Observed Signal · Aug 4, 2026 · Award · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Elf Beauty's Bad Bunny Telenovela Wins Grand Prix
Elf Beauty turned a cultural moment — a Bad Bunny Super Bowl joke — into a telenovela-style campaign promoting its Glow Reviver Lip Oil. The quickly produced spot (assembled in about 10 days) featured a star-studded cast including Melissa McCarthy, Itatí Cantoral and Nicholas Gonzalez. The campaign won the Grand Prix at The Drum Awards for Marketing and, according to Elf’s chief brand officer Laurie Lam, generated 18 billion earned media impressions, 97% positive sentiment and a 154% increase in new customers. The Drum published an interview with Lam and Tim Ringel of agency Meet the People as part of a new Award-Winning Case Studies video series; entries for The Drum Awards Festival are open.
Notable creative case demonstrating fast-turn cultural marketing and strong earned-media impact, but it is a single brand campaign and award — not a platform-level policy or technology change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Elf Beauty’s telenovela campaign won the Grand Prix at The Drum Awards for Marketing.
- The campaign was produced in roughly 10 days.
- The creative featured cast members Melissa McCarthy, Itatí Cantoral and Nicholas Gonzalez.
- The campaign generated 18 billion earned media impressions and 97% positive sentiment (reported by The Drum).
- Elf Beauty reported a 154% increase in new customers following the campaign (per Laurie Lam).
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The Ordinary Wins Health & Wellness Grand Prix at Cannes
Day 1 of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (22 June 2026) introduced the new Creative Brand Lions. Anheuser‑Busch InBev won the Creative Brand Lions Grand Prix, while Mastercard also took a Creative Brand Lion. Novartis won the Pharma Grand Prix for "Relax Your Tight End," a work submitted by Fallon (Minneapolis). Swiss entries were shortlisted (including Nestlé’s Kitkat case “The idea that never had a break”) but did not win on day one. Two additional shortlists — Brand Experience & Activation and Creative Data — were published on Monday where Switzerland had no representation. Switzerland currently retains eight remaining opportunities for Lions as more shortlists are due to be published through Wednesday. This article supplements other day‑one coverage that listed multiple Grand Prix winners from Cannes Lions 2026.
Ads of the Week: 9 Standout Brand Campaigns
Adweek highlights nine notable ad campaigns and brand activations, led by celebrity-driven spots and creative stunts. Major items include Dua Lipa (with a George Clooney cameo) as Nespresso’s new global brand ambassador in a refreshed visual campaign; Sydney Sweeney’s sequel spot for American Eagle; Megan Fox starring in Dr. Squatch’s comedic deodorant campaign; Hudson Williams featured in Peloton’s new fitness spot alongside instructors Tunde Oyeneyin and Adrian Williams; and Dove’s vending-machine installation at London’s Waterloo Station exposing algorithmic beauty pressures. Liquid Death collaborated with Pop-Tarts for a limited-edition iced tea, Kotex released a word-of-mouth focused spot, and OFFF Barcelona rolled out promotional creative. Intuit TurboTax’s ad (debuted Jan. 26) was named Most Effective Ad of the Week, measured as 66% more effective than the Financial Services category average during April 8–14 and aired most frequently on AMC.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Conjures Up “The e.l.f.ing Magical Sisters” a Spooky Season Campaign Highlighting Soft Glam Cream Blush & Bronzer Sticks
New press releases added: e.l.f. Cosmetics launches spooky season campaign, drops second original album 'Mirror Mix', launches in Brazil exclusively with Sephora, and announces Q1 FY2027 results.
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