WARC identifies Cannes’ effectiveness drivers

The Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions recognise campaigns that combine creative excellence with business goals and sustained impact

Cultural insights, interactive experiences, creator partnerships and platform-native ideas are among the factors helping brands turn creative campaigns into commercial results, according to a WARC analysis of the 2026 Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions winners.

The report, Creative Effectiveness Lions - Insights from the 2026 winners, draws on WARC’s access to jury deliberations and analysis of winning entries. The Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions recognise campaigns that combine creative excellence with business goals and sustained impact.

Cultural insight drives brand growth

The analysis identifies three themes across this year’s winners, starting with the use of cultural insight as a strategic business tool. WARC says brands can create opportunities for growth, relevance and differentiation by moving beyond observation and using cultural analysis to shape their response to social and cultural issues.

The approach is illustrated by the Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix winner Three Words for AXA by Publicis France. The campaign added the clause "and domestic violence" to AXA’s home insurance contracts in France, enabling emergency relocations for people experiencing domestic violence.

Brands turn cultural insights into action

Gold-winning Caramelo for Pedigree by AlmapBBDO São Paulo also used cultural understanding to reshape the brand’s role in its category. The campaign redefined the concept of pedigree and helped increase adoption of mixed-breed dogs in Brazil, particularly the culturally significant Caramelo, expanding the brand’s total addressable market.

WARC’s analysis also highlights interactive experiences as a way for brands to deepen participation and engagement. It recommends using brand assets as interactive tools, applying data to strengthen credibility and creating meaningful rewards for consumers.

Interactive experiences deepen engagement

Silver-winning Vaseline Verified by Ogilvy Singapore engaged creators to address misinformation about Vaseline products on social media, with the aim of supporting safer product use among consumers.

IKEA’s silver-winning Hidden Tags campaign in Portugal, created by Uzina, encouraged customers to discover production dates hidden on its products. The activation was designed to build consumer trust and reinforce longer-term commitment to the brand.

Creators and platforms support brand building

The third theme focuses on strategic creator partnerships and ideas designed around specific platforms. WARC argues that creators can act as advocates rather than simply paid promoters, while platform-specific features can help campaigns build community engagement that continues beyond paid media.

Uber Eats’ silver-winning Football is for Food campaign by Special US turned the brand’s NFL sponsorship into a purchase opportunity by connecting the sport with food and embedding the service within the football experience.

Platform-native ideas extend campaign impact

Bronze-winning U Up? by Rethink Canada for IKEA used multiple consumer touchpoints to turn insomnia into an opportunity for immediate brand interaction at mattress purchase points.

John Bizzell, Content Lead, WARC: "This year’s winning Creative Effectiveness campaigns offer valuable insights for marketers, demonstrating how creative excellence can address genuine business and social issues while delivering meaningful growth."

Bertille Toledano, CEO, BETC, Havas Creative Middle East and President, Havas Creative Network: "The jury sought to award Lions to campaigns that delivered genuine impact on real people – the kind of campaigns you would discuss with your mother over lunch. We kept in mind the Creative Effectiveness Ladder to select the most effective creative work that embodied a cultural vision and a clear sense of what the brand stands for. These are the ones I’ll be telling my mother about."

Jury highlights context and measurement

Bizzell also pointed to the importance of context, credible data and clear measurement when demonstrating creative effectiveness. He said international juries need sufficient cultural context to understand why an insight matters to a particular brand or category.

John Bizzell, Content Lead, WARC: "This year’s jury talked a lot about context, from sourcing to metrics and culture. The jury wanted to see work that included well-sourced, credible data and metrics on what was the business impact. They also wanted to see cultural context – on an international jury, not everyone may understand why an insight is so important for a brand or category. Entrants should bear these factors in mind for next year."

www.warc.com

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