Film Lions: Cannes 2023 Decoded

Adam&eveDDB has scooped the Film Grand Prix at Cannes for its CALM campaign 'The Last Photo'.

Launched last summer, the national campaign hoped to reshape the UK’s understanding of suicide by highlighting the fact the 'suicide doesn't always look suicidal'.

Directed by Max Fisher, the film shows a sequence of real home videos of apparently happy people enjoying life – singing to infant children, messing about with mates, and enjoying a day out at the seaside. Towards the end of the spot, it is revealed that the clips are the last videos of people who later died by suicide.

The initiative aimed to address that in reality, suicidal behaviour takes many forms. Often people can seem happy just moments before taking their own lives.

An additional Film Grand Prix was also awarded to Apple for its humorous 'R.I.P. Leon' campaign which showcased the iPhone 14's ability to un-send and edit messages.

Mother, AMV BBDO and House 337 also received Gold Lions in the Film category.

Mother's three films for Uber Eats' 'Do Less' campaign collectively won a Gold, with the hero spots 'Cowboy', 'Nails' and 'Parrot' all calling on the nation to ‘embrace the art of doing less’.

AMV BBDO's 'Periodsomnia' campaign for Bodyform also bagged a Gold for highlighting the fact that on average, women lose five months of sleep over their lifetime due to the discomfort, anxiety and fear of nights on their period. The brand and agency coined the new ‘periodsomnia’ term to put a name to the experience that millions go through at night.

House 337's Gold-winning work for Women's Aid - 'He's Coming Home' - asked the public to raise awareness of domestic abuse services during the World Cup to help victims. According to the charity, factors such as increased alcohol consumption and the high levels of emotion associated with big matches can cause existing domestic abuse to increase in frequency and severity.

Other winners in the Gold category included: Apple and its 'Relax, It's iPhone - Action Mode' campaign; David and Ingo and their 'Second Best High Chair' campaign for Ikea and BETC and its 'Papa' campaign for Canal+.

In the Silver Film Lion category, House 337 was awarded for its 'Red River Farm' spot for Peta. The seemingly child-friendly singalong video soon turns into an unwaveringly honest account of the animals that are mistreated for the production of clothes. The film ends with the line: 'Shop like their lives depend on it - don't buy wool, feather or leather'.

Adam&eveDDB, Leo Burnett and New Commercial Arts were also among the British agencies to win Bronze Lions for Film, with adam&eveDDB bagging three Bronzes altogether.

Two Lions were awarded to the DDB agency for its 'Baby Scan' campaign for Marmite. The tongue-in-cheek work saw expectant parents partake in a fictional scan to find out whether their babies would be lovers or haters of the yeast extract spread.

Adam&eveDDB's other Bronze was given out for its 'Nothing Fills a Hole Like Pot Noodle' for Pot Noodle.

Leo Burnett's Bronze award was distributed for its McDonald's film 'Raise Your Arches'. Directed by Edgar Wright, the campaign centred around the creative insight that the invitation to grab a Maccie’s is so universal, it can be communicated without uttering a single word.

The Bronze Lion won by New Commercial Arts was for the agency's campaign for Alzheimer's Society launched in March. 'The Ultimate Vow' film highlighted the devastating effects of dementia and the charity's commitment to help end this devastation.

Overall, 49 Lions were distributed in the Film category: two Grand Prix, six Golds, 16 Silvers and 25 Bronzes.