Entertainment Lions
The Entertainment Lions celebrate creativity that turns branded content into culture.
On this page
Introduction
The history of the Entertainment Lions
The Entertainment Lions, formerly known as the Branded Content and Entertainment Lions, were launched in 2015 to celebrate content that cuts through, turns consumers into fans and ascends to the cultural mainstream.
It was originally launched alongside the Lions Entertainment Stream (a mini festival within the main Festival) to show just how important branded content is to the advertising industry.
This Stream has since been retired, however the Lion has gone from strength to strength, prompting the creation of three additional awards beneath the entertainment umbrella. The Entertainment Lions for Music was launched in 2016, the Entertainment Lions for Sport in 2018 and the Entertainment Lions for Gaming in 2022.
What kind of work can be entered?
Eligible work may include brand content, film and video content such as short films, branded content, digital videos and live events, activations and immersive experiences like AR, VR, or MR. Interactive campaigns, gamified experiences, and viral content for social media platforms are also considered, as well as music-driven campaigns and soundtracks that enhance the entertainment value.
Additionally, content for TV, radio, or streaming platforms and work that addresses cultural or social issues through entertainment are all eligible.
Brand refers to talent, artists, creators, influencers, streamers, athletes, teams, organisations, sponsors, platforms, media owners, rights holders or any entity that produces and distributes products and content related to the entertainment industry.
What’s the Jury looking for?
The work should demonstrate exceptional creativity, innovation, and the ability to deeply engage audiences. It should prioritise originality and creative execution, seeking fresh ideas that push the boundaries of entertainment through compelling storytelling, design, and production. Audience engagement is a key focus, with an emphasis on emotional impact, interactivity, and work that resonates on a personal level, whether through humour, drama, or surprise. The Jury will also value cultural relevance, looking for projects that connect authentically with current trends, social issues, or cultural moments.
Additionally, the Jury may assess how well the work integrates across multiple platforms, creating cohesive, cross-channel experiences that captivate audiences whether experienced on TV, social media, in live events, or through digital channels. They may also consider the reach and impact of the work, valuing campaigns with viral potential and measurable success in engaging broad or targeted audiences.
HUTUKARA | SALGUEIRO & URIHI YANOMAMI | ACADEMICOS DO SALGUEIRO, ANDARAI | BRONZE, ENTERTAINMENT LIONS | 2024
The Categories
A. Branded Content
Creative content crafted to build awareness for a brand by associating it with culture and values through entertainment.
Branded fiction films or series created for cinema, TV, online or video-on-demand platforms.
If you're submitting a series, please upload all episodes in a single video file with slates denoting the start of the next episode.
Traditional film advertising should be entered into the Film Lions.
Factual film, series or documentary/reality film created for cinema, TV, online or video-on-demand platforms.
If you're submitting a series, please upload all episodes in a single video file with slates denoting the start of the next episode.
Traditional film advertising should be entered into the Film Lions.
Branded fiction films or series created for cinema, TV, online or video-on-demand platforms.
If you’re submitting a series, please upload all episodes in a single video file with slates denoting the start of the next episode.
Traditional film advertising should be entered into the Film Lions.
Factual film, series or documentary/reality film created for cinema, TV, online or video-on-demand platforms.
If you’re submitting a series, please upload all episodes in a single video file with slates denoting the start of the next episode.
Traditional film advertising should be entered into the Film Lions.
Branded fiction films or series created for cinema, TV, online or video-on-demand platforms.
If you’re submitting a series, please upload all episodes in a single video file with slates denoting the start of the next episode.
Traditional film advertising should be entered into the Film Lions.
Factual film, series or documentary/reality film created for cinema, TV, online or video-on-demand platforms.
If you’re submitting a series, please upload all episodes in a single video file with slates denoting the start of the next episode.
Traditional film advertising should be entered into the Film Lions.
Cinema, TV or online live content, including live coverage of events and use of live streaming platforms.
Please provide a sample film file of up to 30 minutes.
Content created for radio, podcasts or other audio platforms.
Integration of brands into existing content such as films, documentaries, series, live streams, TV or audio/radio shows.
Original content/programming created to promote a media company, network, broadcaster or publisher. The work will be judged not just on the content, but also on how it communicated or evolved the identity of the publisher.
B. Entertainment-led Brand Experience
Meaningful, engaging experiences and activations created to attract or maintain an audience.
Live entertainment, including concerts, live streams, stunts and festivals held physically or within virtual worlds, crafted to amplify a brand’s message and increase engagement with an audience.
Immersive experiences that creatively push the boundaries of technology within entertainment. This could include, but not be limited to, AI, AR, VR, XR, voice technology, blockchain technology, gamification, virtual worlds, the metaverse and all other emerging platforms. Does not include prototypes of early-stage technology.
Experiences that successfully carry a brand’s message across multiple platforms/channels, both online and offline. The work should demonstrate how content featuring a brand’s message, product or service has been seamlessly implemented on various platforms to continue and amplify meaningful consumers’ experience and engagement.
C. Community
Work that focuses on the development, maintenance and nurturing of a community or fanbase.
Audience engagement and distribution strategies that creatively and effectively further the content’s reach.
The creative and innovative use of content creators, streamers and/or influencers to drive a brand’s message and engage with a specific audience through entertainment. This may include, but is not limited to, collaborations, sponsored content and user-generated content.
D. Partnerships
Exceptional strategic partnerships between brands and entertainment entities.
Strategic brand partnerships and collaborations that leverage branded content and entertainment to meet specific business goals and mutually benefit everyone involved.
Strategic partnerships between a brand and a talent. The work will be judged on how effective and mutually beneficial the partnership was.
E. Challenges & Breakthroughs
Creative and innovative work that is brought to life through deep cultural insight, regional context and progressive thinking.
Brand-led creative work that tackles and confronts disparities based on sex, sexuality, disability, age, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or other status within the entertainment industry.
Ground-breaking and unparalleled branded content.
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 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.
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’s no overall limit to how many times the same piece of work can be entered into Entertainment as long as the categories chosen are relevant.
LAY'S CHIP CAM | PEPSICO PURCHASE | SLAP GLOBAL, BUENOS AIRES | SILVER, ENTERTAINMENT LIONS | 2024
Previous Winners
We Are Ayenda
Cannes Lions 2024 Grand Prix Creative X, Palo Alto / WhatsApp / 2024
To boost conversation around its privacy features, WhatsApp’s ‘We Are Ayenda’ documentary highlights how its encryption technology enabled the Afghan Girls National Football Team to escape the Taliban in 2021. It garnered 550m impressions and overdelivered on Prime Video viewership expectations by nearly 40%.
WE ARE AYENDA | WHATSAPP | CREATIVE X, PALO ALTO | GRAND PRIX, ENTERTAINMENT LIONS | 2024
Why the work won
The Entertainment Jury awarded this work the Grand Prix for its outstanding brand relevance and human-centric storytelling, recognising how it seamlessly blended creativity with a deep understanding of its audience.
Jury President Geoffrey Edwards praised the piece as “the perfect marriage of narrative storytelling with the brand playing a central and critical role,” emphasising the delicate balance between storytelling and brand integration. The campaign stood out for its ability to craft a compelling narrative that not only entertained but also stayed true to the brand’s identity, ensuring it resonated deeply with the audience without feeling forced or contrived.
WE ARE AYENDA | WHATSAPP | CREATIVE X, PALO ALTO | GRAND PRIX, ENTERTAINMENT LIONS | 2024
Inside the Jury Room: Entertainment Jury
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% creative idea; 20% strategy & insight; 30% craft & execution; 20% 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 Entertainment 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 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 creative idea:
- Does the work cross boundaries/have the ability to think beyond conventional boundaries or categories?
- Does the work evoke surprise/have the power to continue captivating attention?
- Does the work transcend the original challenge?
- Does the work incorporate breakthrough thinking?
- How did the creative insight directly influence the amplification of the brand message?
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?
- Community building and management approach
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory.
Consider the following when describing the execution:
- How effectively was the concept brought to life?
- What specific implementation strategies were employed to ensure success?
- Which channels were utilised for placement, and were they optimal for reaching the target audience?
- How extensive was the scale of the execution in relation to the defined objectives?
- Did the execution adapt to any unexpected challenges or changes in the environment?
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory.
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. shareholder value, profit, revenue, ROI, sales, share)
- brand health improvement (e.g. consideration, preference, quality of experience and interaction)
- 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 tell us how the work tackled and confronted disparities within the entertainment industry.
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory for E01.
Please outline the innovative elements of the work.
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory for E02.
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 E03.
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 E04.
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 E05.
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 E06.
THE STORIES THAT KILLED US | PROPUESTA CÍVICA | LANDIA, MEXICO CITY | BRONZE, ENTERTAINMENT 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