Creative Business Transformation Lions
The Creative Business Transformation Lions celebrate creativity that drives businesses forward – creative transformation that changes thinking, buying and behaviour.
On this page
Introduction
The history of the Creative Business Transformation Lions
The Creative Business Transformation Lions were launched in 2021 to honour the changing landscape of modern businesses and the critical role of creativity in driving organisational transformation. It was established to celebrate the new ways in which businesses are innovating internally and adapting to a world in rapid flux.
This Lions continues to reflect a shift toward recognising creativity as a powerful engine for rethinking business strategies, optimising processes and reengineering customer interactions. Companies now aim to stay ‘future-fit’ by embracing agility, digital innovation and culture-driven transformation. As such, the Creative Business Transformation Lions exists to recognise those that go beyond business as usual campaigns and dive into foundational change – reimagining operational workflows, adopting new technologies and fostering cultures of innovation.
What kind of work can be entered?
Transformative solutions that have fundamentally changed core business functions for a brand/business.
Entries in this category may include customer experience transformations that redefine how companies engage with their audiences, often through data, technology, and design. Other eligible work includes digital transformations that overhaul traditional processes or business models, such as automating supply chains, transitioning to cloud-based systems, or developing direct-to-consumer sales models as well as brand and culture reinvention, where businesses redefine their purpose, values, or identity to stay relevant in evolving cultural landscapes or foster innovation through internal culture shifts.
Additionally, data-driven transformations that leverage big data for hyper-personalized customer interactions are also eligible as well as new product and service transformations that fill unmet needs or redefine markets.
What’s the Jury looking for?
The work should demonstrate a core, fundamental and permanent change that has reshaped the way the business operates, delivers value or engages with its audience. This transformation should go beyond temporary adaptations or surface-level improvements and reflect a foundational shift that becomes integral to the organisation’s DNA.
Such change is often systemic, altering key processes, structures or customer interactions in a way that’s sustainable and embedded in the brand’s ongoing strategy. The work should exemplify how creative thinking addressed deep-rooted challenges, enabling the business to be more resilient, innovative and aligned with its mission in the long term. The result is a lasting impact that enhances the organisation’s ability to adapt, grow and lead within its industry.
AMUNAS RECOVERY | CUSQUEÑA | BACKUS - AB INBEV, LIMA | BRONZE, CREATIVE BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION LIONS | 2024
The Categories
A. Transformative Strategy
Work that transforms human insights into strategic advantages, converting innovative concepts into tangible business outcomes.
Work that transforms human insights into strategic advantages, converting innovative concepts into tangible business outcomes.
B. Customer Experience Design
Customer-facing creative experience focused design that has created new ways for brands to interact with their customers.
Creative design of the customer experience. Initiatives that strengthen customer relationships by creating seamless journeys that span the digital and physical worlds, characterised by timely and personalised touchpoints.
A new or reinvented physical or digital product, launched by an existing brand, which has transformed the offer of that brand and addresses evolving customer needs and changes to a competitive marketplace.
New or reinvented cross-channel service design, launched by an existing brand, which embodies a brand’s vision and delivers a frictionless customer journey that is integrated across multiple touchpoints.
Transformation of a brand’s ethical or socially driven purpose that authentically connects with customers, culture and society. How purpose has been embedded across core business functions. This could include, but not be limited to, product development, customer experience, marketing, people management, supply chains, etc.
C. Business Operations and Technology
Redesign of internal operations and technology to drive results, engage employees and build culture.
Wholesale, internal transformation that has created value through the scaled adoption of new or modified ways of working, such as operating models, processes or tools. Changes may involve staff, suppliers, distributors, consumers or regulators/governments.
Reinvention of the way customers use existing products/services, through the creation of new routes to market and delivery methods, such as direct-to-customer models, subscriptions and service-based propositions, often blending digital and physical behaviours to create long-term customer relationships.
The strategic application of marketing technology to improve efficiency, reach more customers, strengthen engagement and deliver results, such as retention and conversion of customers. May include, for example, use of third-party platforms (CRM, CMS, payments systems, etc.).
Application of new or emerging technology that transformed how a brand/business and its customers interact. This could include, but not be limited to, the application of AI, data intelligence, cognitive tools, voice assistance, etc.
Solving business problems through an outside-in approach. The successful creation and launch of new products/services developed in venture models. This could include, but not be limited to, use of incubators, accelerators, R&D and investments in start-ups, etc.
Organisations that have reimagined their internal culture, workplace environment, and employee engagement strategies in ways that improve job satisfaction, productivity, and retention driving meaningful business transformation. The work should demonstrate how implementing creative solutions—whether through communication, technology, or organisational design, created a more dynamic, inclusive, and supportive workplaces, resulting in positive shifts in business performance and employee well-being.
D. Data & Analytics
Transformative approaches to customer insight and targeting to effectively build new products/services or scale existing ones. Work that uncovers behavioural truths that enable businesses to capture new audiences and/or create more relevant experiences.
Transformative approaches to customer insight and targeting to effectively build new products/services or scale existing ones. Work that uncovers behavioural truths that enable businesses to capture new audiences and/or create more relevant experiences.
E. Business Operations and Technology
Celebrating how a business successfully transforms inside and out.
Celebrating how a business successfully transforms inside and out – from internal operations, teams, training programmes and policies to the choice of suppliers and partners, and how all this impacts the products and services, communications and customer experience. The work should demonstrate tangible results within every stage or touchpoint of the transformation.
There is an increased eligibility for this category of over 5 years: 08 February 2020 – 10 April 2025.
F. Long-Term Brand Platform
Brand platforms that have demonstrated enduring impact over time. The brand platform must show long-term effectiveness in building brand equity, fostering loyalty and delivering measurable business results through continuous, creative communication efforts.
Three or more distinct campaigns as part of an overarching brand strategy. One of which must have been implemented after 8th February 2024.
The platform must have been in the market for at least three years.
Eligibility
For Creative Business Transformation Lions the eligibility dates are 08 February 2022 - 10 April 2025 where the transformation being judged was first implemented within the eligibility period,
Exceptions:
- 'E01 End-End Transformation', which has an eligibility period of 08 February 2020 - 10 April 2025
- 'F01 Long-Term Brand Platform', which must have been in the market for at least 3 years.
Is there a limit to how many times I can enter?
The same piece of work can be entered up to four times in Creative Business Transformation.
RENAULT - PLUG-INN FOR BUSINESS | RENAULT | PUBLICIS CONSEIL, PARIS | SILVER, CREATIVE BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION LIONS | 2024
Previous Winners
Refurb
Cannes Lions 2024 Grand Prix LePub, Amsterdam / Philips / 2024
Philips promoted their returned products as an exclusive range that offered lower prices and longer warranties. 52 thousand returned products were sold, stopping 185 tons of e-waste and an estimated 277 tons of CO2 emissions.
REFURB | PHILIPS | LEPUB, AMSTERDAM | GRAND PRIX, CREATIVE BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION LIONS | 2024
Why the work won
The 2024 Creative Business Transformation Jury awarded this work the Grand Prix for its exceptional scalability and success in tackling multiple complex challenges through a simple yet impactful solution.
Jury President Ariana Stolarz praised the work, describing it as “a brilliant business move, with an amazing sustainability impact,” recognising the solution's profound ability to drive both business growth and positive environmental outcomes. ‘Refurb’ exemplified how a creative approach could efficiently unify goals across departments and stakeholders. The solution not only addressed immediate business needs but also embedded sustainable practices that aligned with global standards, setting a new benchmark for responsible innovation.
Its simple design, coupled with its far-reaching impact, illustrated the power of strategic creativity to deliver long-lasting value, paving the way for organisations across varied sectors to replicate and expand upon this approach.
Inside the Jury Room: Creative Business Transformation
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: 30% strategy & process; 35% experience & implementation; 35% business results & 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 Creative Business Transformation 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.
There is no word limit for this section.
This question is compulsory.
The word limit for this section is 150 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.
Consider the following when describing the strategy:
- Was the strategy based on consumer behaviour and/or cultural insight?
- Did the insight come from research and data?
- Did creativity play a key role in the interpretation of the business challenge?
- Was this piece of work relevant to the defined target audience?
- Does the work genuinely solve a real problem?
The word limit for this section is 200 words.
This question is compulsory.
- Creative impact for customers, employees and other stakeholders
- Evidence that the initiative made a material positive difference to people’s lives/work
- Quality of execution of creative vision/solution in the real-world
The word limit for this section is 200 words.
This question is compulsory.
Please refer back to the objectives selected when answering this question. Consider:
- business impact – profit, performance and market share growth
- delivery of the original objective/business KPI
- brand loyalty/customer lifetime value (CLV)
- productivity/operational efficiencies.
The word limit for this section is 200 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 200 words.
This question is optional.
Category Specific Questions
Has this work been in the market for 3 years or more?
If you select "No," the work will not be eligible for this category.
There is no word limit for this section.
This question is compulsory for F01.
Please provide for a timeline for each campaign within the strategy.
The word limit for this section is 250 words.
This question is compulsory for F01.
THE E-COMMERCE OF TRUST | GAHR WECAPITAL | DDB MEXICO, MEXICO CITY | BRONZE, CREATIVE BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION 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.
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