Cannes Lions 2021: Microsoft wins Creative Marketer of the Year

The organisers of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity have named Microsoft its Creative Marketer of the Year.

 

The award is given annually to “an advertiser that has amassed a body of creative and Lion-winning work over a sustained period of time and has established a reputation for producing brave creative and innovative marketing solutions”, according to the organisation.

 

Microsoft has won a number of Cannes Lions over the years. In 2019, it scooped 11, with McCann New York’s “Changing the game” for Xbox winning picking up five of those, including a Grand Prix in Brand Experience and Activation as well as a Titanium Lion.

 

The advertiser's other Cannes winners have included the “Make what’s next” campaign by McCann New York, which received a glass Lion in 2017 for work addressing gender inequality; Xbox’s “Survival billboard” by McCann London, which was awarded 17 times in 2016; and “Xbox Design Lab Originals: The Fanchise Model” for Xbox Design Lab and also by McCann London, which took home seven Lions, including the Creative eCommerce Lion Grand Prix.

 

Microsoft will be honoured in a virtual ceremony on 25 June during Cannes Lions Live. 

 

Chris Capossela, chief marketing officer of Microsoft, said: “It’s a tremendous honor to be recognised for our creative storytelling. Our ambition to amplify the voices of customers and changemakers – from kids who use the Xbox Adaptive Controller to trailblazers like 49ers offensive assistant coach Katie Sowers – helps demonstrate how technology can bring us closer together and inspire meaningful, positive change in the world.”

 

Philip Thomas, chairman of Cannes Lions, added: “What really stands out about Microsoft’s performance at Cannes Lions is that they’re winning Lions across a real breadth of products and geographies, which means they’re pushing creative boundaries throughout their entire business and the world.

 

“With CEO Satya Nadella stating that ‘marketing is one of the top drivers of our success’, it’s clear that Microsoft has unlocked its creative potential to drive growth. We continue to see more and more evidence of the power of creativity for business, and that’s why we recognise brands like Microsoft who are actively moving the needle on creative marketing.”

 

Cannes Lions introduced the Creative Marketer of the Year award in 1992. Previous winners have included Apple, Burger King, Coca-Cola, Google, Heineken, Ikea, Mars, McDonald’s, Samsung and Unilever.

 

(This article first appeared on CampaignLive.co.uk)