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Creative Business Transformation Lions

The Creative Business Transformation Lions celebrate creativity that drives businesses forward – creative transformation that changes thinking, buying and behaviour.

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.

B. Customer Experience Design

Customer-facing creative experience focused design that has created new ways for brands to interact with their customers.

C. Business Operations and Technology

Redesign of internal operations and technology to drive results, engage employees and build culture.

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.

E. Business Operations and Technology

Celebrating how a business successfully transforms inside and out.

F. Long-Term Brand Platform

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

Category Specific Questions

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.

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