Spotlight: Independents

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According to WARC, the global advertising market is on track for a major leap, with ad spend expected to top $1trn for the first time. And with more brands than ever competing for consumer attention, marketers need to think outside the box to cut through.

But for some agencies, ‘outside the box’ is business as usual.

By prioritising Cannes, we commit to avoiding the risk of inadvertently endorsing work that doesn't meet the highest standards.

Bernardo de Paulo Romero

Maker

Klick Health

In 2024, Boost Brand Accelerator, Peru took home its first ever Lion. We caught up with Luciana and Carlos as it happened last July, and then again eight months later.

“It’s our first Lion, but we don’t want it to be the last”

In their second year of entry, the independent agency celebrated their first win, taking home two Bronze Lions.

“From a business point of view, it was amazing.”

Eight months later, Luciana and Carlos explain what happened when they returned to Lima with their agency’s first Lion.

If you take the competition seriously, then both victory and defeat become invaluable experiences in your pursuit of creative excellence. The highs and lows shape you, pushing you toward growth.

Akae Wang

Head of Creative

Banana Balloon

What did Lion-winning Independent creativity look like in 2024?

The Cushioning Route

Entrant: Boost Brand Accelerator, Lima Brand: Nike Award: Bronze, Outdoor Lions

Objective: Launch the new Nike Invincible 3 in Peru and allow runners to experience the main benefit of the product without having to go in store. Impact: Increased web visits by 883k, which resulted in the Invincible 3’s making it into the top 3 of Nike shoe sales.

Yes, Couch!

Entrant: Mojo Supermarket, New York Brand: Facebook Award: Gold, Social & Influencer Lions

Objective: Get young adults to consider Facebook for social discovery. Impact: The activation garnered 2.7bn in earned media impressions with 90% positive sentiment and increased the app’s daily active users by 5.3%.

Sammakorn NOT Sanpakorn

Entrant: Choojai and Friends, Bangkok Brand: Sammakorn Award: Gold, Film Lions

Objective: Increase brand awareness and recognition to solve the brand’s name confusion problem. Impact: The film garnered 7.6m views and resulted in an 82.6% increase in brand search volume.

New Gen Energy

Entrant: Brandenburg, Reykjavik Brand: Olgerdin Award: Bronze, Design Lion

Objective: Revamp Orka to make it more relevant for future generations and re-establish its place in the market against the competition. Impact: Sales surged by 154% post-rebranding and perception of the brand as ‘modern’ increased from 25% (May 2021) to 60% (Nov 2023).

As a relatively new start-up agency (just a few years old), winning at Cannes over the past couple of years was a great signal to our industry that Angry Butterfly puts great value in strategy and creativity. While the correlation to new business and great hires isn't a direct line from winning, the impact has been undeniable.

Brent Choi

Partner & CEO

Butterfly, Toronto

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