The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is rebranding its Social & Influencer Lions as the Social & Creator Lions for 2025, introducing five new subcategories to better recognize creator-led work in the advertising industry.
New Categories Reflect Industry Growth
According to EMARKETER, the festival is introducing creator-driven subcategories, including Creator Collaborations, Content Strategy, Community Building, Cross-Platform Storytelling, and Excellence in Craft for the 2025 awards.
“The new categories will recognize creator-led work shaping brand narratives in meaningful ways,” Marian Brannelly, Global Director of Awards at LIONS, said in a statement.
The change follows industry feedback after the 2024 festival, where creators maintained a strong presence but felt their work wasn’t adequately reflected in the awards.
Ogilvy PR won the 2024 Grand Prix in the Social & Influencer category for the “Michael CeraVe” campaign, which suggested that skincare brand CeraVe was developed by actor Michael Cera. While the campaign utilized 450 influencers, industry professionals questioned whether it truly represented creator-led work.
Creator Recognition Challenges
According to an article by Creator Vision’s Jamie Gutfreund published on Forbes, research shows that creator content is most effective at driving sales from social media.
Consumer behavior supports this shift, with over half (56%) of Gen Zers and 43% of millennials finding social media content more relevant than traditional TV or movies, according to October 2024 Deloitte data.
However, Gutfreund notes that creative constraints, excessive content revisions, and gaining industry recognition remain top pain points for creators working with brands – just 12% of U.S. creators produce content full-time, according to a Q3 2024 survey by Influencer and Crowd DNA.
While Cannes Lions offers discounted passes for creators, travel and accommodation expenses remain barriers to participation.
Gutfreund cites the example of Rob Mayhew, an award-winning content creator and 2024 Cannes Lions juror in the Social & Creator category. Mayhew has built a following of over 130,000 on LinkedIn and 160,000 on TikTok with satirical sketches on agency life.
Mayhew advises creator agencies to be strategic when submitting work: “If you want to win, get the category right. Many great campaigns don’t even get a chance because they’re entered into the wrong category.”
He emphasizes that case study videos are crucial: “A sexy two-minute case study video is critical. It needs to be made for the category you’re entering, not just one blanket video used across PR, Social, and Creator categories.”
Industry Support Initiatives
Cannes Lions continues expanding festival access with programs like the Creator Pass, introduced in 2024, and new creator-focused programming planned for 2025. To support creator agencies in the awards process, Cannes hosts educational webinars featuring industry experts like Mayhew and Robyn DelMonte.
“Big brands and agencies are still figuring out how to integrate creators effectively,” stated Brannelly. “Cannes provides a platform to showcase the best of what’s working and help the industry evolve.”
The festival’s evolution reflects broader changes in marketing investment patterns, with U.S. influencer marketing spending projected to reach $9.29 billion in 2025, according to EMARKETER.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is rebranding its Social & Influencer Lions as the Social & Creator Lions for 2025, introducing five new subcategories to better recognize creator-led work in the advertising industry.
New Categories Reflect Industry Growth
According to EMARKETER, the festival is introducing creator-driven subcategories, including Creator Collaborations, Content Strategy, Community Building, Cross-Platform Storytelling, and Excellence in Craft for the 2025 awards.
“The new categories will recognize creator-led work shaping brand narratives in meaningful ways,” Marian Brannelly, Global Director of Awards at LIONS, said in a statement.
The change follows industry feedback after the 2024 festival, where creators maintained a strong presence but felt their work wasn’t adequately reflected in the awards.
Ogilvy PR won the 2024 Grand Prix in the Social & Influencer category for the “Michael CeraVe” campaign, which suggested that skincare brand CeraVe was developed by actor Michael Cera. While the campaign utilized 450 influencers, industry professionals questioned whether it truly represented creator-led work.
Creator Recognition Challenges
According to an article by Creator Vision’s Jamie Gutfreund published on Forbes, research shows that creator content is most effective at driving sales from social media.
Consumer behavior supports this shift, with over half (56%) of Gen Zers and 43% of millennials finding social media content more relevant than traditional TV or movies, according to October 2024 Deloitte data.
However, Gutfreund notes that creative constraints, excessive content revisions, and gaining industry recognition remain top pain points for creators working with brands – just 12% of U.S. creators produce content full-time, according to a Q3 2024 survey by Influencer and Crowd DNA.
While Cannes Lions offers discounted passes for creators, travel and accommodation expenses remain barriers to participation.
Gutfreund cites the example of Rob Mayhew, an award-winning content creator and 2024 Cannes Lions juror in the Social & Creator category. Mayhew has built a following of over 130,000 on LinkedIn and 160,000 on TikTok with satirical sketches on agency life.
Mayhew advises creator agencies to be strategic when submitting work: “If you want to win, get the category right. Many great campaigns don’t even get a chance because they’re entered into the wrong category.”
He emphasizes that case study videos are crucial: “A sexy two-minute case study video is critical. It needs to be made for the category you’re entering, not just one blanket video used across PR, Social, and Creator categories.”
Industry Support Initiatives
Cannes Lions continues expanding festival access with programs like the Creator Pass, introduced in 2024, and new creator-focused programming planned for 2025. To support creator agencies in the awards process, Cannes hosts educational webinars featuring industry experts like Mayhew and Robyn DelMonte.
“Big brands and agencies are still figuring out how to integrate creators effectively,” stated Brannelly. “Cannes provides a platform to showcase the best of what’s working and help the industry evolve.”
The festival’s evolution reflects broader changes in marketing investment patterns, with U.S. influencer marketing spending projected to reach $9.29 billion in 2025, according to EMARKETER.