The awards keep coming for “Supernova Adaptive.” The Adidas campaign from TWBA\Canada landed a Grand Prix in the Innovation category Thursday night, adding to the two golds and one silver the work has already won.
With AI pushing its way into every conversation, Innovation Lions jury president Kazuhiro Shimura said they shifted their focus from “proof of concept” to “proof of change.” Rather than rewarding technology for its own sake, jurors evaluated work based on whether it had already created meaningful change, its potential to drive future change and its ability to move people, brands and society forward.
Image courtesy of Adidas
“This work strongly embodies the kind of innovation we were looking for,” Shimura said of the campaign. “What was impressive was that Adidas did not just create a product for athletes with Down syndrome. They created it with them. Through long-term co-creation, they developed not just an idea, and not just a prototype, but a high-performance running shoe designed for real life.
“We were also deeply impressed with the presentation itself. The brand, the athletes and the agency became one team. We could feel the strength of the partnership, and it was clear that this is only the beginning of their journey.”
It was an end-to-end commitment from the brand. “What is equally important is how it was brought to market,” the Dentsu Japan ECD added. “This was not positioned as a special product. It was launched globally through the same channels, at the same price and with the same design standard as any other Adidas running shoe.
“’Supernova Adaptive’ reminds us that creativity is not only about making advertising that moves people. Creativity can change behaviour. Creativity can expand opportunity. And creativity can help move society forward. This is why we believe this work belongs here. It is a powerful example of proof of change.”
Asked about the ongoing debate over whether purpose-driven marketing delivers business value, the jury president said the discussion was one of the longest during deliberations. Ultimately, they concluded that “Supernova Adaptive” succeeded because Adidas had both the scale and credibility to make a meaningful difference. Its existing relationship with the Down syndrome community, combined with the resources to develop and launch the product globally, meant the work went beyond a purpose-led concept to become what the jury described as “proof of change” – demonstrating how a major brand can use its reach to create tangible societal impact.
Image courtesy of KFC
And a Gold F*cking Lion
Meanwhile, in the Brand Experience & Activation category, KFC landed its first Gold Lion for “Kyle F*cking Connor.” The campaign, from Courage, Toronto (with media from UM and PR via NarrativeXPR), has already won a pair of Silver Lions. The work doubled that count with a gold and silver today.
Asked as to why it stood out among the 1,600 pieces judged, Brand Experience & Activation jury president Rafael Pitanguy said, “I think, first, it’s brave. Brands try to protect themselves so much, and you really grabbed the word ‘fucking’ and made it yours. There’s a lot of bravery there. There’s a lot of courage.
“We also talked about how this is the only category that starts with the word ‘brand,’ so it needs to be for the brand that you’re judging. It can’t be work that could fit other brands,” explained Pitanguy, who serves as VML’s deputy global CCO. “This one was the perfect translation of that. It needed to be for KFC.”
When it came to the other Grand Prix winners of the day, the line-up was strong:
Brand Experience & Activation
“Expedition Impossible” for Columbia Sportswear, from adam&eve/TWBA, London
Creative Business Transformation
“The Wedding Rice” for Wikifarmer, from McCann Athens
Creative Commerce
“Lucky Fan Index” for Wisła Kraków Football Club, from VML, Warsaw
Creative Effectiveness
“Three Words” for AXA France, from Publicis Conseil, Paris
Creative Strategy
“The Pub That Refused to Die” for Heineken, from Lepub, Milan/Publicis, Dublin
Luxury
“Warmer Together” for Moncler, from WeSayHi, Siena
