Film Lions: Cannes 2021 Decoded

Three Grands Prix were awarded in the coveted Film Category, one each for Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO’s wombstories for Essity, Nike’s You Can’t Stop Us by Weiden & Kennedy, Portland, and Crocodile Inside by BETC Paris for Lacoste.

The results bring the total number of Grand Prix won by AMV BBDO to five: four for Essity’s Bodyform/Libresse brand and one for the Central Office for Public Interest for addresspolution.org.

W&K’s work for Nike was a serious Cannes contender from the off. The ad uses a split-screen format to pair historical sports star footage with contemporary film of today’s stars. 72 film clips are incorporated into the 90-second spot with each sequence featuring two athletes, old and new, blended seamlessly as though they were one.

Content sourcing agency Stalkr worked with W&K to find film clips that would work in the split format. The film crew used meticulous research into camera positioning to replicate the angles and compositions of the original footage. A custom-built camera frame emulated the original shot as closely as possible. The ad features athletes including Serena Williams, LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo and Naomi Osaka.

For the #wombstories film, AMV worked with the director, writer and producer Nisha Ganatra, and a predominantly female crew with an all-women team of animators and illustrators who have imagined the life of wombs.


From the sudden flood of period blood to the challenges of trying to conceive, from the monstrous pain of endometriosis to the changes wrought by the menopause, the brutal and beautiful experience of having a womb are powerfully, poignantly, joyfully and painfully brought to life through the vignettes of the ad.

In BETC Paris' Crocodile Inside for Lacoste, a young couple argue and their relationship begins to break down. As their argument rages, their home and apartment building begin to collapse. Just in time, they leap across the crumbling building back towards each other, accompanied by a soundtrack of Edith Piaf’s L'hymne à l'amour.

The ad was written by Olivier Aumard, art directed by Aurélie Scalabre, and directed by Megaforce through Iconoclast.