Cindy Gallop appointed Jury President of the inaugural 'The Glass Lion: The Lion for Change'
LONDON, Mar 2, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Cannes Lions today announced the launch of the Glass Lion: The Lion for Change; an award with the support of LeanIn.Org which specifically recognises work that challenges gender bias and shatters stereotypical images of men and women which remain rooted in marketing messages.
It is the Festival's long-held belief that marketing actively shapes culture, and the launch of the award is part of an on-going commitment to positively impact the course of communications.
"We are humbled to be described as a global benchmark for creative excellence. Creativity has the power to change culture, and the wider world, in a deeply positive way. So rewarding creative work that fights to address the (mis)representation of gender in marketing communication is something we hope will lead to real change across the industry and society," comments Lions Festivals CEO, Philip Thomas.
Cannes Lions will donate all proceeds from the Glass Lion entry fees and put them back into a programme that promotes and enables the creation of a more gender-neutral media landscape. Details of this programme will be announced over the next few weeks. It is intended that the Glass Lion will evolve in future years to include other global, cultural and societal issues.
The introduction of the Glass Lion: The Lion for Change follows on from the 2014 launch of See It Be It; the Festival initiative which aimed to accelerate creative women's careers in advertising. "To date, a predominantly male voice has informed the creation of a lot of the marketing messaging. Applying creativity to capture the hearts and minds of the largest consumer base in the world - women - will inform the financial future of this industry. This will require a more gender-balanced talent pool," explains Senta Slingerland, Lions Festivals's Director of Brand Strategy.
- High-profile support for Festival initiative -
The visibility of See It Be It resulted in Facebook COO and Founder of LeanIn, Sheryl Sandberg, urging Cannes Lions to consider the launch of a Lion specifically to tackle misrepresentation of gender.
"You can't be what you can't see - and how we market to women is critically important," said Sandberg. "If our messages to women - and men - portray equality, we will help create a more equal world. LeanIn.Org is thrilled that Cannes Lions is making the Glass Lion a reality so we can all applaud advertising that is more representative of the world as it should be."
The Lion launched with the active support of LeanIn.Org.
- Cindy Gallop named Jury President -
Founder & CEO of IfWeRanTheWorld/MakeLoveNotPorn and former Founder of BBH New York, Cindy Gallop, has been appointed as the inaugural Glass Lions' Jury President and is a vocal supporter of the award.
"I couldn't be more thrilled about the introduction of the Glass Lion, which demonstrates Cannes Lions' commitment to ensuring that both our industry and the work we create not only more accurately reflects the world around us, but actively changes it for the better," said Gallop. "I am honoured to be Jury President, and look forward, together with the jury, to celebrating work that will set the gold standard for creative and sociocultural change."
- About the award -
The Glass Lion will award highly creative, positive and progressive contributions to gender representation within creative advertising and communications. Entries in this section will seek to promote more inclusive, gender-aware forms of brand communication rooted in creative excellence.
Points won in the Glass Lions category will count towards Special Awards - accolades for Agencies, Network and Holding Company of the Year. Entry for the Glass Lions opens today, Monday 2 March, at www.canneslions.com/cannes_lions/awards/the_glass_lion/overview and closes on 27 March. Winners will be awarded on Tuesday 23 June 2015 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. Nominations for this year's See It Be It programme will be collected via the website from late March.
About Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
The International Festival of Creativity, also known as Cannes Lions, is the world's leading celebration of creativity in communications. Founded in 1954, the Festival takes place every June in Cannes, France.
As the most prestigious international annual advertising and communications awards, over 35,500 entries from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Festival. Winning companies receive the highly coveted Lion trophy, a global benchmark of creative excellence, for Film, Print, Outdoor, Interactive, Radio, Design, Product Design, Promo & Activation, Film Craft, Mobile, Branded Entertainment and Integrated advertising, as well as the best Media, Direct, PR, Titanium, Creative Effectiveness and Innovation ideas.
The Festival is also the only truly global meeting place for advertisers, advertising and communication professionals. More than 12,000 delegates from 95 countries attend a week-long programme of exhibitions, screenings and talks by worldwide thought leaders. As the networking and learning opportunity of the year, Cannes Lions is the must-attend event for anyone involved in brand communications. For further information, please visit www.canneslions.com.
About Lions Festivals
Lions Festivals is the organiser of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Eurobest as well as co-organisers, with its joint venture partners, of Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity, Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity, Festival of Asian Marketing Effectiveness, and the Digital Asia Festival. www.lionsfestivals.com. Lions Festivals is powered by Top Right Group.
Source: Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
Contact:
Camilla Lambert Press & PR Manager, Lions Festivals Tel: +44-20-3033-4000 E-mail: camillal@canneslions.com
Copyright 2015 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
