This year marked the debut of a new category at Cannes dedicated to branded content and entertainment. Cannes received over 850 entries for this new category, more than twice the amount they anticipated. We have compiled a list of winners below. To view every entry that made the shortlist, head over to Cannes official website.
Branded Content & Entertainment Grand Prix
CHIPOTLE CULTIVATE CAMPAIGN
It should come as no surprise that Chipotle’s 2 minute 20 second film “Back to the Start” took home the Grand Prix. Willie Nelsons haunting rendition of “The Scientist” combined with amazing storytelling make this video a must see.
Best fictional program, series or film where a client has successfully created a drama, comedy or miniseries around a product or brand
MFCEO K-SWISS / FOOTWEAR
K-Swiss teamed up with East Bound and Down actor Danny McBride to create this hilarious short film. (Warning: Language)
Best non-fiction program, series or film where a client has successfully created a reality, documentary or light entertainment show around a product(s) or brand(s)
GT ACADEMY USA
Nissan and PlayStation teamed up with the SPEED Channel to create a reality show that placed the two brands at the center of the action, making them immune to the advertising killers known as DVR and TIVO.
Best brand or product integration into a feature film
POM WONDERFUL PRESENTS: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD
POM was the title sponsor of Morgan Spurlock’s feature length comedy lambasting product placement.
Best use or integration of user-generated content
VILLAGE VOICE: NEW YORK WRITES ITSELF
“The Village Voice was looking for a way to capture the true voice of New Yorkers, and partnered with Leo Burnett New York City to launch ‘New York Types,’ a crowd-sourced campaign that took real quotes from New Yorkers and transformed them into print pieces, while collaborating with some of NYC’s best letterpress artists.”
Best use or integration of experiential events
CARLING: BE THE COACH
“The SAB Carling Black Label Cup empowered people to become the coach for the two main South African football teams; The Kaiser Chiefs, and The Orlando Pirates.All people needed to do is vote for their players / relevant positions via USSD, using unique codes found on bottles of Carling Black Label.”
PIMA GREAT PAPER AIRPLANE PROJECT
“The Pima Air & Space Museum wanted to inspire kids about the science of flight and attract more visitors to the museum. So [they] built a 45′ giant paper airplane, lifted it high into the sky and let it fly.”
Best use or integration of music
THE MOST POPULAR SONG
“As the largest bank in Puerto Rico, Banco Popular’s success and corporate image depend on the island’s economy. So to help propel it in the right direction, it convinced El Gran Combo to rewrite history.”
Best use or integration of gaming
NIKE: I AM PLAYR
“I AM PLAYR brings together for the first time the best of games, film and TV production to provide a new platform for brands where they can be integrated seamlessly into a narrative, through video content (product placement and sponsorship) and also via virtual in-game products.”
Best brand or product integration into an existing TV show or series
WHEAT THINS & COLBERT
“For the first time ever, and for nearly 7 minutes, Colbert took the Wheat Thins brief and dissected it in a way only he could do. This particular show was the third highest rated of the season and since airing, has been viewed nearly 760,000 times online”
