BEST TV
Winner: Tonal '
Power Progress'. Some great TV spots in this batch, especially when considering craft, storytelling, and the use of music. I ultimately chose Tonal because of its bravery. In the fitness and workout space, communication often feels overly commoditized - everything reduced to idealized bodies, perfect sunlit photography, and predictable tropes. Then, you encounter a TV spot like this one, with a look and feel reminiscent of a new horror thriller series on a streaming platform. Very bold. And bravery should always be a key factor when judging good creativity.
As the runner up, I'll go with Playstation '
Play has no Limits'. The craft is nice and I like how the brand always finds a way to tell different stories using the iconicity of the buttons.
BEST PRINT
Winner: Claro Music '
The Sanders'. Answering the call for advertising to reclaim its right to be funny, this campaign genuinely made me laugh. Some of the best print ads ever created have relied heavily on humor and a lighthearted touch, so kudos to this celebration of that space. It's a fun and effortless way to combine two distinct icons in a relaxed and playful manner.
For runner-up I'll go with Sky Express '
View with a room'. The shift in perspective in the photograph is kind of fun.
BEST OUTDOOR 
Winner: The Embassy of Sweden '
The Royal Welcome'. This was my favorite piece in the OOH category, primarily because of its tone. I would have expected something entirely formal and distant from an embassy welcoming a King and Queen. But instead, beyond just a clever insight, I loved the energy they brought to it - fun for the King, the Queen, and the plebeians alike!
My runner-up in the outdoor category is Prime Video '
Citadel: Diana'. This category consistently finds new and unexpected places to advertise, and this time, they went even further by discovering an unexpected location and the unexpected people to deliver their message.
BEST INTERACTIVE
Winner: Visit Sweden '
Trademark Sweden'. "Trademark Sweden" has a very clever touch. Why can some things and names be trademarked while others can't? As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and this campaign is a fun way to highlight that Sweden has inspired many cities that wanted to replicate the original. Whether the legal process succeeds or not, this initiative is bound to generate some great PR for the country.
Runner-up: PlazaVea's '
The Kimberly Price' is a very clever idea - discounts that empower a nation to support an athlete. It's truly a win-win concept.
This week's guest judge is
Rafael Pitanguy, deputy global CCO at VML and creative lead for The Coca-Cola Company, based out of New York.
In the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Coca-Cola was awarded Creative Brand of the Year for the first time in its history. Rafa and his team at VML were responsible for more than 60% of the points contributing to this recognition, including the "Thanks for Coke-creating" project, the brand's most awarded initiative to date.
On his previous years, as the former CCO of VMLYR Sao Paulo, Rafael Pitanguy led the agency to the unprecedented recognition for two consecutive years as Track Agency at the Cannes Lions Festival. Among the winning work responsible for this achievement is the Starbucks I AM project, winner of the first Glass Grand Prix for Latin America.
Before that, he served at Africa DDB for 7 years, as Creative Vice President. Throughout these years, the agency was elected International Agency of the Year by Advertising Age.
With Chilean and Brazilian nationality, Rafa has lived in Europe, Latin America, and in the U.S., working for clients such as Coca-Cola, AB InBev, VISA, Mitsubishi, Honda, Telefonica, and more.
Besides advertising, he's passionate about scriptwriting, having worked for Paramount Pictures on many different projects. The feature film "Ponte Aerea", which he co-wrote with acclaimed director Julia Rezende, was pre-selected by the Sundance Festival. In 2024, he launched "Evidencias do amor", a romantic comedy starring two of Brazil's biggest celebrities, Fabio Porchat and Sandy Leah. The film became a big box office hit and received great reviews from the most important publications in the country.
Rafael has over 130 recognitions from Cannes Lions, including 2 Grand Prix and 16 golds, as well as pencils at D&AD and One Show. He has also participated as a panelist and speaker at some of the most prestigious advertising festivals and events, including three major Cannes Lions Talks: "You Belong" with supermodel Valentina Sampaio, "Hear and be Heard" with Academy and Grammy Award winner Jon Batiste, and Cannes Curated Private Speaker along with SNL actor and comedian Kenan Thompson.
Holding two bachelor's degrees, one in Advertising and one in Literature, Rafa's biggest aspiration is to be recognized as the Best Dad in the World by his 3-year-old and 7-year-old kids.
