CECI N'EST PAS UN LION

The Situation

The DMA Echo Awards Italia wanted to attract entries from the country's top creative agencies, particularly agencies whose work had already won at Cannes Lions.

The problem was attention. How do you convince people who have just won one of advertising's biggest prizes that they should enter another competition?

The Approach

We created the "Ceci n'est pas un Lion" kit, a physical package sent directly to agencies that had won Bronze and Silver Lions at Cannes. The idea played on René Magritte's famous painting: this wasn't a Lion, but it could lead to one.

The kits arrived before the official Cannes trophies, turning the wait for the real prize into a moment to introduce another opportunity. Inside, a simple and compelling message invited agencies to enter their winning work into the DMA Echo Awards.

The medium was part of the idea. Instead of sending another generic call for entries, we created an object with enough wit, timing and craft to earn its place on the recipient's desk.

The Impact

DMA Echo Awards Bronze, 2015. A call for entry that won its own award.

The campaign generated increased submissions from award-winning agencies, demonstrating that the idea succeeded at its primary task: getting the right people to pay attention and enter.

More importantly, the campaign made the call for entries itself worthy of recognition. It became a talking point at Cannes, turning a piece of direct mail into part of the creative conversation.