Ogilvy Takes Home Grand Prix for Coca-Cola’s “Recycle Me” on Day 1 of Cannes Lions

On the opening day of the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Ogilvy brought home its first Grand Prix and four Gold Lions for creative ideas that had an unreasonable impact for some of the agency’s biggest brand partners. Additionally, Ogilvy’s global creative network won three Silver and eight Bronze for a total of 16 Lions.

“Recycle Me” for Coca-Cola, created by WPP Open X, led by Ogilvy New York and supported and activated by Ogilvy LATAM, Ogilvy PR and EssenceMediacom, won a Grand Prix in the Print & Publishing category. It is Coca-Cola’s first Cannes Lions Grand Prix in a decade. The campaign unveils a series of powerful images that depict the Coca-Cola logo after a can has been crushed during the recycling process. This telegraphic and impactful visual, with the ‘Recycle Me’ call to action taken right from the side of the can, is designed to put recycling front of mind and encourage the consumer to take positive action after consuming a can of Coke. The campaign also took home a Gold Lion in the Outdoor category.

Guillermo Vega, Ogilvy's global creative network lead for WPP Open X, said, "One of the reasons the Coca-Cola brand is globally recognisable is its distinctive logo and packaging. This concept utilised those strong brand elements, specifically highlighting the 'Recycle Me' message found on every can. Typically, a brand’s logo is considered untouchable, so the idea of altering it is bold. However, even after crushing the logo in various ways, it remained identifiable, presenting a unique opportunity."

Samira Ansari, chief creative officer of Ogilvy New York, added, "We believed this was a unique way to celebrate the brand's iconicity while promoting a key initiative for Coca-Cola: encouraging consumers to recycle their used Coke cans. We are incredibly grateful to our brave clients for supporting and championing creativity in all its forms—even crushed ones."

“Michael CeraVe” for CeraVe created by WPP Onefluence, led by Ogilvy PR New York, won a Gold in the Health & Wellness category while “Breathe Through It” for Halls created by DAVID Madrid earned Gold in Audio & Radio, and “Meet Marina Prieto” for JCDecaux by DAVID Madrid won Gold in Outdoor.

A selection of Ogilvy’s Cannes contenders can be viewed on Ogilvy.com and on the agency’s social media channels. Keep up with Ogilvy and Cannes-related news throughout the Festival by following us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtag #OgilvyCannes.