Commentary

Dan Wieden Helped Create Titanium Lions -- Now The Award Is Named After Him

The Cannes Lions organization is paying tribute to ad legend Dan Wieden by renaming the Titanitum Lions the Dan Wieden Titanium Lions.

Wieden, who co-founded the ad agency Wieden & Kennedy, died in September at the age of 77. His business partner and agency co-founder David Kennedy died a little over a year ago at the age of 82.

Wieden was the impetus for creating the Titanium Lions award two-decades ago. According to the Lions organization, he did so in 2003 when BMW's pioneering digital short film, "The Hire," was recognized by a slew of juries as being an outstanding piece of work but outside the boundaries of each of their Lions categories. 

As a result, the film picked up just one Lion that year.

Wieden then urged the organization to create a new award to celebrate provocative, "boundary-busting, envy-inspiring work" that wasn't limited to a particular category.

Cannes responded by creating the Titanium Lion to recognize such efforts.

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Philip Thomas, Chairman, Lions, stated, “Dan Wieden shaped Cannes Lions in so many ways, but the creation of the Titanium Lions is the most dramatic, and most fitting for such a visionary. That this award will forever reflect his passion, commitment and creative genius by bearing his name will, I hope, be a fitting memorial from our industry to one of its greatest talents.”

Added Simon Cook, CEO, Lions: “We continue to honor Dan Wieden and brief our Titanium Juries using his original, timeless 20 year old definition. It’s because of Dan that we ask the jury to award work that ‘causes the industry to stop in its tracks and reconsider the way forward' year on year. The Dan Wieden Titanium Lions will forever honor his legacy and serve as a symbol for game changing creative excellence for generations to come."

Wieden served as a Cannes Lions Jury President twice and in his lifetime Wieden + Kennedy was awarded 396 Lions.

In 2012 Wieden was honored with the group's Lion of St. Mark award.

Separately to also help honor Wieden's legacy, the Lions said it would donate a portion of funds annually from the entry fees from the Sustainable Development Goals Lions to Caldera Arts, an arts and environmental summer camp founded by Wieden and his family. 
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