Echo Li, Global Chief Commercial Officer of Dentsu Sports International, shared her insights from judging the Entertainment for Sport category at Cannes Lions 2024.

Championing Women's Sports: From Victimisation to Victory

Case: WoMen’s Football, Orange (Link: https://youtu.be/DeijPwBIyK0?si=dKOqbe1kEKWLnRAu )

This year, the Grand Prix was awarded to Orange for their Women’s World Cup advertisement. The work used AI to highlight the skills of the French women’s team. The video showcased skilled technical moves of renowned football players Mbappé, Giroud,  and Griezmann. At the end, a twist is revealed to show the true stars – the French women’s team. The ad went viral globally and worked to erase biases about women’s sport.

Echo notes a growing trend focusing on empowering underrepresented groups rather than a victimisation narrative. “This shift provides brands and audiences with more authentic and inspiring stories, showcasing the unique value and potential of each person in the sports field.”

From Superhumans to Humans

Case: Runner 321, Adidas (Link: https://youtu.be/KSCvD-cL3zM?si=BUzX_mCmFq7us5b5)

As brands increasingly embrace campaigns that prioritise diversity, equality and inclusivity (DEI), there’s a growing focus on addressing accessibility. This shift is evident in campaigns like Adidas’ Runner 321, which aimed to make sports participation more inclusive.

“With more standout campaigns in this area, we must go beyond empathy. We should look to empower, uplift, and offer solutions,” transforming DEI from a buzzword into meaningful action that addresses the underlying challenges.

Practical Relevance

Case: The Everyday Tactician, Xbox (link: https://youtu.be/elq83mERXv0?si=Le3Kyw_KrqrOa-Gm) 

Coming from a commercial background, Echo brought another perspective to the judging process — was the work truly spectacular with real-world impact, or does it simply look good on paper? After all, successful brand campaigns stem from sharp insights, innovative perspectives, and deep connections with the target audience (with a bit of luck thrown in!).

From vision to reality, the Everyday Tactician executed just that. The campaign didn’t just make gamers' dreams come true; it also tackled Bromley FC’s struggles, helping the club achieve its best season in history.

Brand Reactivity

Case: Always Open, Ja’Marr x 7-Eleven (Link: https://www.dentsucreative.com/cases/always-open)

Another standout campaign, "Always Open", won the Sports Entertainment Lion silver award. The work built on humour and cultural relevance saw NFL wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase compare himself to the 24-hour convenience store "7-Eleven" after being open but not receiving passes during games. Dentsu seized this real-time marketing opportunity, facilitated a swift signing between 7-Eleven and Ja'Marr, and launched a themed clothing line.

Out of the Box Ideas

Case: Sweat side of sponsorship, Gatorade (Link: https://youtu.be/SnApAQk-DfU?si=aocpLrGnw8BuRE3P)

New and innovative concepts for brands are popping up in unusual places on the field of play. The sweat side of sponsorship by Gatorade pulled it off. By flipping their logo on the inside of the jersey, they displayed an ingenious idea, and magnified their sponsorship with a little creativity.

The Need for More Asian Creativities in Sports

This year, the festival saw a strong number of entries overall. Although representation from Asia was notably lesser, with 3% of all Sports Lions work coming from the region, compared to our counterparts from the West.

Echo pointed out the importance of a long-term strategy to achieve sustained development for rising Asian brands’ sports campaigns. "After enhancing brand recognition, brands need to improve favourability and brand strength through in-depth activation.”

"Crossing from brand recognition to favourability is extremely challenging," she acknowledged. “It takes brands investing resources, allocating budgets wisely, and demonstrating creative sensitivity and marketing acumen.” This is not an easy task for many brands from Asia that are in the early stages of global expansion and sports marketing.

“With more Asian brand partnerships in Euro 2024 and Copa America this year,” Echo shares, “I’m really looking forward to see more entries from Asia with meaningful and engaging creative activations.”

 

dentsu Sports International

Dentsu Sports International, Inc. (DSI) is a global sports network comprised of MKTG Sports + Entertainment, a global integrated sports and entertainment agency, and Dentsu Sports Analytics, a leading global sports insights firm.

Born out of Dentsu Group, one of the world’s largest and highly regarded marketing communications companies, DSI leverages deep insights and its networks of seasoned, highly experienced team members to establish powerful connections between sports properties and brands to deliver end-to-end solutions for its clients.