Cannes Lions Partners With Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Grand Challenges Explorations: Aid is Working. Tell the World is a unique call for action that aims to inspire the world's greatest brand communicators to come up with an idea that will help solve a global problem.
Any individual, team, agency or company can submit a communications idea simply expressed on just two-pages, based on the challenge issued through the foundation's Grand Challenges Explorations programme. The brief calls for new and innovative ways of telling the real story behind global aid.
"The global Cannes Lions community is made up of the world's greatest communicators who are solving problems for clients all day every day," says Philip Thomas, Cannes Lions CEO. "Imagine if our community could harness this creativity to solve a global problem with an outstanding idea expressed on just two pieces of A4 paper? Imagine if a great idea emerged, and if that idea was honed and improved by the best thinkers in the industry? And imagine if there was the money to actually make something happen, to create the idea."
Up to ten participants will be awarded $100,000 for the development of their idea - and the chance to be mentored by the Grand Prix Winners from Cannes Lions 2011, who have come together to form the 'Cannes Chimera', possibly the greatest collection of creative talent ever assembled. Successful projects will then have the chance to seek additional funding up to $1 million to bring their idea to fruition.
Tom Scott, Director, Global Brand & Innovation at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said, "Aid is effective, but the story of aid isn't breaking through. Now more than ever it's critical that we look at new and innovative ways to change the debate. We are excited to partner with Cannes Lions to help ensure that the world's greatest creative minds can put their energy against a really important challenge."
How to Take Part
Cannes Lions has created a group, The Cannes Chimera, made up of one senior creative from the award-winning agencies of each of the 2011 Cannes Lions Grand Prix winning pieces of work. The Chimera will advise the programme, review the submissions, and mentor the finalists as they develop their projects. The first Cannes Chimera will be made up of the following talented communicators:
Mark Bashore, Head of Creative, Digital Kitchen, Chicago, USA
Winner of the Film Grand Prix, 'Write the Future', Nike
Adrian Botan, Creative Partner, McCann Erickson Bucharest & Regional Creative Director, McCann Erickson Central and Eastern Europe
Winner of the Promo & Activation Grand Prix, 'American Rom', Kandia Dulce
Paul Brazier, Executive Creative Director, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO London, UK
Winner of the Film Craft Grand Prix, 'After Hours Athlete', Puma
Neil Heymann, Creative Director, Droga 5, New York, USA
Winner of the Titanium & Integrated Grand Prix, 'Decode Jay-Z with Bing', Bing/Jay-Z
Ant Keogh, Executive Creative Director, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, Australia
Winner of the Media Grand Prix, 'Homeplus Subway Virtual Store', Tesco
Aaron Koblin, Artist, Google Creative Labs, New York, USA
Winner of the Cyber Grand Prix, 'Pay with a Tweet', Innovative Thunder
Rob McLennan, Executive Creative Director, Net#work BBDO, Johannesburg, South Africa
Winner of the Cyber Grand Prix, 'Response' Campaign, Proctor & Gamble, Old Spice Body Wash
Jason Williams, Executive Creative Director, Leo Burnett Melbourne, Australia
Winner of the Press Grand Prix, 'Heaven and Hell', Samsonite
A new challenge will be set each year to harness the power of creativity for the greater global good. Each year, a new Cannes Chimera will be formed with the respective Grand Prix winners. Previous years members will remain part of the Cannes Chimera consultancy board, which will grow year on year.
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