Print & Publishing Lions
The Print & Publishing Lions celebrate creativity in circulation.
On this page
Introduction
The history of the Print & Publishing Lions
The Print & Publishing Lions were established in 1992 as the Press & Poster Lions. This launch marked a significant shift in the Festival’s direction, expanding its focus beyond film to encompass a broader range of advertising mediums.
The Award has been updated and refreshed a number of times to ensure it continues to accurately celebrate and reflect the publishing industry.
What kind of work can be entered?
Published media including newspaper and magazine adverts, books, magazines, newspapers, covers and digital publications.
What’s the Jury looking for?
The work should demonstrate ideas that leap off the page.
It should show ingenuity and outstanding craftsmanship in published media including books, magazines, covers and digital publications for public distribution.

BRAIDED HISTORY | L'ORÉAL DE PUERTO RICO | DDB LATINA PUERTO RICO, GUAYNABO | GOLD, PRINT & PUBLISHING LIONS | 2024
The Categories
A. Print & Publishing: Sectors
The same entry can be submitted only once in this section.
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 retailers, 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.
B. Publications
The creation of original printed or published media. This may include, but not be limited to, books, magazines, covers and digital publications. The submission should indicate whether only the cover or the whole publication should be considered/judged.
Books and magazines created for commercial or promotional purposes to increase brand visibility or profile.
Please send physical samples for the jury to experience.
Books and magazines created on behalf of charities, non-profit organisations, public sectors or NGOs.
Please send physical samples for the jury to experience.
C. Innovation in Print & Publishing
If you're submitting more than one execution, please upload all executions in a single digital presentation image.
Non-traditional and innovative print work that has been modified or adapted to have physically active elements. This may include, but is not limited to, print work with digital and interactive elements such as AI, AR, wearable tech, virtual worlds, gamification, downloadable applications, QR codes and 3D printing.
Please send physical samples for the jury to experience.
D. Culture & Context
Work that is brought to life through cultural insights and regional context.
If you're submitting more than one execution please upload all executions in a single digital presentation image.
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.
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.
Eligibility
Work will need to have been executed during the eligibility period of 8 February 2024 – 10 April 2025.
Is there a limit to how many times I can enter?
There is no overall limit to how many times the same piece of work can be entered into Print & Publishing as long as the categories chosen are relevant.
Exceptions:
- The same piece of work may only be entered once in ‘A. Print: Sectors’.
- In section A, each execution constitutes one entry and all executions must have run within the eligibility period.
- In sections B, C and D, multiple executions may be entered as one entry. However, all Print & Publishing executions must have run within the eligibility period.

LIFE IS NOT AN IKEA CATALOGUE | IKEA | TRY, OSLO | BRONZE, PRINT & PUBLISHING LIONS | 2024
Previous Winners
Recycle Me
Cannes Lions 2024 Grand Prix Coca-Cola / Ogilvy New York / 2024
Coca-Cola creatively crushed its logo to promote behavioural change. The campaign spanned OOH, print and digital across the Americas, achieving 140m impressions in the first week.
RECYCLE ME | COCA-COLA | OGILVY NEW YORK | GRAND PRIX, PRINT & PUBLISHING LIONS | 2024
Why the work won
The Print & Publishing Jury awarded this work the Grand Prix for its simple approach and effective execution. Jury President John Raúl Forero described the work as “a reminder of the power of simplicity, boldness, purity and elegance in print advertising”.

RECYCLE ME | COCA-COLA | OGILVY NEW YORK | GRAND PRIX, PRINT & PUBLISHING LIONS | 2024
Inside the Jury Room: Print & Publishing Lions
To hear more from the Jury and how they decided on the winning work, check out the video below.
Entries & Judging
What are the judging criteria?
The main criteria considered during judging will be the idea, the execution and the impact.
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.
All case films, films, demo films and original content must be subtitled in English.
Detailed information outlining the entry process can be found on A 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”.
The Written Submission
Here’s the questions you’ll be asked regarding your work.
To start your entry to the Print & Publishing 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
The word limit for this section is 100 words.
This question is compulsory.
Please select the appropriate medium for your work below.
- Traditional Print Ad
- Other Print & Publishing
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 is 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.
Translation. Provide a full English translation of any text.
There is no word limit for this section.
This question is optional.
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)
- indications of short-, medium- or long-term sales success (e.g. donations, shareholder value, profit, revenue, ROI, sales, share)
- 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.
- Yes
- No
This question is compulsory.
I would like the Jury to see this response when judging this work (tick box)
Please outline how this piece of work has aligned with the brand’s sustainability strategy. This could involve either operational measures to reduce the impact on the environment, and consumer strategies to encourage positive behaviour change, or both.
Please provide details of the benchmarks used for measuring the success of this piece of work’s contribution to the overall strategy. This could include, but is not limited to, targets around advertising business operations - advertising production - media planning and buying.
This question is optional.
I would like the Jury to see this response when judging this work (tick box)
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?
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.
Category Specific Questions
Please outline how the work was adapted or modified
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory for C01.
Please comment on how the brand resonated with a specific target audience in a single locality or market.
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory for D01.
Please tell us how the work challenged or was different from the brand's competitors.
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory for D02.
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 D03.
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 D04.
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 D05.
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 D06.
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 D07.
Please tell us how market disruption inspired the work
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory for D08.
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 D09.

MELBOURNE | SLEEPZONE | ADPRO OMD, AMMAN | BRONZE, PRINT & PUBLISHING LIONS | 2024
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.

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