The competition for advertising’s most creative and prestigious honour is on as the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity opens its doors to submissions. Last year was a record-breaking year that saw Canadians take home 57 Lions plus 9 co-wins, bringing Canada’s rank to 4th globally – our best performance ever. We can’t wait to see what Canadian creativity will bring to the competition this year as we build on this incredible momentum.
With the best creative minds across the world preparing their submissions before the April 10th deadline, we’ve brought together years of jury and winning campaign insights into the top three essential strategies and tips that will take your entry from contender to champion.
1. Choose the right category
An often-overlooked aspect of a winning submission is choosing the right category. With over 600 categories across 30 Lions, this isn’t as simple as it might seem.
Competitors should look beyond the category title to the descriptions when determining the right category for their submission. The judges will be using criteria specific to the entry category in making their determination. That means that even if the submitted work is incredible, if it doesn’t fit the category, it won’t be awarded.
Many assume that entering more categories leads to better results, but strategic focus can be far more powerful. Broken Heart Love Affair proved this with their award-winning Love is Messy campaign for Kruger. Instead of submitting across multiple categories within Film Craft, they entered just one – Editing, which was a perfect fit, and won a Silver Lion.
When deciding on what category to enter, ask yourself the following question to help narrow your focus:
- How would you describe your work? What are the key elements?
- What is the objective of your work? What was it trying to achieve?
2. Craft a strong written submission
In crafting your written submission, ensure you speak to the category criteria. Tailor to your specific category and tell a clear and impactful story. Ensure you share your written submission with an outside person who can be objective.
These are some of the essential elements of an impactfully written submission that you should make sure you’ve answered:
- How is your submission relevant to your category?
- How is your submission meeting your stated campaign objectives?
- What is the cultural context necessary to understand the impact of your work?
- Are your results and impact consistent with your stated objective?
3. Use the case film to tell a story
The case film is among the most important parts of the submission. Keep it concise – 1 minute and 30 seconds is ideal, and anything over two minutes risks losing the jury’s attention.
With hundreds of videos to review, the jury won’t remember them all, so ensure you have a powerful hook. Make it clear, compelling, and impossible to forget. As you craft your story, consider how to best connect with your audience and how you can customize your case film, especially if you’re entering it into multiple categories.
Ready to submit your campaign to Cannes Lions? Check out these resources for more inspiration and guidance:
- Looking for all the dates, fees, and advice in one place? Check out our Guide to the Awards
- Ready to start Lion and category selection? Download the Entry Kits
- Looking for inspiration? Check out our Winners Spotlight
- Need more support? Book a call with our Awards experts
As the official Canadian representative of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, The Globe and Mail has proudly championed Canadian creativity on the world stage for 20 years.
