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Creative B2B Lions

The Creative B2B Lions celebrate a business product, proposition, service, solution or experience whose primary buyer is a business decision-maker or group of decision-makers/buyers who make purchases/transactions on behalf of other businesses.

Introduction

The history of the Creative B2B Lions

The Creative B2B Lions launched in 2022 in collaboration with the B2B community. The Award was created to recognise game-changing creativity and effectiveness in work for B2B products and services.

In 2023 the ‘Integrated Campaign’ sub category was added to ensure the Lion recognises the multi-touchpoint, multi-stakeholder nature of the buying journey. The weightings of the judging criteria were also altered to place more emphasis on the strategy of the work.

For 2025, we’ve introduced a question within the Creative B2B Lions to help clarify the type of work submitted. Entrants will need to specify if the work is for a traditional B2B model where one business sells directly to another, a model involving a partnership between businesses to reach consumers or work aimed at attracting consumers as a way to engage a business customer. This is to ensure the jury can view the work through the correct lens.

What kind of work can be entered?

Eligible work may include cross-channel storytelling campaigns that amplify a brand's message across online and offline platforms, as well as brand experiences—both physical and digital—that strengthen customer relationships through immersive storytelling, live events, or interactive technologies like AR/VR. Innovative use of content that increases business activity, targeting and engagement strategies leveraging data insights, and measurable work that demonstrates effectiveness are also eligible.

Long-term brand building campaigns that show sustained strategic impact over time, breakthroughs on a budget that deliver maximum results despite limited resources, and challenger brands that disrupt the market with progressive thinking. Purpose-driven work addressing social, ethical, or environmental issues, market disruption strategies responding creatively to global challenges, and exceptional craft in areas like art direction, copywriting, and digital execution are also eligible.

What’s the Jury looking for?

Innovative, impactful work that elevates business-to-business communications through exceptional creativity and strategic execution. Campaigns that engage professional audiences, foster meaningful connections, and deliver measurable results. This includes work that demonstrates creative storytelling, innovative use of data and insights, and compelling content tailored to business buyers.

Work that redefines how B2B brands engage with their audiences, showcasing exceptional craft, long-term brand building, or game-changing ideas that challenge industry norms.

PUB MUSEUMS | HEINEKEN | LEPUB, MILAN | GOLD, CREATIVE B2B LIONS | 2024

The Categories

A. Creative B2B

Any product or service that is bought by professionals on behalf of businesses.

Eligibility

Work will need to have been executed during the eligibility period of 8 February 2024 – 10 April 2025. The work being judged should have first been implemented within this eligibility period.

Exceptionally, category A06. Long-term Brand Building has an eligibility period of 08 February 2022 – 10 April 2025.

Is there a limit to how many times I can enter?

There’s no overall limit to how many times the same piece of work can be entered into Creative B2B Lions as long as the categories chosen are relevant.

TRUCKER NAPP | VOLKSWAGEN & LIVELO | ALMAPBBDO, SAO PAULO | BRONZE, CREATIVE B2B LIONS | 2024

Previous Winners

Meet Marina Prieto

Cannes Lions 2024 Grand Prix DAVID Madrid / JCDecaux / 2024

Media company JCDecaux used unbooked media spaces to transport a Galician grandma to stardom. Fuelled by speculation around who had commissioned the spaces, the reveal doubled media investment.

MEET MARINA PRIETO | JCDECAUX | DAVID MADRID | GRAND PRIX, CREATIVE B2B LIONS | 2024

Why the work won

The 2024 Creative B2B Jury awarded this work with the Grand Prix for its human-centric, low-budget approach that delivered undeniable results. Julie Scelzo, Chief Creative Officer at Dentsu Creative, Chicago, and 2024 Jury member praised it for remembering that “business people are people too” and combining “the emotional with the rational”.

MEET MARINA PRIETO | JCDECAUX | DAVID MADRID | GRAND PRIX, CREATIVE B2B LIONS | 2024

Inside the Jury Room: Creative B2B 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?

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

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 Creative B2B 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

THANKS FOR COKE-CREATING | COCA-COLA | VML, NEW YORK | GOLD, CREATIVE B2B 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.

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