CANNES, France—U.S. advertising is off to a flying start at this year's Cannes Lions, with The Community, Google and Grey New York each winning a Grand Prix in separate contests here tonight, as prizes were awarded in the festival's first four categories.
• Press Grand Prix
The Community (formerly La Comunidad), the Miami agency owned by SapientNitro, rode off with the Press Grand Prix for its fantastically illustrated ads promoting biking in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In addition to the Grand Prix, the campaign also won two gold Lions.
The surreal, playful ads brought to life the idea of a never-ending chase. The four executions honored tonight showed moths pursuing a light, a dog chasing its tail, a baby going for a breast and a squirrel seeking an acorn. The ads, with a hand-drawn typeface, appeared in magazines and on posters, subway walls and street billboards.
The client was the Buenos Aires Public Bike System, which started in 2010 with just three bicycle stations and an average of 100 trips per day but has grown to more than 200 stations and 11 million trips per year.
• Mobile Grand Prix
Google topped the Mobile category for Google Cardboard, the simple virtual reality platform it developed featuring a fold-out cardboard mount for a mobile phone.
The pleasantly low-tech do-it-yourself VR starter kit can be bought online starting at just $15, a staggeringly low entry point compared to professional headsets like Oculus, truly. democratizing the space.
• Direct Grand Prix
Grey New York earned the top prize in the Direct Lions for its Volvo campaign around the Super Bowl titled "The Greatest Interception Ever."
Instead of running a Super Bowl ad, Grey did a social campaign for the automaker—urging viewers to tweet #VolvoContest when any car commercial did air during the game and nominate someone to win a new Volvo XC60.
• Other U.S. Press Winners
Young & Rubicam New York for Land Rover (two silvers, bronze)
Conill Saatchi & Saatchi for Crest (bronze)
FCB Chicago for Copic (bronze)
BBDO New York for Sneaker Freaker magazine (bronze)
The Community for Buenos Aires blood donation (bronze)
• Other U.S. Mobile Winners
R/GA New York for Equinox (gold, silver, bronze)
R/GA New York for Hammerhead (gold, silver, bronze)
FCB Chicago for "The Unforgotten"/Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (gold, silver)
Grow in Norfolk, Va., for EA Sports Madden Giferator (gold, silver)
R/GA New York for LISNR (gold)
The ALS Association for "The Ice Bucket Challenge" (gold)
R/GA New York for Owlet Baby Care (silver, bronze)
Eric Mower + Associates in Charlotte, N.C., for Domtar's "Project Learning Curve" (silver)
Wieden + Kennedy New York for Gap's #SpringIsWeird (silver)
R/GA New York for Logitech Harmony App (two bronzes)
BBDO New York for Lowe's #TapThruHowTo Vines (bronze)
BBDO New York for Foot Locker's "Horse With Harden" (bronze)
Elastic in Santa Monica, Calif., for HBO Game of Thrones "The Sight" (bronze)
BBDO New York for the American Red Cross and Bit.ly's "Hope.ly" (bronze)
• Other U.S. Direct Winners
FCB Chicago for Kmart and Joe Boxer's "Joe Boxer Inactivity Tracker" (gold)
The ALS Association for "The Ice Bucket Challenge" (gold)
Grey New York for Volvo's "Interception" (gold)
R/GA New York for The Ad Council's "Love Has No Labels" (gold, two silvers)
David in Miami for the Proud Whopper (two silvers, bronze)
Grey New York for States to Prevent Gun Violence's "The Gun Shop" (silver)
The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., for Geico's "Unskippable" (two bronzes)
BBDO New York for Foot Locker's "Horse With Harden" (bronze)
Leo Burnett Chicago for Allstate's "Social Savvy Burglar" (bronze)