The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival 2010: the award-winning mobile campaigns with case studies and videos

UPDATE June 2011: The 2011 Cannes mobile winners are here.

Awards: Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
Founded: 1954
Deadline for entries: early March each year
Entry fee: starts at €350 (US $454)
Winners announced: late June each year
Prize: (much coveted) Lion trophy
Advantages: (for winners) a Lion trophy brings a lot of kudos. (For observers) there is a detailed summary (often with videos) of every campaign entered making Cannes – a great showcase of mobile campaigns.
Disadvantages: (for entrants) competition is very strong – there were 28,800 entries in 2011. (For entrants and observers) there is no mobile category as such, but there are sub-categories within the Cyber, Direct and Media Lions categories, making it tricky if you are just looking for mobile campaigns.
2010 Winners include (brand/agency): IKEA/Mobile Dreams Factory; Samsung/From Stockholm With Love; Zoo Records/Leo Burnett; IBM/Ogilvy; Autotrader/Sapientnitro; Kodansha/Dentsu; Volkswagen/AKQA; Nokia/Farfar; NBC Universal/Jung Von Matt; Claro/Ogilvy

• mobiThinking guide to mobile industry awards
• mobiThinking guide to mobile agencies
(includes in-depth profiles of Cannes Lions winners)
• How to create an award-winning mobile campaign

Campaign: IKEA’s Interactive Catalogue
Awards: Gold Cyber Lion
Category: Other Interactive Digital Solutions: Mobile Advertising
Agency: Mobile Dreams Factory, Madrid, Spain
Summary:
The brief: to develop a free iPhone and iPod application for the 2010 IKEA Interactive Catalogue. Users are able to choose from more than 40 novelties. They can then use their mobile cameras to actually place the selected piece of furniture anywhere in their homes, test how it looks and take a snapshot. Users are also able to adjust the furniture size, and move it around to get the desired effect. Users are also able to discover the style that better suits their taste through different quizzes that present furniture pairs.
More details of award: entry and video
More details on winning agency: full profile of Mobile Dreams Factory

Video casestudy: IKEA’s Interactive Catalogue

Campaign: Zoo Records’s Hidden Sound Campaign
Agency: Leo Burnett Hong Kong
Awards: Gold Direct Lion
Category: Direct Response Digital: Mobile Marketing
Summary:
The brief: in Hong Kong, there’s only entertainment. There is no music industry. Television, radio and other major channels are dominated by giant record labels. But somewhere in the city, the sound of independent music is hiding, waiting to emerge. Zoo Records is a celebrated alternative music store dedicated to breaking the monopoly of mainstream music, and exposing the public to the world of alternative sound.
Creative execution: we took 14 indie bands, and embedded their songs and profiles into 14 different QR Codes. These were then assembled into the shapes of animals that live hidden in the city, and posted all over Hong Kong. People who scanned the QR Codes in the animals with their mobiles were rewarded with band info and refreshing new songs. By scanning different parts, they could listen to different songs, exploring all the hidden sounds of the city. They could also buy any of the songs directly from their mobile, as well as share it on Facebook and other social media.
Results: we saw countless people sharing their newly discovered music on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and personal blogs. But what was even more important was that more than half of the 14 bands sold out their albums within the first week.
More details of award: entry

Video casestudy: Zoo Records’s Hidden Sound Campaign

Campaign: Samsung’s Shakedown
Agency: From Stockholm with Love, Stockholm, Sweden
Awards: Gold Cyber Lion; Silver Direct Lion
Categories: 1) Direct Response Digital: Mobile Marketing; 2) Websites & Microsites: Other Consumer Products
Summary:
The brief: to raise awareness of the strengths of the damage-resistant mobile Samsung B2100, we invited the public to participate in a live experiment online. One of the functions of the mobile was used in a surprising way, to create a real-time race between players all over Sweden. By using their own phones from home, they could follow their own impact on the race online. And for every new winner, the entire audience got to witness the product benefits being put through the test. More details of award: entry and video

Video casestudy: Samsung’s Shakedown

Campaign: IBM’s Wimbledon SEER
Agency: Ogilvy, London UK
Awards: Silver Cyber Lion
Category: Other Interactive Digital Solutions: Mobile Advertising
Summary:
The brief: demonstrate the wider problem-solving capabilities of IBM using the Wimbledon Tennis Championships as a showcase.
Solution: rather than tell people how IBM innovations make Wimbledon ‘smarter’, we decided to show them. We developed IBM Seer, an augmented-reality app that used GPS and live data to tell users what they were looking at and what was happening there right now.
Results: Seer delivered £26 million in revenue, a ROI of 1:156 and a public relations and advertising value equivalent of £1,950,000. We achieved more positive brand awareness and publicity for IBM than the past five years put together.
More details of award: entry and video
More details on winning agency: full profile of Ogilvy

Video casestudy: IBM’s Wimbledon Seer application

Campaign: 13th Street (NBC Universal TV Channel)’s Last Call
Agency: Jung Von Matt, Hamburg, Germany
Awards: Silver Direct Lion; Bronze Cyber Lion
Categories: Other Interactive Digital Solutions: Mobile Advertising; Direct Response Digital: Mobile Marketing
Summary:
The brief: the main objective was to attract a new audience for the 13th Street channel. Therefore we decided to create a completely new brand experience with a modern state-of-the-art take on the horror genre and position 13th Street as a cutting-edge and innovative channel for horror and crime. The target audience: young film lovers, horror and genre enthusiasts. The user experienced horror like never before. By blending the characteristic gaming element of individual control with cinematic storytelling the project bridges the gap between game and film, thus allowing for a brand new entertainment experience.
More details of award: entry and video

Video casestudy: 13th Street’s Last Call

Campaign: AutoTrader Application
Agency: Sapientnitro, Miami, USA
Awards: Silver Cyber Lion
Category: Other Interactive Digital Solutions: Mobile Advertising
Summary:
The world of motoring has changed. However, the way people buy cars has stayed the same since the 19th century. It was time for a change. So we built an iPhone app for AutoTrader, the UK leader for buying and selling used cars. The application allows people to take a picture of any car and instantly get information about that make and model. They can read reviews, compare prices, check car locations, get directions and set up a test drive. All from just a photo! And it’s working. The application went to number one in the UK free apps chart.
More details of award: entry and video

Campaign: Kodansha’s Phonebook Ride! Ride!
Agency: Dentsu Tokyo, Japan
Awards: Silver Cyber Lion
Category: Other Interactive Digital Solutions: Mobile Advertising
Summary:
Although the iPhone has increasing numbers of users in the world, it’s generally used by business people for his/her own sake. Our Phone Book project has started by challenging to make it the communication tool between parent and child. All you have to do is to set the parent’s iPhone in the child’s book to enjoy it together, which creates new parent-child communication around mobile phone.
More details of award: entry and video

Video casestudy: Kodansha’s Phonebook Ride! Ride!

Campaign: Nokia’s World’s Biggest Signpost
Agency: Farfar Stockholm, Sweden
Awards: Silver Cyber Lion
Category: Best Digitally Led Integrated Campaign
Summary:
Background: Nokia offers a range of navigation services both online and on mobile devices. But awareness about these services is low.
Challenge: raise awareness and increase use of Nokia’s navigation service, both on handsets and online.
Insight: we had to get people to stop in their tracks and start thinking about navigation. So we decided to ask people for a favourite place and let them share it with the world, in an unprecedented way.
Solution: create an interactive yet physical experience, completely driven by the peoples’ actions, letting the public control the activity itself.
More details of award: entry and video

Video casestudy: Nokia’s World’s Biggest Signpost

Campaign: Claro’s Ringtowns
Agency: Ogilvy, Guatemala
Awards: Bronze Media Lion
Category: Best Use of Other Digital Media, including Mobile Devices
Summary:
The campaign’s main objective was to change the perception of Claro’s mobile coverage from deficient to nationwide. The target audience was drawn from mobile phone users in general, both Claro’s and the competitors; men and women, 14-60 years-old, in the main urban cities. Internal migration in Guatemala has led to 70% of the population to settle in the main urban cities, half of them originating from rural villages. Those Guatemalans who live in a different place retain a big sense of pride and nostalgia towards the hometowns where they were born. Many Guatemala’s towns and cities get their names from local Mayan dialects – we turned those names into special ringtones – called Ringtowns – and made them available to consumers for free.
More details of award: entry and results
More details on winning agency: full profile of Ogilvy

Campaign: Volkswagen’s Real Racing GTI
Agency: AKQA Washington, USA
Awards: Silver Media Lion
Category: Media Lions: Best Use of Other Digital Media, including Mobile Devices
Summary:
The brief: in a fragile year for the automotive industry, Volkswagen challenged us to rethink the traditional notion of how to launch a car. It wanted to introduce the all-new 2010 GTI in an unconventional way that would get the attention of core GTI fans and the general public. To do this, we created the world’s first mobile car launch.
Creative execution: we chose to launch the all-new 2010 GTI through an iPhone app and play-to-win sweepstakes. Real Racing GTI was an immersive experience giving players their first chance to drive the all-new 2010 GTI. It included VW branded tracks, an online leader board, a virtual showroom, GPS-enabled dealer lookup, and the ability to post and share replay videos on YouTube. To celebrate the sixth generation of “the original hot hatch”, we designed the Limited Edition GTI Mark VI to be awarded to six lucky players. The cars included embroidered leather interior, carbon-fibre accents, custom badges and a custom owner’s manual and key case. To promote the app, we developed a video teaser, Web promotions, email blasts, an SMS campaign and a special press kit with an iPod Touch inside. The campaign combined everything drivers love about the car: innovation, performance and style.
Results and effectiveness: within one week of launch, Real Racing GTI became the No1 free app in 36 countries, eventually scoring more than 6 million downloads. VW saw an immediate 80% jump in leads, test drives and quote requests. And over half the sales were to new VW owners – twice the usual rate. The total sales volume more than matched those of a traditional model launch with less than 3% of the budget and without $1 in paid media.
More details of award: entry

Video casestudy: Volkswagen’s Real Racing GTI

Awards: Cyber Lions: Shortlist
Category: Other Interactive Digital Solutions: Mobile Advertising
Real Racing GTI: Volkswagen – Agency: AKQA, Washington, USA
iHobo: Depaul UK: Youth Homeless Charity – Agency: Publicis London, UK
Born To Fit: Gap – Agency: AKQA, San Francisco, USA
Nike True City – Agency: AKQA, London, UK
Red Flag: Vf Apparel: The North Face – Agency: Ogilvy, Shanghai, China

Awards: Media Lions: Shortlist
Category: Best Use of Other Digital Media, including Mobile
Born To Fit: Gap – Agency: AKQA, San Francisco, USA
5 Runners, 650000 Follows: Nike – Agency: BBDO, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Last Call: NBC Universal: 13th Street TV Channel – Agency: Jung Von Matt, Hamburg, Germany

Awards: Direct Lions: Shortlist
Category: Direct Response Digital: Mobile Marketing
Nike True City – Agency: AKQA, London, UK
Real Racing Gti: Volkswagen – Agency: AKQA, Washington, USA
Rail Otaku Championship: KDDI EZ Web – Agency: Hakuhodo, Tokyo, Japan
It’s Not A Good Time To Go Out: Darpapaya Restaurant – Agency: Proximity, Bogota, Colombia
Pocket TV: Sony Ericsson Walkman Phones – Agency: Iris London, UK
Call for Help: UNIFER (Women’s Rights) – Agency: DDB Singapore

Agencies: if you would like to see your video case study featured here, or if we’ve have missed any award-winning mobile campaigns at Cannes, please contact: editor (at) mobiThinking.com.

Further reading: