Four Cannes Lions-winning campaigns redefining live sports, CTV ads and retail media

From engineering live moments on TV’s biggest stage to turning bank notifications into ad space, this year’s Cannes Lions winners proved that standout campaigns don’t just grab attention — they earn engagement, prove effectiveness and move the business needle.

Here’s how four winning brands raised the bar for audience connection, precision targeting and performance. And if you notice a shoutout or two for Brazil, it’s because it won the inaugural award for Creative Country of the Year.

Rocket’s ‘Own the Dream’: Turning a Super Bowl ad into a live moment of unity

Gold Cannes Lion winner - Media

Mortgage company Rocket didn’t just buy a Super Bowl slot — they claim to have made broadcasting history by creating the first-ever live commercial crossover.

More than 65,000 fans sang along to John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” int –the stadium, following Rocket’s 60-second ad spot which featured the song. Millions more watched from their living rooms as the ad, intended to reignite belief in homeownership, turned into an unexpected 15-second sing-along during the live broadcast.

This pivot from passive viewing to participatory experience delivered huge results. Rocket gained over 7.7 billion earned media impressions and saw a 42% jump in stock price along with a 115% spike in new accounts within a week.

Why it worked: It shows that when brands combine bold media strategy with an emotive cultural moment, they can do more than interrupt a live broadcast — they can make an audience feel like they’re part of something meaningful.

For marketers, it’s a master class in turning paid airtime into earned headlines and measurable customer growth.

Heineken: Reimagining Netflix pause ads as a local bar

Gold Cannes Lion winner - Media

In Brazil, Heineken turned an on-screen moment’s pause into an excuse for a beer.

When Netflix rolled out pause ads, not all brands saw beyond a standard media slot. Heineken, however, saw an on-demand bar. By embedding smart QR codes, they turned pause screens into instant beer orders delivered in under 10 minutes.

The campaign hit all the sweet spots: a 48% conversion rate, 32 million impressions and a 59% increase in unique users for Brazilian delivery app iFood.

Why it worked: It’s proof that the right context can transform a screen into a service channel. For brands seeking higher levels of engagement, the campaign showed how to fuse entertainment and e-commerce to create business impact.

Burger King: Transforming Brazil’s banking system into an unexpected marketing channel

Silver Cannes Lion winner - Creative Data

Burger King used Brazil’s instant payment system, Pix, to promote their Black Friday deal. Instead of sending out SMS or email ads, the fast-food chain used first-party data to make a one-cent bank transfer to loyalty members, transforming Pix’s push notification for the payment into a promotion for Burger King’s “two nuggets for 25 cents” offer.

The result? Over 19 million people received surprise pennies directly in their bank apps — a place where ads don’t normally exist. The buzz flooded social, generated $1.2 million in sales on a minimal budget and drove a record-breaking Black Friday for the brand, including 1 million new loyalty sign-ups.

Why it worked: It’s a good reminder that smart use of first-party data can open up unexpected channels and deliver measurable results when brands think beyond conventional media.

Ziploc: One man’s trash…

Silver Cannes Lion winner - Media

Food expires, but so do food coupons. This insight led U.S. food-storage brand Ziploc to partner with over 80 retailer media networks to turn expired coupons into live discounts.

Shoppers just had to scan their expired coupons to get a new code, which could be redeemed across participating retailers if they added Ziploc to their cart.

Ziploc saw 14% more buyers compared to the previous year in only a couple of weeks, with 10% of them being new-to-category buyers — leading to a 5% unit sales increase.

Why it worked: Ziploc didn’t just advertise through retail media but built utility into it. It’s a great example of how retail media can go beyond targeting and conversions to streamline the act of purchasing itself.