Nine Projects Selected In Second Cannes Lions & Gates Foundation Competition For Social Good

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are pleased to announce nine projects that have been selected as part of the second Grand Challenges Explorations initiative. Each project will develop an innovative communication approach to changing the global conversation about the impact of development aid.

The creators of the nine projects will each be awarded up to US$100,000 to work on their communications idea and will be mentored by a Cannes Chimera panel made up of representatives of each of the 2012 Cannes Lions Grand Prix winners. The Cannes Chimera will work with the grantees to help develop and hone their initiatives. Grantees are then invited to apply for up to US$ 1 million of additional funding from the Gates Foundation to implement their ideas.

The nine projects from agency and non-profit organisations from around the world are:

• BeHere-BeThere Project by Serviceplan, Hamburg, Germany: Using location-based network applications in collaboration with local retail partners, Serviceplan will connect consumers to charity projects in the developing world to raise awareness of development issues and trigger donations from retail locations to specific projects.

• Cause Generation: a Platform to Define a Generation’s Cause by OgilvyEarth, San Francisco, USA: OgilvyEarth will develop and launch an online platform for university student teams to use to campaign for a single global development cause for their generation, convince their peers to support that cause, and execute an awareness raising project around the winning cause.

• Hactivating Development Aid by Coxswain Social Investment Plus, Tunis, Tunisia: The organization will develop an online crowdsourcing program that engages young people around the world and enables them to learn about global development challenges through first-person narratives as well as provide solutions to real-life challenges identified by their peers.

• HMKD by Leo Burnett, Chicago, USA: Leo Burnett will develop a plan to create a working stock ticker on the New York Stock Exchange that will track the daily return on investment from development aid to raise awareness that investments in humankind are working.

• House Parties: Experiential Marketing for Global Aid by Plan International, Washington, USA: Plan International USA will test a proven marketing model - the House Party - as an engagement tool to build support among the public for international development programs.

• Global 360 by Media Trust, London, UK: Building on its existing programming, Media Trust will produce the first television, online and mobile channel run by young people, which will create and distribute stories about global development.

• Mobile-izing the United Voices of Aid Recipients by Environics Trust, Ghaziabad, India: Environics Trust will use an Interactive Voice Response system to collect 10,000 personal narratives about the impact of aid programs in rural India, will disseminate them online and through social media, and then measure how the information changes perceptions among a youth audience.

• RADIO8 by Digital Kitchen, Seattle, USA: Digital Kitchen will create a worldwide radio channel for eight-year-old children to provide knowledge, insights and perspectives on the impact of aid through first-person stories, music, and cultural exchanges, with a goal of promoting connections between the developing and the developed world.

• Smart Cities: An Interactive Multi-Media and Mapping Platform by Spatial Collective, Nairobi, Kenya: Spatial Collective will create an interactive community platform, accessible via SMS, for citizens to present local development challenges and suggest possible solutions, with a goal of promoting better communication between citizens, service providers, local governments, and members of the international community and improving living conditions for people in developing countries.

“Once again we are seeing some truly inspirational and creative ideas being brought to the table for the better good of the world. I’m particularly proud to see that the global communications industry is rising to the challenge and increasingly engaging with this unique and fantastic initiative,” comments Philip Thomas, CEO of Lions Festivals. “Having had the privilege to see the first Cannes Chimera in action during the mentorship workshop in Seattle last year, I have no doubt that when these nine grantees convene in Seattle in October, they will be blown away by the experience of working first hand with the most skilled and passionate creative communicators in the business"

The creative challenge “Aid is Working. Tell the World” solicited communications ideas that can help change the global conversation about the impact of investments in foreign aid. Answering to a competitive creative brief for ideas in four specific submission categories: Mobile, Data, Young Audiences and The Progress of Development, the nine new projects were selected from entries submitted from around the world. They were chosen solely on merit - applicants’ details are kept confidential - by a review panel comprised of experts from the first Cannes Chimera, winners of the 2011 Cannes Lions Grand Prix, and representatives from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These grants are awarded as part of the foundation’s Grand Challenges Explorations initiative which fosters innovations that can help overcome the most persistent challenges in global health and development.

“Innovative communications are going to be an important part of solving the world’s biggest challenges,” said Tom Scott, director of Global Brand & Innovation at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Cannes Lions, which enables us to collaborate directly with the global creative community to find ways to build awareness and support for critical global development problems.”

Some of the nine grantees will also be honoured on stage during the four awards ceremonies that take place during the Cannes Lions festival week 16-22 June.

A new global creative challenge will be announced on Monday 17 June at the 60th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity during the Cannes Chimera Initiative seminar. An all-star cast, including Chimera Members and previous grantees, will take to the stage to discuss the Cannes Chimera Initiative and launch the next challenge.

The Cannes Chimera Initiative, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, exists to harness great ideas for the good of the world. It is open to anyone from any discipline, from students to communications executives, and from any organisation. Applications are submitted online to Cannes Lions, and initial grants of $100,000 are awarded for the finalists. Successful projects have the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to US$1 million to implement their idea.



Notes to Editors:

About the Cannes Chimera Initiative
This partnership inspires and activates the creative community to help solve the world’s most urgent global health and development problems. Each year, the initiative challenges the world’s creative talent to develop ground-breaking communications approaches that motivate global audiences to support change and take actions that address a unique development issue, through a competitive creative brief.
Winners of the competition are eligible to apply for an up to US$1M US grant from The Gates Foundation to execute their idea. To learn more about the Cannes Chimera, please visit www.canneschimera.com

About the 60th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, 16-22 June 2013, Cannes, France:
The International Festival of Creativity, also known as Cannes Lions, is the world’s leading celebration of creativity in communications. Founded in 1954, the Festival takes place every June in Cannes, France. As the most prestigious international annual advertising and communications awards, over 34,000 entries from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Festival. Winning companies receive the highly coveted Lion trophy honouring the most creative film, print, outdoor, interactive, radio, design, sales promotion & activation, film craft and integrated, branded content & entertainment advertising, as well as the best media, direct marketing, PR, titanium and creative effectiveness ideas. The Festival is also the only truly global meeting place for advertisers, advertising and communication professionals. Close to 11,000 delegates from 95 countries attend seven days of exhibitions, screenings, as well as high-profile seminars, workshops, forums and master classes presented by renowned worldwide industry leaders. As the networking and learning opportunity of the year, Cannes Lions is the must-attend event for anyone involved in brand communication. www.canneslions.com

About Grand Challenges Explorations:
Grand Challenges Explorations fosters innovation in global health and development research. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $100 million to encourage individuals worldwide to expand the pipeline of ideas to fight our greatest health and development challenges. The grant program is open to anyone from any discipline, from student to tenured professor, and from any organization - colleges and universities, government laboratories, research institutions, non-profit organizations and for-profit companies. The initiative uses an agile, accelerated grant-making process with short two-page applications and no preliminary data required. Applications are submitted online, and winning grants are chosen approximately five months from the submission deadline. Initial grants of $100,000 are awarded two times a year. Successful projects have the opportunity to receive a follow-on grant of up to $1 million. For more information about Grand Challenges Explorations, visit www.grandchallenges.org/explorations

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. For more information, visit: www.gatesfoundation.org

Members of the 2nd Cannes Chimera, who will advise on the programme, review submissions, and mentor the winners as they develop their projects are:

• Alexander Schill, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer and Partner, Serviceplan Group, Munich
Winner of the Design Grand Prix: ‘The Solar Annual Report 2011’, Austria Solar

• Angel Anderson, Experience Director, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Boulder, USA and
• Rob Reilly, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Boulder, USA
Winners of both the Direct and Promo & Activation Grands Prix: ‘Small Business Gets an Official Day’, American Express

• Carlo Cavallone, Creative Director, Fabrica, Amsterdam
Winner of the Press Grand Prix: ‘Unhate’ Campaign, United Colors of Benetton

• Chloe Gottlieb, Executive Creative Director, R/GA New York and
• Nick Law, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Creative Officer, R/GA New York
Winners of both a Cyber Grand Prix and the Titanium and Integrated Grand Prix: ‘Nike+ Fuelband’, Nike+

• Drew Ungvarsky, Owner and Creative Director, Grow Interactive, Norfolk USA
Winner of the Mobile Grand Prix: ‘Hilltop Reimagined for Coca-Cola’, Google

• Graham Fink, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, Shanghai
Winner of an Outdoor Grand Prix: ‘#Cokehands’, The Coca Cola Company

• Jaime Rosado, Vice President and Regional Creative Director, JWT San Juan, Puerto Rico
Winner of the PR Grand Prix: ‘The Most Popular Song’, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

• Jesse Coulter, Co-Chief Creative Officer, CAA Marketing, Los Angeles and
• Todd Hunter, Creative Executive, CAA Marketing, Los Angeles
Winners of both the Film and Branded Content Grands Prix: ‘Back to the Start / Cultivate Campaign’, Chipotle

• Joao Livi, Executive Creative Director, Talent, São Paulo
Winner of the Radio Grand Prix: ‘Repellent Radio’, Go Outside Magazine

• Jonathan Bottomley, Head of Strategy, BBH London
Winner of the Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix: ‘Axe Excite - Returning to Universal Truths to Create Global Hits’, Unilever

• Mike Florence, Executive Director & Head of Creativity, Manning Gottlieb OMD, London
Winner of the Media Grand Prix: ‘Google Voice Search’, Google

• Patrick Kampmann, Creative Director, Volontaire, Stockholm
Winner of a Cyber Grand Prix: ‘Curators of Sweden’, Swedish Institute/Visit Sweden

• Stephane Xiberras, Chief Creative Officer, BETC Paris
Winner of the Film Craft Grand Prix: ‘Bear’, Canal+

• Ted Royer, Executive Creative Director, Droga5, New York
Winner of the Grand Prix for Good: ‘Help I Want to Save a Life’, Help Remedies

• Thimoteus Wagner, Chief Creative Officer, Jung von Matt, Hamburg
Winner of an Outdoor Grand Prix: ‘The Invisible Drive’, Daimler