Adrian Fitz-Simon, creative director with Havas Dublin has won the inaugural Cannes Grey Lions competition which was organised by IAPI in association with the Cannes Lions and sponsored by Standard Life.
This is the first time the organisers of the Cannes Lions have targeted the so-called grey market and the Irish competition will be used as a test-case for Cannes Lions. If successful, it is expected to be rolled out in other countries. For his endeavours, Fitz-Simon wins a full festival pass for Cannes 2020 as well as flights from Dublin to Nice, accommodation as well as access to all the Cannes seminars, award ceremonies, showcases and material.
As part of the competition, Fitz-Simon was given just 48 hours to respond to a brief drawn up by ALONE. The ensuing strategy was based on the simple idea that “Your voice can help cure loneliness”. The campaign idea seeks to get the country talking and to “add your voice to help cure loneliness” while at the same time creating awareness of the need for volunteers and demonstrating the emotional benefits for new recruits.
“The experiential nature of the idea has the potential to shock people into awareness of chronic loneliness and start a national conversation. By showcasing the stories of individual volunteers, we begin to understand the benefits of volunteering. I believe “Add Your Voice” gives ALONE a fantastic opportunity to make befriending more appealing and drive volunteer uptake,” says Sharon Smyth, head of marketing, Standard Life.
Other finalists included teams from Bloom, Goosebump, Richards Dee, PHD Media & Publicis Dublin and In the Company of Huskies.
