Print & Publishing Lions: Cannes 2021 Decoded

The Grand Prix in the Print & Publishing Lions category was awarded to Ogilvy London/Ogilvy Toronto for Courage is Beautiful, the work for Dove that celebrates the strength and determination of frontline workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The jury favourite also won a Gold and a Silver Lion in Print & Publishing.

Work that demonstrates outstanding creativity in print media is what the Print & Publishing Lions are all about. From a total of 1,012 entries the jury for this category gave one Grand Prix as well as five gold, nine silver and 15 bronze Lions.

We spoke to jury member (and winner) André 'Dede' Laurentino, CCO of Ogilvy UK about some of the trends in this category and also how brands can best utilise print in a world that is increasingly online.

What trends have you noticed in your category?

it's always good to judge print these days, because there's always a looming question of is print still relevant? In the past, print was taken for granted but it carries the weight of truth these days. I also think the medium has regained the trust, and proven its worth and its role in society yet again. Take the example of tech companies - when they want to talk about something serious, or want to rebuild an image, or want to advertise a new service or when they've been hit by bad PR they all turn to print.

And the other trend is print starts something big. Print campaign ignites pa big movement or big fame. Our Dove campaign, for which I congratulate the brilliant Ogilvy team led by Dan Fisher and Unilever, it is the powerful portraits of real frontline healthcare workers that went on to become the iconic image of 2020.

What advice would you give to your clients if they want to win in this category next year?

To win in this category, you need to have done something big in the real world. But really, what's winning? It is what what caught our attention, or what generated the most passionate debates were the campaigns in print had real social relevance and currency. So when something starts in print and ends in a print campaign without triggering a greater movement or sparking a discussion, then that has less of an impact.

Dede's Favourite Print Campaigns

The New National Anthem Edition, by BBDO (Silver Lion)

To inspire Lebanese women to lead a peaceful 2019 revolution, An-Nahar newspaper pointed out a glaring injustice in the country's national anthem: a verse that referred to Lebanon as "the birthplace of men." After amending it to say "the birthplace of women and men," An-Nahar printed the new national anthem on the front page of an entire edition dedicated solely to women.

Relate 'Let's Talk The Joy Of Sex' by Ogilvy London (Silver Lion)

A campaign showcasing the importance of sex and intimacy in later life, the stunning visuals celebrate sex and intimacy in older life.

Print Insertion from Coors Brewing Company by DDB Chicago (Bronze Lion)

Molson Coors used the print medium for its Super Bowl campaign earlier this year. Miller Lite today ran full-page ads in the New York Times, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and St. Louis Post-Dispatch plugging a ridiculously long URL. It says that anyone typing the 836-character address will burn one calorie, which is exactly the difference in calories between Miller Lite (96) and AB InBev’s Michelob Ultra (95).

Meanwhile, there was one further Gold from the UK - McCann London's Xbox One X's 'The birth of gaming tourism'.

Xbox created a travel-themed campaign to engage a new audience of non-gamers worldwide. A campaign that celebrates virtual travel and a new kind of tourism, exploring the beauty of gaming beyond traditional gameplay.