McCann Worldgroup and Mastercard Take Home Cannes Lions Titanium and Sustainable Development Goals Grand Prix for ‘Where to Settle’

McCann Worldgroup and Mastercard were awarded Titanium and Grand Prix by the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the campaign ‘Where to Settle'. The Titanium is given to work that breaks new ground in branded communications with provocative, boundary-busting creativity that marks a new direction for the industry and moves it forward. The Grand Prix was awarded for the Sustainable Development Goals Lions, which celebrate creative problem solving, solutions or other initiatives that harness creativity and seek to positively impact the world, aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). 

The recognition comes on the heels of 'Where to Settle' being awarded nine other medals during the festival week: two Golds, one in PR and one in Direct; two Silvers, one in Direct and one in Brand Experience and Activation; and three Bronzes in PR, Direct and Creative Data, respectively. McCann New York and Mastercard also earned a Bronze in Direct for 'Touch Card', an accessible system of cards for people who are visually impaired.

The campaign, which focused on SDG goal eight, 'Decent Work and Economic Growth', was created with McCann Poland and in collaboration with McCann New York.

Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, almost 10 million refugees from the occupied territories crossed the Polish border. Many found shelter in major Polish cities that were already overcrowded, causing rental hikes and increased competition for jobs - all amidst an unprecedented rise in inflation.

Knowing that smaller towns afford more opportunities, Mastercard introduced the 'Where to Settle' digital platform, a comprehensive digital tool that aggregates job and real estate data, anonymous Mastercard spending insights, as well as data from the Polish Central Statistical Office.

Of the 1.5 million refugees who have settled in Poland thus far, 20% have used the platform to find Polish cities outside of the major metropolitan areas to make a fresh start. The tool upholds Mastercard’s 'Data for Good' commitment to leverage data responsibly in the service of society.

“We are incredibly proud of our team and agency partners at McCann for this breakthrough idea that has already made a meaningful impact on many lives. It is a perfect example of doing well by doing good and represents the best of a true partnership,” said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing & communications officer, Mastercard.

Adrian Botan, chief creative officer Europe, McCann Worldgroup, added, “Creating this platform together with Mastercard to both increase financial inclusion and deliver genuine positive societal impact has been a privilege. This really is a long-term effort in cooperation with the client, and we are aiming to extend this beyond Poland to other regions to help refugees across the world. It’s an inspiring example of the power of creativity. We couldn’t be prouder of the team and our wonderful clients.”

Marcin Sosinki, managing director & executive creative director, McCann Poland, concluded, “The real value of this platform is proven out across multiple levels. Not only have we highlighted the fact that Poles as a nation are open to helping others, we have also shown brand purpose can drive growth when tied to business. We aim to offer a model beyond the industry with this tool to help refugees across the world and the countries who welcome them, using anonymous and aggregated data responsibly and meaningfully, ultimately changing the global narrative around refugees. This is just the beginning.”