At the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the Film Grand Prix was awarded to two standout campaigns: Orange’s bold spot challenging perceptions of women’s football, and the Sydney Opera House’s poetic tribute to its own cultural legacy.
Orange, in partnership with agency Marcel, stunned audiences with a film that initially appeared to showcase the skills of top male footballers. Midway through, the reveal: the footage was actually of female players from the French national team, with deepfake technology used to swap their faces. The campaign dismantled assumptions about athleticism and gender in real time — a provocative commentary on unconscious bias in sports marketing.
Meanwhile, the Sydney Opera House collaborated with agency The Monkeys to mark its 50th anniversary. Their film, titled “Play It Safe”, was an atmospheric journey through memory, architecture, and sound — blending archival footage, poetic narration, and visual metaphor to reassert the Opera House’s role not just as a building, but as a living cultural force.
Both films, though stylistically different, shared a commitment to pushing boundaries. Orange disrupted expectations with a digital twist; the Opera House invited reflection through immersive storytelling. The Cannes jury recognized the power of both approaches, awarding them equally for redefining what brand storytelling can achieve on screen.
