Cannes' Lion of St. Mark finally goes to a woman ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
Not coming through? Click here to view in browser
 
 
 
 
AdFreak
 
June 9, 2020
By David Griner
 
 
Mary Wells Lawrence Will Be the First Woman to Win Cannes Lions' Lifetime Achievement Award
 

Here's a list of names you're sure to recognize, though you'll also recognize they have one notable thing in common:

Sir John Hegarty
Dan Wieden
Lee Clow
Joe Pytka
Bob Greenberg
Marcello Serpa
David Droga
Piyush Pandey and Prasoon Pandey
Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein

Those famed ad luminaries are the only recipients of the Cannes Lions lifetime achievement award, The Lion of St. Mark. And yep, they're all men.

That's going to change in 2020, when the festival (which, sadly, will be virtual this year) adds Mary Wells Lawrence to this storied list.

As my colleague Kathryn Lundstrom details in her article about the news today, Wells Lawrence is one of advertising's most celebrated female pioneers.

She was the first woman to found, own and run a major agency (Wells Rich Greene), and when it went public, she was the first female CEO of an NYSE-traded company.

She's also credited with enduring lines like “I love New York” and jingles such as Alka-Seltzer’s “Plop plop, fizz fizz.”

The honor marks a noteworthy shift for Cannes Lions, which so far has honored leaders who are either still somewhat new to retirement or, honestly, nowhere close to retirement (David Droga received the award when he was just 49 years old).

By including Wells Lawrence, now 92 years old, the festival not only finally acknowledges a woman alongside her (younger) peers, but also hints that it might take a longview with future iterations of The Lion of St. Mark rather than focusing on recent names that already get plenty of praise and attention.

Congratulations to Mary Wells Lawrence and to the many women who have already followed her example and will also follow her in being honored for lifetimes of achievement.

David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com

Adweek has its thumb on the pulse of the marketing world. With an Adweek Pro Subscription, take advantage of the full breadth of our team's intelligence and learn what you need to know to get ahead.

 
 
 
 
 
 
600 Black Advertising Professionals Demand Meaningful Action From Leadership in Open Letter
 
The signatories represent talent from nearly every major agency in the country
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Adweek Promos and Events
Join Wieden + Kennedys Colleen DeCourcy and More Live
 

Don't miss the Elevate: Creativity and Experiential live virtual event, part of Adweek at Home, on June 18 at 1 p.m. ET. We'll hear from industry leaders like HBO's Jackie Gagne, e.l.f.'s Kory Marchisotto, Wieden + Kennedy's Colleen DeCourcy and more. We'll also celebrate 2020's Creative 100 honorees and winners of this year's Adweek Experiential Awards.  Save your virtual seat today.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1 Drink for the Price of 2? In Belgium, 'Helpy Hour' Aims to Give Pubs a Boost
 
Campaign hopes to reinvigorate bars after lockdown
 
 
 
 
 
Promoted Content by Zeotap
Here's What It Takes to Activate a True 360-Degree Customer Profile
 
Here's What It Takes to Activate a True 360-Degree Customer Profile
 
 
 
 
 
 
This 'Broken' Typeface Symbolizes the Language Barriers Many New Yorkers Face
 
The PSA for Literacy Partners will make an appearance in Times Square
 
 
 
 
 
After a Year Without a Global CMO, McDonald's Names Alistair Macrow to the Job
 
He replaces Colin Mitchell, a veteran of the fast-food giant
 
 
 
 
 
To Show Fukushima Crops are Safe, an Agency Made a Book Out of Rice Paper Grown There
 
Serviceplan created the project for a company whose sensors have shown the safety of decontaminated fields
 
 
 
 
 
Consumers Want Brands to Take a Moral Stand on Racial Justice, Edelman Study Shows
 
Report reveals silence on racism is no longer an option
 
 
 
 
 
Let's Talk About Racial Inequity. Send Me a Note
 
We need immediate efforts in an industry notoriously lacking in diversity
 
 
 
 
 
 
Featured Jobs
Sabii Digital
Jersey City, New Jersey
 
Jam3
Los Angeles , California
 
Wakefern Food Corp.
Edison, New Jersey
 
David Zwirner Gallery
New York, New York
 
square, inc
San Francisco, California
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
fb tw in insta
 
 
 
You’re subscribed to Adweek’s AdFreak as newsletter@newslettercollector.com


© 2020 Adweek, LLC • 261 Madison Avenue • 8th Floor • New York, NY 10016
UnsubscribeUpdate PreferencesSubscribe
Terms of ServicePrivacy PolicyForward to a Friend
 
AdChoicesLearn more about AdChoices for LiveIntent
 
 
Link