Cannes Adds Branded Content Competition
Branded Content will get to shine at the Palais in 2012 as an award category, with Big Fuel's Avi Savar as its first jury president.
Big Fuel's Avi Savar to Head New Branded Content Category at Cannes.
Cannes Lions has created a new award category for creativity in Branded Content and Entertainment, defined as the creation of, or natural integration into original content by a brand. Avi Savar, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Big Fuel, a full-service global social media marketing and communications company based in New York, will chair the inaugural Branded Content and Entertainment Lions jury.
The purpose of the Branded Content and Entertainment category is to deliver marketing messages by engaging consumers via relevant content platforms rather than traditional advertising methods. Savar will lead nine branded content and entertainment experts from around the world to determine winners from the field of entrants.
"The International Festival of Creativity at Cannes is the premier advertising award show. I'm honored and excited to participate and look forward to the celebration of branded content and entertainment as part of it," says Savar. "As Jury President I hope to guide the process in a way that will inspire people to create innovative and immersive content."
"Branded content and entertainment has become key to brand communication that creatively engages with consumers," adds Cannes Lions CEO Philip Thomas. "To include it in Cannes Lions is important. not only for the continued development of the Festival as a global celebration of creativity in communications, but to also give due recognition of the convergence of marketing and entertainment."
The Branded Content and Entertainment Lions winners will be announced on Saturday, June 23, in Cannes, alongside the Film, Craft, Titanium and Integrated winners. Additional information on Branded Content and Entertainment Lions will be available when entries open on January 26.
Branded Content and Entertainment, together with the already announced new Mobile Lions section, brings the total number of Cannes Lions awards categories to 15.
For more information on Cannes Lions 2012 please visit www.canneslions.com.
Published 19, January 2012
