Inside General Mills
General Mills brings home the gold and bronze at Cannes festival
July 9, 2010
Famed for its film festival that draws Hollywood’s elite each year, Cannes is also considered the toughest global stage for advertising creativity.
A group of General Mills marketers recently returned from Cannes where they received gold and bronze awards for two advertising campaigns.
General Mills’ Fruit by the Foot “Replacements” ad, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, won gold in the Film category and Big G’s Golden Grahams “Golden Grants” campaign, created by McCann, won bronze in the Cyber category.
Gold medal winners were required to receive the judges’ unanimous vote.
The Cannes Lions International Festival is an annual international advertising event that brings together creative agencies, their clients, and directors and producers, to honor the absolute best advertising worldwide.
Bold ideas
The “Replacements” ad features two “tween” boys in a game of one-ups-manship. The campaign was a direct result of a General Mills initiative that is designed to encourage bold new marketing ideas.
The Fruit by the Foot “Replacements” ad campaign spurred sales and spawned copy-cat videos and significant buzz among kids.
“It took hold in the culture,” says Helen Kurtz, business unit director for Fruit Snacks.
The ‘Golden Grants’ campaign targeted an unusual demographic for General Mills: 22-year-old men. The viral video and social media campaign took ridiculous job search stories and created animated “tweet videos.”
The campaign used no traditional paid media, yet the videos were an overwhelming success on the Internet.
General Mills has been recognized at Cannes in the past, but this is the first win for the company.
Inside General Mills
