Lions Health: creativity that changes lives.

For 62 years the Cannes Lions Festival annually celebrates the creativity and innovation in service of building brands, products and sales figures. But what I saw last weekend at the French Riviera was creativity in the service of something much bigger: a better life for people.

On June 19th and 20th I attended ‘Lions Health’: a creativity festival within Cannes Lions dedicated exclusively to ideas related to health, wellness and pharma. And it was amazing to see how new technologies and solutions formerly used to drive sales and experience now have been applied to drive medical progress and health education, creating a much more relevant way to bring brands and consumers together. Something that clearly drove the big winners this year, including with great works from Brazil.

"Nivea Doll" is one that draws attention. Instead of an awareness campaign on the use of sunscreen, FCB Brazil created a new toy: dolls that turn red and get sunburn if exposed to the sun without protection. 1 Gold & 1 Silver Lion.

The well-known and 2014 winners "Bald Cartoons" and "Tattoo Skin Cancer", from Ogilvy Brazil, are another two good examples. Both addressing the issue of cancer, but in a smart way and revelant way to impact their audiences.

"Meeting Murilo", from Mood\TBWA for Huggies, was another big winner. The project, which I was proudly part of, combined two existing and well-spread technologies (ultrasound scan + 3D print) to allow blind moms-to-be to ‘see’ their babies during the ultrasound exam. 1 Gold & 1 Silver Lion, plus one shortlist.

And of course I couldn’t finish without mentioning the Grand Prix from Leo Burnett Mexico entitled "Intimate Words". A life-changing philanthropic idea for Always (P&G) that allowed indigenous women to be able to safely talk about their bodies and have access to treatments related to their reproductive system.

A festival fully dedicated to ideas such as these show that big brands and corporations around the world begin to see a new way of relating to their consumers, understanding that in a connected and globalized world like ours you need to truly make a difference in people's lives. And we, creatives and agencies, are now challenged to turn these innovative ideas in ways to build brands, products and sales figures.