Ketchum and its Clients Win Nine Awards at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

NEW YORK and CANNES, France, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global public relations agency Ketchum was honored with nine Cannes Lion awards for its work on behalf of its clients at the PR and Promo & Activation Lions ceremonies, the first award ceremonies of the 60th annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which were held last night in Cannes, France. Ketchum is the only PR firm to have won Cannes Lions across multiple categories. The agency won seven PR Lions (one Gold and six Bronze) and two Silver Promo & Activation Lions.

"The Cannes Lions Festival is the leading celebration of creativity in communications, and it recognizes the most creative marketing ideas and programs from around the world. As those of us in the communications industry are well aware, the lines between marketing disciplines have blurred and competition is fierce, so we are extremely proud to receive these honors on behalf of the work we've done in collaboration with our clients," said Rob Flaherty, senior partner and CEO of Ketchum. "As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, we are so pleased to partner with the Cannes Lions as it marks its 60th year and to stand among the ranks of the most innovative and forward-thinking firms in the industry."

Ketchum and its clients won Cannes Lions in the following categories:

PR Lions

GOLD LION: CHARITY AND NONPROFIT
"Tree Concert"
BUND – Friends of the Earth with Ketchum Pleon, BBDO and BBDO Proximity

BRONZE LION: BEST LAUNCH OR RELAUNCH
"Philips Makes Ironing Hot"
Philips' PerfectCare with OneVoice Connect

BRONZE LION: BEST USE OF LIVE EVENTS AND STUNTS
"Tree Concert"
BUND – Friends of the Earth with Ketchum Pleon and BBDO Proximity

BRONZE LION: BEST USE OF MEDIA RELATIONS
"Beat for Me, Argentina"
Danone Argentina S.A. with Ketchum Argentina and +Castro

BRONZE LION: CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT
"7UP TEN – McKayla Maroney is Finally Impressed"
Dr Pepper Snapple Group with Ketchum

BRONZE LION: CRISIS AND ISSUES MANAGEMENT
"From Food Wars to Food Dialogues"
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance with Ketchum

BRONZE LION: ENVIRONMENTAL PR
"Tree Concert"
BUND – Friends of the Earth with Ketchum Pleon, BBDO and BBDO Proximity

Promo & Activation Lions

SILVER LION: BEST USE OF SHOPPER MARKETING IN A PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN
"7-Election"
7-Eleven with Ketchum

SILVER LION: FOOD AND NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
"7-Election"
7-Eleven with Ketchum

The Cannes Lions Festival was established in 1954 and is generally viewed as the pinnacle event of the annual awards season for the global communications industry. This year, David Gallagher, senior partner and CEO of Ketchum's European operations, was selected by the Cannes leadership for the prestigious role of serving as president of this year's PR Lions jury. A Ketchum delegate has served on the PR Lions jury since 2009, the first year public relations was included in the competition.

In 2009, Ketchum was honored with one of the first-ever PR Lions for its "Haagen-Dazs Loves Honey Bees" campaign in the Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Issues category. And in 2011, Ketchum, as part of OneVoice, won a Silver PR Lion in the Technology and Manufacturing category on behalf of Philips for its "Parallel Lines" campaign.

In 2013, Ketchum returns as the exclusive global sponsor of the third annual Cannes Lions Young Marketers Competition, which recognizes in-house marketers, age 30 or under, from around the world and gives them the opportunity to showcase their work in front of industry leaders at the Cannes Lions Festival. Medals will be presented to the winners at an awards ceremony on Friday, June 21.

The Cannes Lions are the latest in a series of top honors recently awarded to Ketchum. Just last week, Ketchum took home nine Silver Anvil awards, more than any other agency. In May, Ketchum was named EMEA Consultancy of the Year, won 12 Americas SABRE Awards and won five EMEA SABRE Awards. In March, Ketchum won three PRWeek Awards on behalf of its client work. And in 2012, Ketchum received the European Excellence Award for Agency of the Year.

About the 60th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, June 16 to 22, 2013, Cannes, France

The International Festival of Creativity, also known as Cannes Lions, is the world's leading celebration of creativity in communications. Founded in 1954, the Festival takes place every June in Cannes, France. As the most prestigious international annual advertising and communications awards, over 34,300 entries from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Festival. Winning companies receive the highly coveted Lion trophy, a global benchmark of creative excellence, for Film, Print, Outdoor, Interactive, Radio, Design, Promo & Activation, Film Craft, Mobile, Branded Content & Entertainment and Integrated advertising, as well as the best Media, Direct, PR, Titanium and Creative Effectiveness ideas. The Festival is also the only truly global meeting place for advertisers, advertising and communication professionals. More than 11,000 delegates from 95 countries attend a week-long program of exhibitions, screenings and talks by worldwide thought leaders. As the networking and learning opportunity of the year, Cannes Lions is the must-attend event for anyone involved in brand communications.

About Ketchum

Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. Named 2012 PR Agency of the Year (PRWeek) and the winner of an unprecedented three consecutive PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of Diversified Agency Services, a division of Omnicom Group Inc., visit www.ketchum.com.

About Diversified Agency Services

Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), manages Omnicom's holdings in a variety of marketing communications disciplines. DAS includes over 200 companies, which operate through a combination of networks and regional organizations, serving international and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

SOURCE Ketchum