The Truth Gets a Win at Cannes Lions 2019

“The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history.” That is scary. No wonder it came from George Orwell. It is also inspiring. It can motivate us to do the opposite: make sure truth wins. The New York Times thinks so. They have the hardware to prove it.

“The Truth Is Worth It,” was a 2018 campaign that highlighted the danger, bravery, perseverance, and resolve of New York Times journalists. It was the latest in The Times “Truth is Hard” movement, which showed original, independent reporting requires resources, time, and devotion. For this chapter of the campaign, The Times turned to Droga5 to create shorts that brought light to the above characteristics of Times journalists.

The campaign was well-received and finished its run at the 2019 Cannes Lions Awards, winning the Film and Film Craft Grand Prix. This was the latest haul in an already decorated run (top nods from One Show, D&AD and AICP). The Grand Prix particularly applauded the work’s editing, but also awarded its sound design, production design, and script.

“Craft is quite subjective and it is in the eye of the beholder, but this particular idea at its core was so complimented by the craft in every single aspect that it was seamless, it was immersive… It was a very strong piece of work and we all felt very proud about it,” said Film Craft Jury Chair Rebecca Skinner, managing director and executive producer of Superprime. The jury win was a unanimous decision. The respect and need for truth is unanimous too.