Experential Lions

The Experiential Lion celebrates ideas that bring brands to life through experience, action, interaction and participation.

Introduction

The history of the Experiential Lions

This Award first launched in 2006 as the Promo Lions. In its first iteration it 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.

For 2027, we've evolved this Award again to become the Experiential Lion. This repositioning expands focus towards experiential creativity in its broadest sense, recognising work that creates worlds and moments that are shaped by audiences.

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: 25% idea; 25% strategy; 25% execution; 25% results.

Eligibility

Work will need to have been executed during the eligibility period of 01 February 2026 - 08 April 2027.

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.

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

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

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”.

Integrity Measures

All entries must provide Proof of Impact for every claim made in the written submission and supporting material. This material is compulsory for each entry, and types of sources accepted include third-party analytics, platform analytics, public reports, images of account dashboards, or client letter on official company letterhead.

Each entry must also receive Authorisation to Submit by the most senior executive at both the entrant company (CEO or equivalent) and the brand that commissioned the work (CMO or equivalent). This happens after your entry has been checked out and processed by the Awards team and is a compulsory step in the process.

More information on these new measures 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

Advice from the Jury

We asked last year’s Jury for tips for future entrants. Some common themes that emerged across all the Awards were:

Be clear on the problem and the solution

  • Clearly state the problem your work solves. Tell the story clearly and without overclaiming on results or impact. Don’t make the Jury work to connect dots. Keep the main idea simple enough to explain in one sentence.

Focus on one story

  • Lean into one clear story. It's tempting to pack in everything you're proud of, but the entries that resonate most are the ones that pick a single thread and follow it all the way through. Avoid including too many claims with regard to impact, instead focus on the most relevant and impactful results.

Tailor the entry to the category

  • Treat each entry as its own creative brief. Every submission should clearly make the case for why the work belongs in that specific Lion and subcategory. Don’t copy/paste, fill your forms out with care and attention – the Jury will come back to them time and time again.

Context is key

  • Remember the Jury are from all over the world, so provide context to ensure they understand the significance of your results and the relevance of any cultural insight.

Advice from Experiential Jurors

“Don't try to impress the Jury with a complicated story. Keep it simple, make the role of the brand clear, and make sure every part of the case study video/board supports your idea. Great work speaks for itself when the story is clear.”

Defri Dwipaputra | Chief Creative & Experience Officer, Dentsu Creative Indonesia

“A brilliant concept & flawless execution are just the entry ticket. What separates a good campaign from a Lion winner is the actual, undeniable impact. We want to see the tangible results & lasting impact your campaign made in the real world.”

Zizwe Awuor Vundla | Chief Marketing Officer, Safaricom | Mpesa

"A great Brand Experience idea creates meaningful interaction between people and the brand, not just awareness. Start with a powerful creative idea, make sure the brand is essential to it, and let the results reinforce the creativity, not replace it".

Rafael Pitanguy | Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer, VML

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. Experiential: Brand Sectors

Ideas that make a brand tangible through designed interactions, environments, platforms, products, services or worlds. Work should show how the audience is not simply exposed to a brand, but they experience, explore, participate in or shape it. Entries should demonstrate how distinctively the idea built brand connection, meaning and lasting audience affinity

SANTA MARIA PUEBLO HOTEL | SENATUR | ONIRIA\TBWA, ASUNCION | BRONZE, NOT-FOR-PROFIT/ CHARITY/ GOVERNMENT | 2026

B. Touchpoints & Technology

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

LUCKY FAN INDEX | WISŁA KRAKÓW FOOTBALL CLUB | VML, WARSAW | GOLD, TOUCHPOINTS & TECHNOLOGY | 2026

C. Retail Experience & Activation

Ideas that create direct participation, interaction or behaviour change, giving audiences a reason to act and engage with a brand in a meaningful and measurable way. Entries should demonstrate how effectively the idea prompted action, response or measurable behaviour change for the brand.

SHEEP HAPPENS | PENNY | SAINT ELMOS, MUNICH | BRONZE, RETAIL EXPERIENCE & ACTIVATION | 2026

D. Excellence in Brand Experience

Purpose built gatherings where a brand creates the reason, occasion or platform for people to come together. Events may be physical, virtual or hybrid and should demonstrate how the gathering created a distinctive opportunity for people to experience, engage with or participate in the brand.

THE FILET-O-FISH FACEBOOK SOCIETY OF 2012 | MCDONALD'S | LEO, LONDON | SILVER, EXCELLENCE IN BRAND EXPERIENCE | 2026

E. Design & Craft

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

WELCOME BACK, PAISANO | TECATE | LEPUB, MEXICO CITY | GOLD, MARKET DISRUPTION | 2026

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

We're here to help

Our Awards Experts can help with:

  • Explaining the updates to the Awards for 2027
  • Offering best-practice advice on how to craft a compelling entry
  • Discussing your work and relevant categories
  • Understanding how to use the entry system
  • Scheduling regular catch-ups to answer any questions that arise throughout the entry process

Email: awards@canneslions.com Book a call

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