Brand Experience & Activation Lions

All fast-moving and durable consumer goods, including but not limited to food and beverages, toiletries, cleaning products, other household goods, other FMCGs, clothing and accessories, furniture, and consumer electronics.

All fast-food entries should be entered into A04. Travel, Leisure, Retail, Restaurants & Fast-Food Chains.

Pharma, OTC drugs, wellness.

If the work has been created for a Charity/NFP then this should be entered into A07.

Vehicles, other automobiles.

All transport- and travel-related services, including public transport and tourism boards. All entertainment- and leisure-related services, including museums, festivals and gyms. All shops, including online shopping, opticians, hairdressers and estate agents. All restaurants and fast food chains, including cafés and bars.

Music, film, television, publications and media, books, news, digital platforms and other media.

All commercial public services, legal, financial, B2B technology, consultancies and professional services, other business services, internal and corporate communications.

Government, public information, NGOs, military, charities, non-profit organisations.

All corporate social responsibility work should be entered in the relevant sector and/or E07. Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility category in section E. Culture & Context. The use of technology and multiple touchpoints across a brand experience or activation.

Work that harnesses social media to enhance an online or offline live experience or activation.

Work that uses a mobile app, portable device or mobile technology to create or enhance interaction with consumers at a brand experience or activation.

Work that uses branded websites or micro sites to drive engagement with customers and increase the overall brand experience.

Immersive experiences, large and small scale activations, digital and live events that creatively push the boundaries of technology and engage with consumers. This could include, but not be limited to, AR, VR, XR, wearable tech and mobile devices, voice technology, blockchain technology, gamification, virtual worlds, the metaverse and all other emerging platforms. Does not include prototypes of early-stage technology.

Immersive brand experiences with gaming at the core, including the strategic and creative brand integration within existing gaming platforms. This may include but is not limited to console, online, mobile games and apps.

Immersive large- or small-scale digital experiences and events that are set up to engage with consumers. This may include but is not limited to VR/AR, multiscreen and multidimensional experiences.

Any brand experience or activation leveraging a space or using a more permanent spatial feature to drive customer engagement. This may include but is not limited to exhibitions, fairs, trade shows and signage.

The creative use of digital footage or online video to create or enhance a brand experience or activation. This could include, but not be limited to, mobile-based VR and 360° video experiences.

Work that uses new or existing technology to enhance a brand experience or activation.

Creation of digital content across multiple platforms and devices that enhances a brand experience to develop and amplify meaningful consumer engagement. This may include but is not limited to desktop, mobile, wearable tech, virtual worlds, outdoor installations, billboards, retail experiences, etc. Does not include prototypes of early-stage technology.

In-store and retail activities. This may include but is not limited to product launches, demonstrations, sampling activities and pop-ups that engage and guide shoppers on all channels of their path to purchase.

Online or offline promotional competitions or incentives used to drive customer engagement with a brand. This may include but is not limited to social media competitions, gamified experiences, in-store promotional activations, etc.

Work that creates meaningful, engaging experiences and activations in order to attract or maintain customers, encourage customer activity and increase overall transaction value.

Any live brand experience or activation that was held at a consumer or B2B event. This may include, but is not limited to, installations, product demos, trade shows, expos and pop-ups.

Any brand experience or activation using guerrilla marketing, short/one-off live executions, street teams, publicity stunts and street stunts to drive customer engagement.

Brand-specific physical and digital standalone live experience or activation that is not part of a wider event. This may include, but is not limited to, permanent installations, pop-ups, venue takeovers, immersive experiences within virtual worlds and brand-owned music festivals/concerts.

Sponsorships and partnerships that create immediate and long-term brand experiences or activations. The work will be judged on how effective the sponsorship/partnership was.

Brand experiences or activations created to launch or relaunch a brand, product or service.

Online and offline multichannel experiences made to engage and amplify a brand’s message, product or service.

Work for brands distributed solely within a specific locality. The work should resonate with a clearly defined, local target audience.

Brands that have creatively adapted their approach in response to competitor pressure by challenging the status quo to create game-changing work that uses progressive thinking and innovative creativity.

Work that aired or ran in a single country / region / market. The work should describe how the campaign was designed for the specific target market.

Work inspired by a specific audience or community, relying on identifiable social behaviour. The work should demonstrate how leveraging insights into consumer behaviour can create a powerful connection with a brand.

Work that celebrates the art of humour in branded communications. Infusing wit, satire, and cleverness into campaigns that provide amusement and create memorable, laughter-inducing connections with audiences.

Creative use of modest budgets and/or resources in relation to the market and/or industry to create maximum impact. The work should demonstrate how fresh insight, smart spending and compelling strategic thinking solved a business problem despite limited resources.

Purpose-driven work/brand activism that addresses social, ethical and environmental issues. The work should demonstrate how the brand’s purpose has created value and affected communities by connecting customers to culture.

All not-for-profit, charity or government work should be entered in the relevant sector and/or A07. Not-for-profit / Charity / Government category in section A. Brand Experience & Activation: Sectors.

Brands that have creatively adapted their strategy in response to local / regional / global issues, embracing new ways of delivering their brand while showing consideration for the consumer.

Work that honours marketers who craft strategic solutions rooted in the lived experiences of culturally grounded communities. This approach reflects and translates the nuances of customs, behaviours, and traditions that shape foundational perspectives on identity (e.g. disability, gender, race, orientation, age). Such insights reveal how diverse audiences choose brands and media experiences, driving growth and impact.

The word limit for this section is 100 words.

This question is compulsory.

Please provide any brand and cultural context that would help the jury understand any cultural, national or regional nuances applicable to this work.

You should outline why this piece of work was created for this particular brand, in this market, at this particular moment in time, with all of the cultural and market conditions.

The word limit for this section is 250 words.

This question is compulsory.

Please select the objective(s) that were most important when creating this work – what the work set out to achieve.

For the jury to accurately assess the work, it must first establish its objectives. As you progress through the entry system, you must link your results back to each objective selected.

• Overachieve on brand metrics (e.g. awareness, engagement)
• Change consumer behaviour (e.g. attitudes, frequency, penetration)
• Create short-term sales growth (e.g. sales, promotions, discounts)
• Improve brand health (e.g. consideration, preference)
• Create sustained sales success (e.g. profit, sales)
• Create long-term brand and sales growth (e.g. shareholder value, retention, loyalty)

There’s no word limit for this section.

This question is compulsory.

Please provide a summary of your entry.

• Describe the background and context behind the work?
• What creative challenges did the work face?

This should be an overview of the work and an analysis of its effectiveness. You should describe how the objectives of the campaign have been successfully met.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory.

Consider the following when describing the creative idea:

• Does the work cross boundaries/have the ability to think beyond conventional boundaries or categories?
• Does the work evoke surprise/have the power to continue captivating attention?
• Does the work transcend the original challenge?
• Does the work incorporate breakthrough thinking?

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory.

Consider the following when describing the strategy:

• Was the strategy based on consumer behaviour and/or cultural insight?
• Did the insight come from research and data?
• Did creativity play a key role in the interpretation of the business challenge?
• Was this piece of work relevant to the defined target audience?
• Does the work genuinely solve a real problem?

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory.

Consider the following when describing the execution:

• How effectively was the concept brought to life?
• What specific implementation strategies were employed to ensure success?
• Which channels were utilised for placement, and were they optimal for reaching the target audience?
• How extensive was the scale of the execution in relation to the defined objectives?
• Did the execution adapt to any unexpected challenges or changes in the environment?

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory.

Please refer back to the objectives selected when answering this question. Consider:

• performance against brand metrics (e.g. awareness, engagement)
• change in consumer behaviour (e.g. attitudes, frequency, penetration, response rate)
• indications of short-, medium- or long-term sales success (e.g. donations, shareholder value, profit, revenue, ROI, sales, share, site traffic)
• brand health improvement (e.g. consideration, preference)
• potential changes in government regulations or societal/economic events (e.g. changes in economic, political, social factors).

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory.

If yes, you must disclose how it was used, considering the following:

• What AI tools were used?
• What was the extent of AI use in the final work?
• What were the data sources or inputs for any AI-generated elements, and where did they originate?

For guidance on acceptable AI usage please refer to the LIONS Integrity Handbook. Misrepresentation or wilful omission may result in your entry being withdrawn.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory.

As a member of AdNet Zero, we believe in the collective responsibility to reduce the carbon impact of developing, producing and running advertising to achieve real net zero. Please outline how this piece of work aligns with the brand's sustainability strategy and consider the following:

• Environmental cost: What steps were taken to measure, reduce and manage the environmental footprint of the work across its life cycle?
• Meaningful claims: What evidence can you provide to support any sustainability related claims made in the work, ensuring they are credible and meaningful?
• Long-term commitments: How do the sustainability-related claims reflect the brand's broader strategy and focus on relevant issues?

Please provide details of the benchmarks used to measure the success of this work's contribution to the overall strategy. This could include but is not limited to targets related to advertising business operations - advertising production - media planning and buying.

There is no word limit for this section.

This question is optional.

Based on the brief, what consideration was given to representation and diversity of the team(s) involved?

What consideration was given to accessibility in the work and what role did DEI thinking play throughout the development of the work?

There is no word limit for this section.

This question is optional.

If there are additional results you wish to disclose to the Jury but prefer to keep confidential, please enter them below.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is optional.

Please comment on how the brand resonated with a specific target audience in a single locality.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory for E01.

Please tell us about how the work challenged or was different from the brands competitors.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory for E02.

Please tell us how the work was designed/adapted for a single country / region / market.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory for E03.

Please tell us about the social behaviour that inspired the work.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory for E04.

Please tell us about the humour insight that inspired the work.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory for E05.

Budget Details.

Please provide budget details that show how the campaign achieved breakthrough results on a limited budget. Consider:

• the overall budget
• the breakdown of costs
• how the campaign maximised reach vs expenditure
• the significant impact this adjustment had on the campaign's effectiveness.

We recommend providing as much context as possible to understand the budget spend. However, we understand that different cases will have different types of results.

*(Any confidential information should be entered in the confidential information field)

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory for E06.

Please tell us how the brand purpose inspired the work

• Explain how the purpose is ingrained in the core values and mission of the brand’s DNA.
• Discuss the impact of these initiatives on communities, society or the environment.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory for E07.

Please tell us how market disruption inspired the work.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory for E08.

Please tell us about the specific cultural insight that drove the nuanced engagement behind this work.

The word limit for this section is 150 words.

This question is compulsory for E09.