USA
Healthcare
Bernardo Romero, Maker, Klick Health, Canada
Media
Kate Ivory, Agency Partner, Head of Strategy, OMD EMEA, EMEA
PR
Tom Beckman, Global Chief Creative Officer, Weber Shandwick, Global
Entries into Dubai Lynx are being accepted until Thursday 2 February 2023. Click here for further information on the awards.
Motivate Val Morgan is the official representative of Dubai Lynx Festival in the UAE
Thirteen experts will lead the Dubai Lynx juries to award outstanding creativity in branded communications from across MENA
Dubai Lynx, MENA’s premier Festival and Awards for creative excellence in branded communications, has announced the thirteen industry experts who will lead the 2022 juries.
The Jury Presidents will judge work entered across 20 different categories, including the newly launched Social & Influencer Lynx and refreshed Creative Effectiveness Lynx and PR Lynx.
About the Jury Presidents, Philip Thomas, Chairman, Dubai Lynx, said, “This is an exceptional group of global talent from across a spectrum of disciplines. We are delighted that, together with their juries, they will be responsible for setting the creative bar in the region as they view, discuss and award work from across MENA. It’s a privilege to be working with them and we’re already excited to see the outcome of their judging.”
Ian Fairservice, Vice Chairman of Dubai Lynx, added: “Dubai Lynx, MENA’s premier festival of creativity, is making an eagerly awaited comeback. In 2022, a newly designed two-day learning and development experience will replace the full festival, with a smaller programme of community-focused networking and talks taking place in a number of venues across Dubai.”
The 2022 Dubai Lynx Jury Presidents have been announced as follows:
Brand Experience & Activation Jury President
Malcolm Poynton, Global Chief Creative Officer, Cheil Worldwide, Global
Creative Effectiveness and Creative Strategy Jury President
Nadja Bellan-White, Global Chief Marketing Officer, VICE Media Group, Global
Design and Industry Craft Jury President
Marta Swannie, Senior Creative Director, Superunion, United Kingdom
Direct and Outdoor Jury President
Chaka Sobhani, Global Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, Global
Digital and Mobile Jury President
Wesley Ter Haar, Co-Founder, Media.Monks, Global
Entertainment Jury President
Asawin Phanichwatana, Deputy Chief Creative Officer, GREYnJ UNITED, Thailand
Film Jury President
Alex Grieve, Chief Creative Officer, AMV BBDO, United Kingdom
Film Craft Jury President
Khalil Bachooali, Founder & Managing Director, Offroad Films, India
Healthcare Jury President
Veronica Trujillo, Managing Director, TBWA\WorldHealth Mexico
Media Jury President
Anna Chitty, CEO, Starcom China
PR Jury President
Kat Thomas, Founder & Global Executive Creative Director, One Green Bean, Global
Print & Publishing and Radio & Audio Jury President
Tseliso Rangaka, Chief Creative Officer, FCB/HC Johannesburg, South Africa
Social & Influencer
Catalin Dobre, Chief Creative Officer McCann Worldgroup Romania & Creative Director McCann CEE, McCann, Romania
The winners of the 2022 awards will be revealed and celebrated at the Dubai Lynx Awards Show. Taking place at Dubai Opera House on 16 March 2022, the black-tie awards dinner is a night of celebration and networking for the whole industry.
Entries into Dubai Lynx are being accepted until 2 February 2022. For further information please visit the Dubai Lynx website
Tickets for the two-day learning and development experience will be available from 26 January 2022.
Source: Dubai Lynx
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has confirmed that it will return to Cannes, France, from 20-24 June 2022.
Philip Thomas, Chairman, LIONS, said, “We can’t wait to reunite the industry and bring the community together once again. For over 67 years, Cannes Lions has served as a convening force for the global creative community. As the world continues to shift and change we know that our role as conveners needs to evolve. Building Cannes Lions as a hybrid Festival will allow us to continue to reach our expanded creative community who we have welcomed through our digital initiatives over the last 18 months. It provides us with an opportunity to democratise, innovate and reinvent the Festival for the future.”
Plans for the Festival, which will build on LIONS Membership, the subscription-based, digital offering launched in March 2020, and which now has more than 10,000 members, are being developed to offer the global community even more flexibility and easier access to the home of creativity.
Simon Cook, Managing Director, LIONS, said, “We are putting the foundations in place to build a purposeful Festival that allows our community to come together in a meaningful way. Through highly curated content, community networking opportunities and agenda setting initiatives Cannes Lions will provide an annual forum for the global industry to address the most pressing issues the industry and world are facing today. In doing this, sustainability is top of mind for us – as it is for the industry – and we’ve committed to putting a sustainability agenda in place. Together with a number of partners, we are striving to deliver our most sustainable Festival in history.”
In early November 2021, LIONS opened its annual State of Creativity Study Designed to uncover the industry’s attitudes and approaches towards creativity, and paint an accurate picture of what will impact the creative economy tomorrow. The results of the study will form the LIONS 2022 editorial agenda across all of its platforms and events. Cannes Lions will open its call for content in January.
Speaking about the 2022 Cannes Lions juries, Susie Walker, VP, Awards & Insight, said, “Returning the Festival to Cannes means that we can once again bring our jurors together in person. Our unique judging technology allows us to carry out the initial judging stages remotely, but we’re delighted to be bringing the jurors back to Cannes to complete the final stages and award the Lions – as they have done since 1954. We can’t wait to hear the discussions and insights as our juries deep-dive into the work and set the global benchmark in creative excellence.”
Over the last 18 months, Cannes Lions, together with owners Ascential, has developed a health and safety standard that delivers industry best practice at live events. The Festival will adhere to the latest health guidelines leading up to and at the event. Cannes Lions will open for entries and registrations on 20 January 2022.
The LIONS Membership platform is the year-round home of creativity. For access to exclusive content, resources, training and networking find out more here.
Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity has named Ian Fairservice, Founder, Managing Partner and Group Editor, Motivate Media Group, as the Advertising Person of the Year 2019.
One of the Festival’s most prestigious awards, the Dubai Lynx Advertising Person of the Year is selected in collaboration with the IAA UAE who were responsible for nominating Ian Fairservice. It honours an individual who has made significant contributions to advancing the reputation and profile of the communications industry in the MENA region.
Hani Ghorayeb, President, IAA UAE, commented “Ian is a true character of the UAE media industry. His contribution to the development of publishing in this country is nothing less than history-making and his long service to the IAA and particularly to the UAE chapter, has left a legacy that will be appreciated for years to come. It is fitting and fully deserved for Ian to be acknowledged in Motivate’s 40th anniversary year. The IAA wish him every thanks and many congratulations.”
Philip Thomas, Chairman of Cannes Lions and Dubai Lynx, added, “For the past 40 years, Ian has made an outstanding commitment to the communications industry here in MENA and to developing creativity across the region. We’re delighted to honour him with this award.”
Fairservice founded Motivate in 1979 with the launch of What’s On, the UAE’s first English language magazine. With a wide range of award-winning publications, crossing diverse media interests in digital, content, events and cinema, Motivate’s established consumer and trade brands reach an audience of over two million people each month. Motivate’s book division was established in 1986 and has more than 250 titles in print. Together with his partner, Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, who is now the UAE Minister of State for Finance, Fairservice has grown Motivate into one of the most successful media groups in the region.
In March 2007, Fairservice founded the Dubai Lynx Advertising Awards and Festival of Creativity, in partnership with Cannes Lions. He has also served as the Middle East representative of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity since 2000.
During the past year, Fairservice has diversified the group’s interests to include joint ventures with global content and influencer marketing platform VAMP from Australia, Malaysian based World Expo pavilion design company Zakti, Social listening and research specialists MavenMagnet from the US and acclaimed British documentary film makers Lorton Entertainment.
Commenting on the announcement, Ian Fairservice, added: “It is hugely exciting to be recognised in this way, particularly as Motivate is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. None of our success could have been possible without the support of a great team behind me and in particular the encouragement of my partner, HE Obaid Humaid Al Tayer.”
One of the first members of the International Advertising Association (IAA) – UAE Chapter, Fairservice spent more than 20 years on the board including four years as treasurer, four years as vice president, and five years as president. He also served on the association’s World Board. In addition to his business responsibilities, Fairservice is the vice chairman of the board of governors of the Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs.
The presentation of the 2019 Dubai Lynx Advertising Person of the Year Award will take place during the Dubai Lynx Awards Ceremony at the Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah on Wednesday 13 March 2019.
Source: Dubai Lynx (Press Release – 10th March 2019)
