Mobile: Cannes 2023 Decoded

BMB has been awarded a Silver Lion in the Mobile Cannes Lions category for its Breast Cancer Now campaign 'The Chat'.

In February, the breast cancer charity launched the UK’s first drama series to play out on a messaging app’s group chat. Unfolding in real-time over the course of six weeks via voice notes, video messages, photos and text messages - the dramatic series followed four friends as they navigated an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis together. The format was inspired by research that found that two thirds of people diagnosed with breast cancer want to have more honest conversations about their experience.

The Grand Prix in the Mobile category was won by Buenos Aires-based agency Gut for its Pedidos Ya campaign 'World Cup Delivery'.

The initiative saw the number one delivery app in Argentina send a fake push notification to all of its users after the country's football team won the World Cup last year. Confusing many users of Pedidos Ya, people were soon delighted to discover that the push notification was highlighting the fact that the app was tracking the World Cup trophy's journey home to Argentina.

As for Gold Lions, two were awarded in the mobile category to Publicis Conseil's 'Plug-Inn' campaign for Renault and AKQA's 'Transparency card' campaign for Congresso Em Foco.

The 'Plug-Inn' initiative from Publicis Conseil and Renault saw the pair create up to 475,000 additional electric charging points, thanks to communities of local people who welcomed drivers to charge their electric vehicle in their homes.

Overall, 12 Lions were awarded in the Mobile category: one Grand Prix, two Golds, three Silvers and six Bronzes.

The Judges said...

Polina Zabrodskaya, creative partner at AMV BBDO and a member of the jury:

What were the key trends / reflections in the Mobile Lions category?

Simplification is the word of the day. Traditional apps are being swapped out for lighter, quicker websites. Loads of great ideas are making the most of bare essentials: texts, notifications, e-wallets, and barcodes. Monochromatic design, although it's had a good run, could start feeling a bit out-of-date next year.

What advice would you give to marketers wanting to win a Mobile Lion next year?

Cannes can feel like a giant slot machine, and anyone telling you they've cracked the code to winning Lions might not be your best friend. Here's my take, though: making good decisions quickly pays off in Mobile. The standout campaigns in our category didn't need a gazillion dollars and would be suffocated by twenty layers of stakeholders. Mobile is a great medium for lean, reactive, clever experiments, and I believe trying smaller things more often could result in a game changer.

What led to your decision in selecting the winning Grand Prix in the Mobile Lion category?

Our Grand Prix is a shining example of making the right call at the right time, while keeping it super simple. It's my absolute favourite thing in the whole show, a testament to the raw power of creativity and resourcefulness.