All About: Entering Cannes Lions 2011

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is now accepting entries in all 13 sections – Press, Outdoor, Direct, Radio, Film Craft, Titanium and Integrated, Promo & Activation, Media, PR, Cyber, Film, Design Lions and Creative Excellence - for its 2011 awards. Scheduled from June 19-25, 2011, agencies might have already started work on sending their entries. Some guidelines to follow for submitting the entries:

1. For the entry to be eligible, all advertising work entered must have been launched for the first time between March 1, 2010 and April 30, 2011. The deadline for submission of works for this year’s Lions is March 11, while the deadline for invite-only Creative Effectiveness Lions is on March 4, 2011.

Entries will not be processed until the organisers receive your payment. They will not send you a bill; however entrants will receive a proforma invoice (invoice to pay) with their entry forms. Payments have to be made online only by credit card or a bank transfer. Cheques will not be accepted. Do not forget to include proof of bank transfer payment with your entry forms, or email/fax the bank transfer confirmation as soon as you have it.

2. There are few changes this year related to the entries submission. Previously, only points from Film, Film Craft, Press, Outdoor and Radio shortlisted and winning entries contributed to the Agency of the Year award. To acknowledge the increasingly critical nature of Integrated and Digital work, the Agency of the Year award will also include points won in Cyber, Titanium and Integrated Lions categories.

Entrants looking for category information, rules, fees and tips should visit the Awards website, where they will also find a selection of short videos featuring past jury presidents and jurors offering advice on creating an entry and how to capture the jury’s attention. Amongst others, Luciano Deos (2011 Design Lions jury president), Paul Taafe (2010 PR Lions Jury President), Tay Guan Hin (2010 Outdoor Lions jury president), Lars Bastholm (2009 Cyber Lions Jury President) and Kentaro Kimura (2007 Promo & Activation Lions jury member) together with Toshiya Kono (2009 Film Lions jury member) offer helpful advice based on their judging experiences.

3. All the judging takes place at the Festival in Cannes from June 19-25. The shortlists and winners are published on the official website during the Festival week. They will not send official notification to award winners until after the Festival is over. Gold Lion winners will be contacted from Cannes by telephone or email so that they can attend the awards ceremony.

Throughout Festival week, the winners of the Lion trophies are honoured at four separate award ceremonies: Monday 20 June 2011, 19:30: Promo & Activation, PR and Direct Lions Awards; Tuesday 21 June 2011, 19:00: Radio, Media and Outdoor Lions Awards; Wednesday 22 June 2011, 19:30: Press, Design and Cyber Lions Awards; Saturday 25 June 2011, 19:00: Film, Film Craft, Creative Effectiveness, and Titanium and Integrated Lions Awards.

4. Delegates planning to attend the 58th International Festival of Creativity at Cannes can select a three-day, four-day or full registration package, which provides access to over 50 seminars, 20 workshops, screenings, exhibitions, four award ceremonies and two gala nights. For the first time, with the shortlist exhibitions, delegates will view all the entry videos for all shortlisted entries across all categories, if supplied, which will be screened in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. This will provide a better understanding of the creative entries and is an invaluable experience for anyone working in advertising and communications.

Cannes will also launch a special exhibition of painting, photography, sculpture and other forms of art produced by creatives in the communications industry in their spare time, adding another dimension to the festival’s celebration of creativity in all its forms.

A Cannes Lions iPhone, iPad and Android-Compatible App will shortly be available. Features will include the festival programme, a Cannes map, live winners updates, full social media integration, news, photos and videos, and networking tool Cannes Connect. From April, only this year’s delegates will have access to the tool.

ENTRANTS

• Entries to be sent by March 11
• Proof of payment for processing entries

DELEGATES

• 4 or 5-day registration packages to choose from
• iPad, iPhone and Android apps for better information and networking