Canvas8 has unpicked the behaviours that underpinned campaigns from eight Gold and Grand Prix winners at Cannes Lion 2018.

1. BY
A BEHAVIOURAL
BREAKDOWN
OF 8 WINNING CAMPAIGNS
FROM CANNES LIONS 2018

2. THE INSIGHTS
BEHIND THE ADS
The 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival
of Creativity featured numerous campaigns
from brands looking to prove that creativity
can be a force for positive change in the
world. But what can we learn about the
behaviours that underpin their messages?
Canvas8 has unpicked the human insights
that inspired campaigns from eight Gold and
Grand Prix winners at this year’s event.

3. BLURRED
LINES
FIFA 18 INSPIRES
REAL-LIFE TRICK SHOT
NAME OF THE CAMPAIGN
FIFA 18 MORE THAN A GAME
BRAND
EA GAMES
AGENCY
ADAM&EVE/DDB LONDON

4. WHAT IS IT?
For FIFA 18, developer EA Games created a
skill shot called El Tornado, which featured
prominently in the game’s launch commercial.
The spot sees a young player nail the trick
using the avatar of Cristiano Ronaldo and then
upload it online, earning praise in the form of
likes and comments, with the in-game move
then inspiring real-life attempts – including one
from Ronaldo himself. As other pro footballers
– like Dele Alli and Antoine Griezmann – began
performing the trick in physical world, EA
unlocked the skill move for their avatars with
the award ‘El Tornado Certified’. The campaign
broke all FIFA franchise engagement records,
with the film being viewed more than 304
million times.
72% OF TV SUPERFANS SAY
SOCIAL PLATFORMS PLAY A ROLE
IN THEIR VIEWING HABITS
Twitter, 2017

5. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
People are extending the worlds of their passions
by blurring the lines between online and offline.
For football fans specifically, following the game
isn’t a part-time pursuit. They’re constantly
connected, so experiences that immerse them
in the sport win big, no matter the medium. It’s
why TV viewing is evolving into a more interactive
experience as it merges with social media habits.
Indeed, 60% of TV superfans say they share their
opinions about shows they watch on Twitter.
With its tagline ‘more than a game’, FIFA 18 is
acknowledging and celebrating the influence of
the video game on real life. EA’s soccer franchise
is already a key touchpoint for both football fans
and gamers – FIFA 17 was the best-selling game of
2016 – and El Tornado showed how e-sports and
real sports can be even more closely integrated.
MUST READS
FIFA 18: blurring boundaries
between the real and virtual
Are we ready for CGI superstars?
1.
2.

6. DEEPER
NARRATIVES
MONTEFIORE HOSPITAL
PULLS AT PEOPLE’S
HEARTSTRINGS
NAME OF THE CAMPAIGN
CORAZÓN
BRAND
MONTEFIORE HOSPITAL
AGENCY
JOHNXHANNES NEW YORK

7. WHAT IS IT?
Although most people support organ donation,
few are actually on the register. In a bid to drive
sign ups to be a donor, Montefiore Hospital
made a 43-minute film called Corazón as part of
the ‘Give Your Heart’ campaign. Directed by John
Hillcoat with JohnXHannes New York, it tells the
true story of a young woman with a terminal
heart condition, who makes the journey from
Santa Domingo to New York for surgery. Not
only did the film encourage people to care more
about the issue, but it also helped them become
a part of the solution. JohnXHannes NY and
Active Theory developed an interactive tool that
made registering as a donor quick and easy.
Within the first week of its launch, the film was
viewed by over ten million people and all four
premiere screenings sold out within hours.
98% OF NEW YORKERS
SUPPORT ORGAN DONATION BUT
ONLY A FIFTH ARE DONORS
JohnXHannes, 2018

8. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The campaign highlights the important role
brands can play in supporting people to turn
their intentions into action. Rather than simply
raising awareness of the problem, JohnXHannes
makes it easier for people to sign up by
integrating the technology to do so into the
campaign. What’s more, storytelling has long
been a major part of successful advertising
campaigns and it’s proven to be a powerful
tool to encourage empathy – a tactic similarly
employed by P&G’s ‘The Talk’. Research has
also found that storytelling can be used to help
people visualise new products, which further
deepens the connection they have with a brand.
By utilising the power of creative storytelling
and technology, the campaign is helping spark
social change.
MUST READS
Donate today! The science of giving
Why do emotions trump facts?
1.
2.

9. TACKLING
TABOOS
PROJECT 84 SPARKS
CONVERSATION ABOUT
DIFFICULT TOPICS
NAME OF THE CAMPAIGN
PROJECT 84
BRAND
CALM
AGENCY
ADAM&EVE/DDB LONDON

10. WHAT IS IT?
To raise awareness about male suicide in the UK,
the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
launched Project 84, an installation of sculptures
against the central London skyline. Eighty-four
statues were placed atop the ITV Tower forming
a dramatic visualisation of the number of young
British men who take their own lives every
week. The hyper-realistic figures were clothed in
hoodies that had been drawn shut, symbolising
the isolation and silence that often accompany
depression. Project 84 was a conversation-starter,
earning more than 170 million impressions on
Twitter. Most importantly, though, it galvanised
people into reaching out about their emotional
health, with CALM’s helpline and webchat service
seing a 34% increase in calls for support.
51% OF YOUNG BRITONS
THINK THAT A PEER WHO DEVELOPED
A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION
WOULD FEEL EMBARRASSED
MQ Mental Health, 2016

11. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
With over half of British parents never speaking
to their kids about mental health issues, young
people are increasingly looking to brands to
guide conversation around difficult topics.
Project 84’s attention-grabbing sculptures
prompted constructive dialogue in the media
while never diminishing the gravity of the issue
at hand. By building the campaign around
real-life individuals and their families, CALM
took an empathetic, yet urgent approach to
mental health struggles, encouraging people to
speak up and reach out for help. Considering
that men in the UK ask for medical help 20%
less frequently than women, destigmatising
emotional problems was a timely move by
CALM, and the breach of this social taboo will
resonate with many who have been looking to
break the silence around mental illness.
MUST READS
Drake: making vulnerability cool
To the Bone: tackling teen taboos
through film
1.
2.

12. POLICY
PUSHERS
TRASH ISLES EFFECTS
REAL POLITICAL CHANGE
NAME OF THE CAMPAIGN
TRASH ISLES
BRAND
OCEANS/LADBIBLE
AGENCY
AMVBBDO LONDON

13. WHAT IS IT?
Plastic waste in the ocean has reached such critical
levels that a trash patch the size of France has
formed in the North Pacific. LADbible and the
Plastic Oceans Foundation wanted to find a way
to have governments take the problem more
seriously, so they launched the Trash Isles – the
first country made entirely of rubbish. The brands
submitted a Declaration of Independence to the
United Nations that officially recognised the Isles
as the world’s 196th nation. They also kickstarted
a three-month campaign for support, recruiting
people as citizens and issuing passports, stamps,
and an official currency called ‘Debris’. News of the
Trash Isles reached half a billion people, and with
over 220,000 citizens onboard, they successfully
prompted a comment from the UN, propelling the
issue of plastic waste on to the global agenda.
84% OF PEOPLE ARE WORRIED
ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC
POLLUTION IN THE OCEANS
Sky News, 2017

14. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Eco-conscious individuals and organisations have
long known about the Great Pacific Garbage
Patch. So, instead of preaching to the choir,
LADbible and the Plastic Oceans Foundation
turned their attention to policymakers, entreating
them to throw their weight behind the important
cause. Rather than just imploring people to make
a change, the brands became active collaborators
with them, cleverly exploiting the political
system; all members of the UN Council were
forced to read their country application, gaining
recognition for the issue that would obligate
every state to commit to cleaning up the ocean.
The creative tactic of targeting those in authority
– and actually following through with a push for
change – should resonate with the 70% of Gen
Yers who want the brands they buy to do good so
that they don’t shoulder all the responsibility.
MUST READS
Is it cool to be a concerned citizen?
Package Free Shop: a zero-waste
convenience store
1.
2.

15. LOGO
LOVE
LACOSTE HARNESSES THE
POWER OF THE LOGO TO
SAVE THE PLANET
NAME OF THE CAMPAIGN
SAVE OUR SPECIES
BRAND
LACOSTE
AGENCY
BETC PARIS

16. WHAT IS IT?
In collaboration with the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Lacoste replaced
its iconic crocodile logo with images of ten
endangered species in a limited edition line polo
shirts. To highlight the threat of extinction, the
number of shirts produced corresponded to the
number of each of the species remaining in the
wild, which is why only 30 featured vaquitas – a
type of porpoise – compared to the 450 anegada
rock iguana shirts that were up for grabs. The
shirts were available on the Save Our Species
microsite for €150 each, and the move clearly
resonated – the limited-edition line sold out in
24 hours, generated 1.2 million impressions on
social media, and donations to IUCN multiplied
four-fold.
DEMAND FOR LOGO-BEARING
PRODUCTS IS 20% HIGHER THAN
SIMILAR LOGO-LESS PRODUCTS
FROM THE SAME BRAND
The Real Real, 2017

17. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
After years of decline, the logo is enjoying a
renaissance – Pinterest saw saves for the search
term ‘logos’ rise by 203% between 2017 and
2018. However, logos aren’t coming back as overt
signifiers of wealth. Instead, brands are using
them to go beyond an aesthetic and demonstrate
their deeper values. Whether it’s Lacoste raising
awareness of certain endangered species or Nike
reminding people to vote for equality, logos are
the perfect vehicle for storytelling. And with 40%
of Gen Yers willing to pay more for a brand that
reflects the image they want to convey about
themselves, logo narratives are becoming more
playful to appeal to those who want to signal
their values with their purchases.
MUST READS
How hype and rarity fuel the
streetwear resale market
Fendi FM18: the return of
conspicuous consumption
1.
2.

18. HONEST
APOLOGIES
KFC’S CREATIVE APOLOGY
WON BACK PEOPLE’S HEARTS
NAME OF THE CAMPAIGN
KFC ‘FCK’
BRAND
KFC
AGENCY
MOTHER LONDON

19. WHAT IS IT?
In February 2018, KFC experienced a chicken
shortage in the UK that forced hundreds of
stores to close temporarily, making headlines in
the process. Owning up to the crisis, the brand
issued a public apology that was as sincere as
it was creative. By shifting a single letter in its
famous acronym, KFC transformed into the
emotive ‘FCK’ – summing up the feelings of
the company and its customers alike. The bold
response ran as a full-page ad in newspapers
nationwide, along with a subtler and nuanced
explanation of the issues the chain had faced
and how sorry it was for the disruption. It’s not
often that a brand generates more buzz with an
apology than with a crisis, but KFC managed to
do just that – the ad reached over a billion people
and prompted no fewer than 733 media articles.
86% OF PEOPLE SAY HONESTY
IS THE MAIN BEHAVIOUR THEY
SEEK IN BRANDS
Sprout Social, 2017

20. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The KFC ‘FCK’ campaign took what could have
been just another bland corporate apology and
turned it into something creative and delightful.
Nailing the candour that is key to earning
forgiveness, the ad was bold and provocative
but also unquestionably heartfelt. KFC admitted
that the shortage was its fault, expressed regret
that people had been put out, and fully accepted
responsibility for the issue. The fast food brand
successfully trod the fine line between not taking
itself too seriously while still demonstrating that
it cared about the problem, and that helped
its message resonate with a wide and diverse
audience. Considering that only 36% of people
trust big brands to be open and authentic, the
honest apology was both impactful and timely.
MUST READS
How can brands say sorry?
Should brands be trolls?
1.
2.

21. TIMELY
TECH
THE TIMES PROVES
THE POWER OF AI IN
DELIVERING CREATIVITY
NAME OF THE CAMPAIGN
JFK UNSILENCED
BRAND
THE TIMES/NEWS UK & IRELAND
AGENCY
ROTHCO | ACCENTURE INTERACTIVE DUBLIN

22. WHAT IS IT?
In November 1963, John F. Kennedy was killed
on his way to deliver a speech at the Dallas
Trade Mart. Over 54 years later, The Times – in
partnership with Rothco – recreated his speech
using 831 pieces of audio data, coupled with the
power of AI technology and months of complex
sound engineering. Once launched, people
could finally hear the 22-minute address in JFK’s
own voice with many feeling his words were as
poignant today as they would have been over
half a century ago. After appearing on The Times’
website, the video achieved an editorial reach
of one billion and prompted over 17,000 new
subscription enquiries. 24% OF PEOPLE FEAR
THAT AI WILL TAKE OVER
THE WORLD
Pega, 2017

23. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
By coupling a poignant historical event with
innovative modern technology, the campaign
illustrates the creative power that data holds. It’s
a move that could help shift perceptions of AI,
with 70% of people fearing it in some way. As well
as the huge number of impressions it achieved
on social media, the project helped position The
Times as a paper representing differing voices –
by sharing one that had previously been silenced
– and one the embraces the latest technologies.
The Times and Rothco’s deft implementation of
this technology proved its potential as a tool,
rather than a hindrance, for creative endeavour.
MUST READS
Sunspring: a sci-fi film written by an
algorithm
How are businesses adopting
artificial intelligence?
1.
2.

24. MODERN
MUSEUMS
COMEDY CENTRAL WINS
OVER AMERICA BY POKING
FUN AT TRUMP’S TWEETS
NAME OF THE CAMPAIGN
THE DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL
TWITTER LIBRARY
BRAND
COMEDY CENTRAL
AGENCY
COMEDY CENTRAL NEW YORK

25. WHAT IS IT?
Since joining Twitter in March 2009, Donald
Trump has amassed over 53 million followers
and has grown fearless in vocalising his opinions
online. His erratic and controversial tweets
caught the attention of The Daily Show, which in
2017 created a pop-up museum in collaboration
with Pop2Life dedicated to the President’s posts.
The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library
was a satirical experience populated with visual
installations, exclusive video clips and interactive
hands-on activations, like a nickname generator
and a create-your-own-tweet game. It proved so
popular that there was a seven-hour wait to get
tickets on the first day it opened, and in July 2018
the television show is turning the pop-up into a
published book.
81% OF AMERICANS ENGAGE
IN CULTURAL EXPERIENCES TO
HAVE FUN
Culture Track, 2017

26. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The Baltimore Museum of Art and Walters Art
Museum have seen attendances shrink in recent
years and museums are generally struggling. Yet
people’s appetite for experiences is as insatiable
as ever. By tapping into the element of satire,
as well as the relatable immediacy of online
social interactions, Comedy Central is making
the museum experience more relevant to the
modern day, while upholding its witty public
image in the process. As a result, the pop-up won
over (part of) the nation at a time when opinions
are polarising, using laughter to offer some much
sought-after light relief.
MUST READS
How museums have become
experience emporiums
What draws us to cringe-worthy
content?
1.
2.

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