Hasta La Creative!

The world’s most respected creative awards show started in 1954 with a single category: TV commercials. But since the early 90s the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has exploded with the addition of 16 categories encompassing everything from media and branded content to product design.

While that reflects the growing sophistication of the advertising and marketing industry, many believe it also dilutes the significance of a Lion — and not by simply increasing the odds of winning. Those critics say it risks favoring revenue over relevance when the same ad can (and does) win in multiple categories, and results in some anachronistic categories like Cyber, given digital’s omnipresence in most marketing plans.

“As the industry changes, if we don’t mirror those changes we become irrelevant,” argued Cannes Lions CEO Philip Thomas. “How can you not have a mobile category? We need to give the industry an opportunity to celebrate work in the best new categories.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com