CECI N'EST PAS UN LION

The Situation

The DMA Echo Awards Italia wanted to increase participation from top creative agencies. Specifically, they wanted agencies that had won at Cannes Lions to enter their work into the DMA Echo Awards.

The challenge: how do you get the attention of people who just won at the biggest creative festival in the world?

The Approach

We created the "Ceci n'est pas un Lion" kit, a physical package sent to agencies that had won Bronze and Silver Lions at Cannes. The reference to Magritte was deliberate: this is not a Lion, but it could lead to one. The kits arrived before the official Cannes trophies were delivered, which meant they landed at a moment of maximum attention and pride.

Inside was a compelling note making the case for entering the DMA Echo Awards. The timing, the packaging, and the conceptual sharpness of the Magritte reference made it hard to ignore.

It was a call for entry that applied the same creative standard it was asking agencies to demonstrate.

The Impact

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

The campaign drove increased submissions from award-winning agencies, validating the approach. The Magritte reference gave it cultural weight beyond a standard direct mail piece, and the timing — arriving before the official Lions trophies — ensured it landed when creative directors were paying the most attention.

It became a talking point at Cannes itself.