Entertainment Lions: Cannes 2023 Decoded

Wieden + Kennedy Portland took home the Grand Prix for the Entertainment Lions category. There was only one UK co-produced campaign that scooped up a Lion in this genre.

The lead prize was awarded to the Portland-based agency for its work with mobile game, Clash of Clans. The 'Clash From the Past' campaign, produced by Spark & Riot, commemorated the brand's 10-year anniversary by celebrating the release of a fake 20-minute documentary.

In it, Wieden + Kennedy Portland reimagined what the video game would have looked like if it had been born 40 years prior and presented a nostalgic fake history to mark how the Clash brand has evolved.

Only one UK co-production received an Entertainment Lions this year, which was for Grey's collaborative spot for Coca-Cola.

The 'Christmas Always Finds Its Way' campaign was created across the agency's offices, marking a joint effort from Grey New York, Argentina and London.

The campaign is made up of a series of three shorts - helmed by Prettybird directors Vellas (Brazil), JB Braud (France) and Alex Buono (U.S.) - creating a seasonal mini-series, which launched on Amazon Prime Video.

Capturing the magic of the holiday season, the campaign served to remind audiences of Coca-Cola's storytelling legacy at Christmas.

The US was the most awarded nation in this category, scooping up a total of 15 Lions including two co-produced projects.

Some 27 Lions were given out across the Entertainment Lions category - with five Gold Lions, 12 Silver and 10 Bronze Lions dished out.

The most awarded campaigns in this genre were Duolingo's spot, 'High Valyrian Lessons', which was created in-house and DDB Colombia's Poker Beer campaign, entitled 'Influencer Friends' - each taking home two Lions.

The Duolingo spot scored one Gold Lion and one Silver, while the Poker Beer received two Silver Lions.