Brand Experience & Activation Lions

The Brand Experience & Activation Lions celebrate creative, comprehensive brand building through the next level use of experience design, activation, immersive, retail and 360° customer engagement.

Introduction

The history of the Brand Experience & Activation Lions

Prior to the Brand Experience & Activation Lions there were the Promo Lions. Launched in 2006, the Promo Lions awarded creative excellence in sales promotion including retail marketing, environmental design and in-store advertising.

In 2010, Promo was updated to the Promo & Activation Lions to reflect trends in the work. Continued change and exponential growth since has seen an expansion to encompass digital communications, events and promotional stunts.

In 2018, after much discussion with former Jurors and key industry leaders, it was updated again to become the Brand Experience & Activation Lions. This update reflected the industry’s growing focus on customer journeys and 360 immersion.

The Brand Experience & Activation Lions are now a dedicated space for brands and clients to celebrate the powerful brand currency of intelligent customer journeys and immersive experiences.

Guidelines to Entering

What kind of work can be entered?

Live experiences, AR, VR and mixed reality experiences, digital installations, interactive brand videos and products, tech-led brand experiences and connected experiences, in-store experiences, retail promotions and competitions etc.

Both brand experiences and activations are accepted into this Lion. The differences between these are as follows:

A brand experience is the holistic perception and emotional connection a consumer develops with a brand over time, through every interaction or touchpoint. It encompasses how a brand makes consumers feel, shaping their overall impressions - from the website and customer service, to in-store environments and advertising.

A brand activation refers to specific, often short-term marketing efforts designed to directly engage consumers and prompt immediate action, like participation or purchase. It’s typically a campaign or event that brings the brand to life in an interactive way, creating memorable, one-off experiences to boost brand awareness or loyalty. While brand experiences are long-term and ongoing, brand activations are tactical, short-term strategies within that larger experience.

What are the judging criteria?

A number of criteria will be considered during judging and weighted as follows: 20% idea; 20% strategy; 30% execution; 30% results.

Eligibility

Work will need to have been executed during the eligibility period of 06 February 2025 - 09 April 2026.

What do I need to provide with my entry?

To enter, you’ll need to complete an online entry form, which can be found on the Cannes Lions entry site. In the ‘Written Explanation’ section, you’ll be asked to provide the Jury with everything they need to know about your work.

You’ll also be able to submit optional supporting materials to provide additional context with your entry.

Subtitles are highly recommended on all case films, films, demo films and original content.

Detailed information outlining the entry process can be found on A Guide to the Cannes Lions Awards.

More information on the rules for entry can be found on the Summary of Key Rules for Entering and the handbook for our new Integrity Standards can be found on the Integrity Standards.

What if I don’t have all the details right away?

Don’t worry – you can fill in the form in any order and save your progress at any time while it’s still in the pending stage. However, please only check out when your entry is 100% complete as no changes can be made to your entry once you’ve clicked “Submit” and “Checkout”.

Entry Tips

What’s the Jury looking for?

Work that seamlessly guides customers through brand interactions. Meaningful, cohesive experiences that reinforce the brand’s identity, address customer needs and build loyalty and trust.

  • A strong insight, impressive execution and real results that link back to the objective
  • Considered strategy, thoughtfully designed at every touchpoint

Tips from the Jury

  • Determine the most impressive part of your campaign and find a category that showcases it
  • Provide tangible results that demonstrate impact
  • Remember the Jury are from all over the world, so provide context throughout your entry to ensure they understand the significance of your results and the relevance of your insight
  • The Jury look at hundreds of pieces of work, use storytelling in the written submission and case film to help your work stand out

Inside the Jury Room: Brand Experience & Activation Lions

To hear more from the Jury and how they decided on the winning work, check out the video below.

The Categories

A. Brand Experience & Activation: Sectors

The same entry can be submitted only once in this section.

B. Touchpoints & Technology

The use of technology and multiple touchpoints across a brand experience or activation.

C. Retail Experience & Activation

The work in these categories must have taken place within a retail environment.

D. Excellence in Brand Experience

E. Excellence in Brand Experience

Work that is brought to life through cultural insights and regional context.

The Written Submission

Here’s the questions you’ll be asked regarding your work.

To start your entry to the Brand Experience & Activation Lions, go to our Awards page.

The Jury will refer to the written explanation you provide throughout the judging process. Our advice is to provide as much relevant detail as possible.

When answering the following questions keep the main element you’re trying to celebrate in mind (e.g. the storytelling, the strategy, the craft, the use of data).

The bullet points under each question are prompts designed to guide your thinking, based on the factors the jury will be considering when reviewing your work. You might not need to use them all, and that’s totally fine. They’re there to help you consider what’s most important in your work.

Questions

Category Specific Questions

Contact us

Everything you need to know to enter

For more detailed information on how to use the entry site, craft a compelling submission or submit your work we have a whole range of resources.

From Entry Guides that give you a step-by-step overview of the entire process to the Entry Kits that provide all the detailed rules and requirements for each and every category.

Information and advice on how to enter

We are here to help

As Awards Experts, we know the Lions inside out. We can help with:

  • Sharing the updates to the Awards for 2025
  • Offering best-practice advice on how to craft a compelling entry
  • Discussing your work and relevant categories
  • Scheduling regular catch-ups to answer any questions that arise throughout the entry process.

Whether you have a specific query or would like expert advice, get in touch today.

Email: awards@canneslions.com Helpline: +44 0 20 7046 1155