AB InBev, BBDO, Novartis, Others On Winning Streak As Cannes Lions Festival 2026 Begins

The 73rd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced its first set of winners, with AB InBev taking home the inaugural Creative Brand Lion Grand Prix as part of its recognition as Creative Marketer of the Year 2026.

The awards were presented during the festival’s opening ceremony on June 23, with top honours handed out across nine categories: Audio & Radio Lions, Outdoor Lions, Print & Publishing Lions, Health & Wellness Lions, Pharma Lions, Creative B2B Lions, Creative Data Lions, Direct Lions and Creative Brand Lions.

In the Audio & Radio Lions category, BBDO Puerto Rico won the Grand Prix for Hyundai’s campaign, “Coquí Alarmed.” The initiative replaced standard rental car lock sounds with the distinctive call of the native Puerto Rican coquí frog, celebrating the island’s culture and identity.

“It shows that even in a ‘Classic’ category, it’s still possible to push the definition to exciting new limits,” said Jury President Oriel Davis-Lyons.

The newly introduced Creative Brand Lions category honours brands that make creativity a core part of their business culture and operations. AB InBev emerged as the first-ever winner of the Grand Prix.

Jury President Marcel Marcondes said the award “evaluates the inputs, the capabilities and processes, behind the creative work that drives results.”

In the Outdoor Lions category, GUT São Paulo secured the Grand Prix for Mercado Livre’s “Field Barcode” campaign, which transformed a Brazilian football pitch into a giant 104-metre interactive barcode.

“Outdoor is about being seen in the real world,” said Jury President Aaron Starkman. “It’s a physical experience that stops you in your tracks.”

Rethink Toronto won the Print & Publishing Grand Prix for Heinz Ketchup’s “Look Familiar?” campaign, which leveraged a hidden design insight to drive commercial growth.

Meanwhile, NORD Stockholm received the Creative B2B Grand Prix for SKF’s “Faroe Islands Space Program.”

In the health categories, Uncommon Creative Studio won the Health & Wellness Grand Prix for The Ordinary’s “Periodic Fable.” Fallon Minneapolis earned the Pharma Grand Prix for Novartis’ “Relax Your Tight End,” a Super Bowl campaign promoting awareness of prostate cancer screening.

Klick Health was named Healthcare Network of the Year and Healthcare Agency of the Year.

Apple executive Eddy Cue received the Entertainment Person of the Year 2026 award.

Commenting on the winning entries, LIONS Chief Executive Officer Simon Cook said the work was “clearly demonstrating creativity as a growth driver for people, business and society.”