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PR Lions

The PR Lions celebrate the craft of strategic and creative communication.

Introduction

The history of the PR Lions

The PR Lions were introduced in 2009 to celebrate branded communications and creative reputation management.

It’s been updated and refreshed a number of times over the years to ensure it continues to accurately celebrate and reflect the PR industry.

In 2019 a comprehensive review of the Lion was undertaken to highlight and celebrate the shift in PR towards a more strategic function. In 2024, Section E ‘Excellence in PR Craft’ was added to provide a dedicated space for independent PR agencies.

What kind of work can be entered?

Campaigns that effectively shape public perception, build meaningful connections with audiences, and drive engagement through storytelling, influence, or advocacy. These can range from press and media campaigns, influencer partnerships, and social media activations to experiential events, crisis communications, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

What’s the Jury looking for?

The work should demonstrate how original thinking, transformative insight and a strategy rooted in earned media have influenced opinion and driven progress and change in business, society or culture. It should have storytelling at its core and establish, protect and enhance the reputation and business of an organisation or brand.

Winning work demonstrates real impact. Whether it drove brand awareness or changed perceptions, these results need to be measurable beyond impressions and likes.

UNSEALED BOOKS | LÍRA | VML HUNGARY, BUDAPEST | BRONZE, PR LIONS | 2024

The Categories

A. PR: Sectors

The same entry can be submitted only once in this section.

B. Social Engagement & Influencer Marketing

In these categories, your entry will be judged on how well social/digital platforms were leveraged to support or execute the PR campaign.

C. Insights & Measurement

These categories showcase effectiveness in using data to drive creative inspiration and communications strategies. The work will be judged on the deliberate and thoughtful introduction of insights and measurements to develop campaigns that have had real impact on the performance of an organisation. The work should demonstrate the success of activities that tackle the wide range of reputational and stakeholder challenges that non-advertising communications have to address.

D. PR Techniques

In these categories, your entry will be judged on the creative implementation of your chosen PR technique in order to increase reach and achieve desired campaign outcomes.

E. Excellence in PR Craft

Work in these categories will be judged on the demonstration of exceptional and creative best practice within the chosen PR specialism.

Entries in this section can only be submitted and paid for by Independent PR agencies or companies owned by a PR network or independent PR network. The same piece of work can be entered only once in each category within this section.

F. Culture & Context

Work that is brought to life through cultural insights and regional context.

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 be entered up to four times in PR.

Exceptions:

  • The same piece of work may only be entered once in ‘A. PR: Sectors’.
  • The work in Section E: Excellence in PR Craft can only be submitted and paid for by independent PR agencies or companies owned by a PR network or independent PR network. The same piece of work can be entered only once in each category within this section.

BAR EXPERIENCE | HEINEKEN | EDELMAN, LONDON | GOLD, PR LIONS | 2024

Previous Winners

The Misheard Version

Cannes Lions 2024 Grand Prix Golin London / Specsavers / 2024

UK eye and hearing test specialist Specsavers used the power of audio to rework a famously misheard song into the world’s first 'mass hearing test’. It partnered with English singer Rick Astley to re-record ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ with misheard lyrics. It then released it without explanation, amassing 20m views in 8 hours and increasing hearing test bookings by 1220% above target.

THE MISHEARD VERSION | SPECSAVERS | GOLIN, LONDON | GRAND PRIX, PR LIONS | 2024

Why the work won

The PR Jury awarded this work the Grand Prix for its exceptional ability to leverage cultural relevance, strategic timing, and humour to generate widespread earned media and audience engagement.

Jury President Kat Thomas highlighted the campaign’s mastery of PR fundamentals, stating: “Right person, right time, right place. Astley is part of meme culture anyway. He was on the radar of Gen Z as well as 50-plus. And his song has been known for decades for being misheard.” By tapping into Rick Astley’s iconic status and his connection to internet culture, the campaign effectively sparked organic conversations across generations, blending nostalgia with contemporary humour.

The work demonstrated how thoughtful PR strategy, rooted in cultural insight and a keen sense of timing, can amplify a campaign's reach, making it both shareable and enduring in the public's mind.

THE MISHEARD VERSION | SPECSAVERS | GOLIN LONDON | GRAND PRIX, PR LIONS | 2024

Inside the Jury Room: PR 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% idea; 30% strategy; 20% execution; 30% 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 PR 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

HEAVEN FISH | REGAL SPRING | OGILVY HONDURAS, TEGUCIGALPA | BRONZE, PR 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