Latest news with #Golds
Campaign ME
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
Cannes Lions 2025: On creativity, heaviness and the power of joy
As a half-Palestinian, attending Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity last year was heavy. Putting on a happy face to talk to customers, partners, and prospects while keeping my family in Palestine in my heart was hard. Not much has improved this year, but as many in my community remind me, finding joy and appreciating the everyday is something we must keep doing. As a shortlisting juror for the Creative Strategy category at Cannes this year, that perspective stayed with me as I reviewed nearly 290 entries. I've been coming to Cannes for over a decade, and since Dove launched the Real Beauty Movement, we've seen a wave of purpose-led campaigns tackling the world's biggest problems. When done right, this work is transformative. AXA's Three Words, which went on to win this year's Grand Prix Titanium, is a brilliant example. It came from a sector not typically known for creative risk-taking and showed how strategy, insight, and bravery can come together to drive real cultural and business impact. But what stood out this year was how refreshing it felt when brands didn't try to carry the weight of the world. Because let's face it, the world is heavy. Escapism isn't just welcome, it's meaningful. Some of the most resonant work embraced wit, lightness, and joy. It reminded me why I love this industry: creativity has the power to emotionally captivate, to move people, and yes, to move product. The brands that sparked delight were the ones that stood out. Heinz continues to surprise and entertain (ketchup in hagelslag , anyone?) a brilliant piece of work by GUT. It's a masterclass in cultural specificity that's still globally accessible. , anyone?) a brilliant piece of work by GUT. It's a masterclass in cultural specificity that's still globally accessible. 7-Eleven's Loser Pizza made people laugh while connecting with a niche sports audience. A fresh, clever take on feeling down. It proved that small insights, when deeply human, can scale. made people laugh while connecting with a niche sports audience. A fresh, clever take on feeling down. It proved that small insights, when deeply human, can scale. Grey Thailand's Sad Khamachan used melancholy to spark national conversation, becoming the most awarded campaign in Thai history. used melancholy to spark national conversation, becoming the most awarded campaign in Thai history. Nutter Butter's You Good? embraced absurdity with purpose, winning two Golds and proving nonsense can be strategic. embraced absurdity with purpose, winning two Golds and proving nonsense can be strategic. FP7 McCann's Read Better for Waterstones delivered a deeply insightful message. With a wink, not a lecture. It hit that rare balance of meaning and memorability. For many, humour isn't a cop-out, it's a connector. These campaigns were emotional and commercial wins. Our vision is to help every brand feel personal to their customers. Yet despite advances in digital tools, Braze's 2025 Global Customer Engagement Review found that 85 per cent of marketing execs are concerned their messages aren't hitting home and over half feel very or extremely concerned. The takeaway? Brands must balance technology and content to create work that resonates. It starts with treating customers less like users, and more like people. Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence was a major theme at Cannes this year, appearing in everything from mainstage talks to whispered hallway debates. But the most compelling conversations weren't just about automation. They were about amplification. The most forward-thinking marketers are using agentic AI not just to increase efficiency, but to fuel more expressive, adaptive creativity. AI has the potential to give creative teams more space to experiment, tailor campaigns with precision, and unlock emotional relevance at scale. Done right, it's not a replacement for creative strategy, it's a multiplier. Ultimately, our goal is simple: help brands tap into creativity that doesn't just reach people, but moves them. That's why the work that stayed with me this year wasn't always the boldest or the loudest. It was the work that made people feel something, sometimes deeply, sometimes lightly, but always meaningfully. By Mariam Asmar, VP, Brand and Strategic Consulting at Braze
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Amrut Distilleries bags three double golds at San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Synopsis Amrut Distilleries secures top honors at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2025. The Indian distillery earns three Double Golds and one Gold. Amrut Fusion, Indian Single Malt, and Kurinji Single Malt receive Double Gold awards. Amrut Peated Single Malt wins Gold. Rakshit N Jagdale expresses pleasure at the recognition. The awards reaffirm Amrut's commitment to world-class spirits.
The Citizen
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Ballito Royals FC enjoy fantastic first week of fixtures
Ballito Royals FC enjoyed a fantastic start to the season last weekend, winning seven of their opening nine matches. All nine age-group teams compete in the Greater Durban Local Football Association and played their opening fixtures away on Sunday. Both U7 teams claimed victory, with the Blues beating Westville Old Boys FC 3-2 and the Golds smashing Virginia FC 7-0. The U8s matched the heroics, with the Blues toppling Virginia 3-0 and the Golds dominating Stella FC 5-1. The U9 Blues played hard away to Amaselesele but unfortunately lost 2-0. It was another double win in the U10 age group, with the Blues registering a massive 8-0 victory at Stella and the Golds just about matching them with a 7-0 rout at Chiltern Park FC. The U11s had mixed results, as the As were beaten 5-1 by DH7, while the Bs comfortably overcame Stella 3-0. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line takes on cruise class controversy
Carnival cruisers who have reached the highest levels in the cruise line's VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) loyalty program, Platinum and Diamond VIFPs, have a reputation for sometimes acting entitled. Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald often receives complaints on his popular Facebook page from some of these high-status passengers demanding special treatment on reputation that Platinum and Diamond Carnival cruisers have gained has also led to rumors about ways that these cruisers flaunt their status over others on board. Since Carnival issues passengers onboard Sail & Sign key cards in colors that signify their levels in the VIFP program, the fact that some Platinum and Diamond cruisers wear these cards on lanyards around their necks has sent the wrong message to some cruisers. John Heald recently dedicated a Facebook video to this cruise class controversy in an effort to combat the latest rumor, and to share his perspective on Heald: Good morning, good afternoon, and to my friends in Cleveland, New Zealand and Australia, good evening. I don't know why I say that every time. Welcome to today's three-minute video, and we're going to talk a little bit this morning about a post I received yesterday from somebody who we will call Michael because, well that's his name. And Michael says: 'A big discussion on Cruise Critic. Will the Grand Pooh Bear — and in brackets: you Heald lol, care to comment? — It has been said that most Diamond and Platinum [VIFPs] wear their Sail & Sign card on their lanyards at all times to impress the lowly Golds, Reds and Blues. Of course, they do. What do you say, John?' Well, thank you very much, Michael, Mickey. I think it's brilliant, by the way, that you've put Cruise Critic in with a capital C and a capital C, but when you've written my name, not only did you not call me John, but Heald is in all small case, so no capital for my name. Does not bother me in the slightest and if you tried to get under my skin it's not working. It's not right, seriously, I think some of our most loyal guests do wear their Sail & Sign card on a lanyard to show, simply, how proud they are of their loyalty. Now this is very much a cruise thing. You will never see this on Cleveland Airlines with a Diamond Platinum Elite member walks down the aisle with an airline card around their neck. It's just a cruise thing, but although I do think it is mostly for convenience, I think that a lot of, or some of, our most loyal guests do want to show their loyalty and it's not to look down on people who are not Diamond or Platinum. It is just to say, 'Look what I have done, look what I have achieved. I'm proud. I love Carnival.'And those last three words I would like to think is the reason that most people who have reached those levels wear their cabin key around a lanyard. So that's my answer. I'll be interested to see what others have to say on this, but I would say that 99% of our Diamond and Platinum guests wear their card around their neck simply because they are proud. Nothing more and nothing less. More Carnival cruise news:Now, I don't have any news on the new loyalty program. As soon as I do, of course, we will share it in the usual way. They do say if you want to talk about loyalty, you have to talk about a pet and it always reminds me of this story: There are three pets. They pass away and they go to heaven and they meet God. And God wants to know what they believe in and he looks first at the German Shepherd and says, 'What do you believe in?' and the German Shepherd says, 'I believe in discipline and loyalty to my family,' and God said, 'Well done, you can sit on my right side.' Then he looks at the next pet. It's a Shih Tzu — It's not where the joke's going — It's a Shih Tzu, and God says to the Shih Tzu, 'What do you believe in?' and the Shih Tzu says, 'I believe in love and care and cuddles and loyalty,' and God said, 'You can sit on my left side.' And then God looks at the cat and says to the cat, 'What do you believe in?' and the cat looks at God and says, 'I believe you're sitting in my seat.'
