Cannes Lions 2019: A blank newspaper and a bulletproof book win big in this year's Print & Publishing awards

Choosing a winner among 1,252 entries from 62 countries in Print & Publishing only is no easy task, yet, Cannes Lions 2019 announced 32 awards. One Grand Prix, six Gold, seven Silver, and 18 Bronze Lions were awarded in this year's Cannes Lions event with the blank edition of Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar earning the Grand Prix in Print and Publishing at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity Monday night.

The award was given to Impact BBDO Dubai, which redesigned An-Nahar, a newspaper in Lebanon, to feature a blank front page as a protest for the political situation in the country. The blank space represented “civic conversation grinding to a halt after elected officials failed to form a government for months on end” notes AdAge.

“It was a perfect demonstration that print creativity can do a lot,” said Olivier Altmann, jury president and co-founder of agency Altmann + Pacreau. The bold printed protest aptly named “The Blank Edition” was covered in more than 100 publications internationally including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the BBC.

The campaign achieved 5 million dollars worth of earned media. Following this unique edition Nayla Tueni, the newspaper's editor in chief, held a press conference explaining the blank front page and encouraging the Lebanese citizens to use the space for their own headlines, sending a message to the government through the social media. The core idea behind the campaign was the following: if politicians aren't working, why should anyone else?

“For us, it was the perfect demonstration that print creativity can do a lot for print media itself, for print journalism,” explained Print and Publishing Jury President Olivier Altmann, co-founder, CEO and CCO of Altmann & Pacreau, France.

“We thought it was really bold to award a Grand Prix to a white piece of paper that people could fill. It’s almost an interactive tool for real life. At a moment when politicians around the world are not doing their job properly for people, it was a great example of how ideas can change the world for good,” Altmann added on the unanimous jury decision. 

This year's Gold Winners are David Miami, USA, Try Not To Hear This  x 3 – Coke KTCHKK, Coke PTSSHHHH & Coke FZZZZZZZ for Coca-Cola, adam&eve DDB UK, Lovers, Don’t Spread The Hate x 3 – Honey, Butter & Marmalade for Unilever’s Marmite, Lola MullenLowe Madrid, Spain, Clowns x 3, Birthday 1, 4 & 5 for Burger King, VMLY&R x 3 – Earthquake, Tsunami & Hurricane – for Amnistía Internacional, McCann Paris, France, The Non-Issue, for L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect and FCB Chicago, USA, The Gun Violence History Book, for Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence. 

“Made from newspaper articles, facts, and data to showcase a tragic and deadly history that repeats itself. This book has done what history has been unable to do. Stop a bullet" notes Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence on the awarded publication in partnership with FCB Chicago. “The Gun Violence History Book” outlined in 19 chapters and 853 pages, is the 228 years of gun violence history in America.

The articles, facts, and data within are intended to be a tool to teach current and future voters how we can stop repeating history. Additionally, the book has formed part of a learning plan for teachers and schools in Chicago-land.

Where the bullet finally stopped, is a message for readers, “This bullet stopped. But history continues to be written. Support universal background checks at www.stopgunviolencehistory.com.” The site helps connect people with their senators and then sends an automated email urging for universal background checks. The nonprofit is also encouraging communities to support Fix the FOID Act [HB 96] – a new legislation with the goal of addressing loopholes in our existing gun licensing system – by encouraging lawmakers to support it. 

Check the full list of winners here.