Cannes Lions 2018: See How Brands Are Taking a Stand on Social Issues

Facebook Business

June 19, 2018

Today on the Facebook Beach stage, we took a look at how brands such as P&G and Burger King are tackling social issues through ad campaigns. We heard from the people responsible for such campaigns and learned how brands can take a stand on important social issues in an authentic way.

Learn how P&G started conversations about racial stereotypes and biases

Facebook’s VP of Global Publisher Sales and Operations Alvin Bowles hosted P&G’s Global Company Communications Director Damon Jones, BBDO’s Director of Integrated Production Dave Rolfe and Founder and CEO of EGAMI Group, Teneshia Jackson to discuss P&G's controversial, award-winning ad campaign, “The Talk.” The ad unpacks racial stereotypes through a look into the first time a parent has to have a conversation about race with their child. P&G found that in African American audiences, 'the talk' refers to the conversation African American parents have with their children to prepare them for the racial tensions and biases they're likely to encounter. P&G wanted to explore this based on the racial tensions that were permeating the US.

Jones explained that P&G's goal was to start the conversation about racial stereotypes, biases and tensions—a conversation that had broad social impact. Jones attributed the success of the campaign to its authenticity. The creative concept was based on real stories and insights making the ad relatable to audiences across the country.

While the ad spurred positive feedback and tons of engagement on social media, it also generated controversy. But Jones explained that P&G anticipated the controversy and was not going to let that stop the brand from taking a stand on this important social issue and encouraging people to discuss racial biases and stereotypes in the US.

As a result of the campaign's mixed reception, P&G received billions of earned media impressions, furthering the campaign's impact. In the end, “The Talk” not only prompted people around the country to discuss racial tensions, but also served as a brand building effort for P&G, positively impacting brand perception among its consumers.

See how Burger King took a stand against bullying

Instagram Creative Shop’s Kay Hsu moderated a conversation with Burger King CMO Fernando Machado and DAVID Miami’s Tony Kalathara. The panel discussed how Burger King's recent ad campaign took a stand against bullying. Machado explained how Burger King has positioned itself as a brand that welcomes everyone and is known for allowing people to “have it their way.” The brand wanted to elevate that idea into something deeper and more meaningful for society. Burger King identified bullying as a force against feeling welcome and allowing people to “be their way,” and that served as the impetus for its anti-bullying campaign.

Machado talked about the importance of finding a link between your brand and issues that are important to people, as this enables you to insert your brand into the conversation in ways that are relevant to the brand and its values. This enabled Burger King to successfully enter the conversation about bullying through its campaign built for social impact, which was grounded in the brand's values of inclusivity and individuality.

And as Hsu noted, taking a stand is not only good for society, but is also good for business. Machado explained how Burger King's anti-bullying campaign supported brand-building efforts which they measured through impressions, engagement and brand sentiment. These metrics indicated the positive impact of the campaign and also contributed to sales in the long term.

Given Burger King and P&G's successes, we hope this inspires other brands to take a stand.

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