Hasta La Creative!

The award wins – and the results of some of the most iconic advertising campaigns ever created – speak for themselves: they can only point to the agency most engaged in creativity, from thought to practice, in the world. This is why Cannes´ International Festival of Creativity pays tribute to AlmapBBDO as the most creative agency in the world for the last ten years at Cannes Lions. During this period (2010 to 2019), the agency has won 142 Lions and other three Agency of the Year awards (2010, 2011, and 2016). The 2020 festival took place this week (22 to 26 June) in a strictly online version and with no submissions. The tribute to AlmapBBDO is the first-ever of its kind in the history of Cannes Lions.

“This is the outcome of the work of our professionals, true talents that have contributed and still contribute to us. This award is a proof of the consistency of our top-quality work and a restatement of our greatest belief: that creativity makes all the difference to our clients’ business results. They are at the very core of the stories we tell. Creativity is key in attracting fans to brands. Our culture shares in the belief that creativity is key to business results, to society, and to people’s lives”, says Luiz Sanches, Chairman and CCO at the agency.

“Earning such recognition these days, at such a delicate moment for the global community, reminds us that vulnerability is the mother of all creativity. Let’s hope she goes on inspiring us to move on with an ever-transforming spirit, now more important than ever”, says Filipe Bartholomeu, partner and CEO at Almap.

From 2010 to 2019, Almap amassed 1 GP, 23 Gold, 39 Silver, and 79 Bronze Lions. What’s more, it earned three trophy awards as Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions – in 2010, 2011 and 2016. The recipients Lions included campaigns that became beacons of the business-generating creative endeavor, created for brands such as Havaianas, Volkswagen, GOL, O Boticário, Mars, Getty Images, Bradesco Seguros, HP, Visa, and others. Most of these brands have been with the agency for more than ten years, a token of Almap’s tradition in fostering solid long-term relationships with their clients.

“The Cannes Lions tribute is the acknowledgment of a culture. Being bold and daring goes with the Almap culture and spreads out to our clients. They see our job as transforming their business. Likewise, they often transform us too. This mostly comes about through creativity”, says Filipe.

Almap’s partners recall how the last ten years brought about the greatest revolution content consumption in human history, introducing change to media and branching out into multiple points of contact between brands and consumers. And AlmapBBDO has moved with the times. So much so that the agency is the recipient of awards in a wide range of categories of the festival – in 2012, for example, it won Brazil´s first Gold Lion for Mobile, with the campaign ´Fake Ad´, created for client Bradesco Seguros.

This year, Pride week falls at the same time as the Swedish National Day, on June 6th. A day traditionally occupied with national pride and the blue and yellow of the Swedish flag.

There is much to be proud of as a Swede. But the fact that as many as 32%* of Swedish LGBTQ people do not feel comfortable being open in their workplaces – is not something to brag about. Furthermore, the study showed that as many as 70% regularly hear derogatory comments, while 20% are exposed to hate crimes.

In order to challenge the concept of Swedishness and how proud, free and equal we truly are, GREY Gothenburg, together with West Pride, developed a campaign that pulls back on the curtain of our nation to expose the reality of the LGBTQ community. A campaign that withdraws keywords from everyday Swedish phrases and lyrics deep-rooted in the fabric of Swedish society.

“We believe that if you want to achieve change and a more open, equal and inclusive society, knowledge is the way forward,” says Emma Gunterberg Sachs, Managing Director of West Pride.

The cancelled annual West Pride festival, due to Covid-19, has in collaboration with JCDecaux, been replaced by Gothenburg’s biggest OOH campaign. Since this year looks different, West Pride has chosen to focus on its LGBTQ training offered to companies, schools and organizations. A program that is now also available online.

“On June 6, we will raise the Swedish flag together with the rainbow flag in an ambition to unite and engage people to stand for everyone’s equal value. A future society that does not accept human rights violations. A Sweden that is for everyone.” Jesper Ståhl, Creative, GREY Gothenburg.