Glass: The Lion for Change
The Glass Awards celebrate the brands that go beyond purpose to shift culture, create systemic change and positively impact the world.
On this page
Introduction
The history of the Glass Lions
The Glass: The Lion for Change was introduced in 2015 to reward work which shatters sexual stereotyping, confronting prejudice and inequality through progressive, socially-conscious representations of gender and marginalised communities.
In 2025, on its 10th anniversary, we’re expanding the scope of the Award beyond gender to celebrate creative excellence that promotes more equitable representation for a broader range of communities – from disability and race to sexuality and social inequity. Entrants will be asked to identify the specific community that the work is aiming to represent, explain the problem it’s trying to address and demonstrate how it’s having a meaningful and long-lasting impact on that community.
Proceeds from entry fees are put back into programmes that help the mission of creating a more gender-inclusive media landscape.
What kind of work can be entered?
The work entered into Glass can be for any commercial or non-commercial client, regardless of the product or service or the medium of communication.
What’s the Jury looking for?
The work should highlight how brands can support and empower individuals and communities affected by inequalities such as, but not limited to, those related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, sexuality, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status. It should emphasise how embracing diversity and inclusion as core values allows brands to drive meaningful change, foster innovation, and connect authentically with their audiences.
By showcasing stories of meaningful collaboration and impact, the work should demonstrate how addressing these inequities not only reflects a brand’s commitment to social responsibility but also strengthens its reputation, relevance, and business success.
Presentation in Cannes
Shortlisted entrants will be required to present their work to the Jury in Cannes. These are live presentations with an audience that include a Q&A session where entrants will be expected to answer questions from the Jury.
WELCOME TO THE GROUP | CAMBIEMOS LA REGLA | PHD, SAN JOSE | BRONZE, GLASS: THE LION FOR CHANGE | 2024
The Categories
A. Glass
Technology and technological solutions that enhance, facilitate, or improve the way individuals, groups, and ideas are represented in digital and physical spaces. The work should demonstrate how diversity and inclusion are embedded in the technology's design, execution, and impact, driving positive social change and innovation.
Products and services designed to uplift and accurately represent individuals and communities from varied backgrounds, cultures, and identities. The work should show that by reducing bias and promoting fairness, these products and services enable brands to better serve and connect with audiences, fostering a more inclusive and respectful environment.
Programmes, campaigns, and movements aimed at improving how people and communities are represented across media and public spaces. The work should demonstrate how the initiative has been implemented to drive systemic change, and promote the equitable portrayal of diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives.
Policies, standards, and cultural practices that organisations implement to ensure fair, inclusive, and authentic representation within their internal operations and workforce. This may include but is not limited to fostering an inclusive culture, and embedding equitable representation in decision-making processes across an organisation.
B. 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 feb 2024.
The platform must have been in the market for at least three years.
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?
The same piece of work can only be entered two times into Glass.
To be eligible for category 'E01. Long-Term Brand Platform', the work must have been in the market for at least 3 years.
CHILD WEDDING CARDS | UN WOMEN | IMPACT BBDO, DUBAI | BRONZE, GLASS: THE LION FOR CHANGE | 2024
Previous Winners
Transition Body Lotion
Cannes Lions 2024 Grand Prix Ogilvy, Singapore / Unilever / 2024
Vaseline collaborated with trans women in Thailand for two years to develop a body lotion designed to curb the effects of the transition period on the skin. The lotion sold out in many of the 670 Watsons stores and purchase intent rose 725% above the benchmark.
TRANSITION BODY LOTION | UNILEVER | OGILVY, SINGAPORE | GRAND PRIX, GLASS: THE LION FOR CHANGE | 2024
Why the work won
The Glass Jury awarded this work the Grand Prix for its comprehensive and impactful approach to advancing gender equality. The campaign stood out for its ability to connect deeply with its audience by making customers feel seen, represented, and included in an authentic and meaningful way.
Jury President Cindy Gallop praised the work as a powerful example of how brands can integrate social change into their core strategies, describing it as a “demonstration of how driving social change is good business.”
What the 2024 Glass: The Lion for Change Jury were looking for
- Authenticity
- Commitment to genuine long-term sustainability of the work
- Business impact and effectiveness
TRANSITION BODY LOTION | UNILEVER | OGILVY, SINGAPORE | GRAND PRIX, GLASS: THE LION FOR CHANGE | 2024
Entries & Judging
What are the judging criteria?
A number of criteria will be considered during judging and weighted as follows: 25% idea; 25% strategy; 50% impact and 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 Glass 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 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
- Describe the cultural / social / political climate and the significance of the work within this context.
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.
Please identify the community the work is aiming to represent and explain the problem the work is trying to solve.
The word limit for this section is 200 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?
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 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?
- Was the execution timeline realistic and well-managed?
- 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. donations, shareholder value, profit, revenue, ROI, sales, share)
- brand health improvement (e.g. consideration, preference)
- 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.
- How will this work drive systemic progress for individuals, organisations or wider society?
- How do you plan to scale this work?
- What's next for this work?
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)
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 compulsory for Glass: The Lion for Change.
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.
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
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 B01.
Please provide for a timeline for each campaign within the strategy.
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory for B01.
PINK CHIP | DEGIRO, UN WOMEN | AKQA, AMSTERDAM | GOLD, GLASS: THE LION FOR CHANGE | 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