Hakuhodo Gravity and Hakuhodo Cabin Win Silver Lions at Cannes Lions 2026, World's Largest International Advertising Festival

The "CRAFTMAN, SHIPS" campaign for SHIPS Co., Ltd.'s 50th anniversary, planned and produced by the project team "CREATIVE SESSION" comprising Hakuhodo Gravity Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Yasuyuki Kurohara) and Hakuhodo Cabin Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Motoya Sunouchi), has won Silver Lions in two categories at "Cannes Lions 2026 (Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity)," the world's premier festival for advertising and creativity.

Following recent Gold awards at the "2026 Clio Awards" and "The One Show 2026," this achievement at "Cannes Lions 2026" marks a remarkable feat of winning awards at all three of the world's top advertising festivals. This brings the total number of awards for this campaign to 11 across eight international advertising awards.

In the 2026 Cannes Lions, where outstanding creativity from around the world was gathered with a total of 20,050 entries, the use of AI and the disclosure of its process were mandated for submitted works, with strict evaluation of how creativity engages with AI.

Amidst the official establishment of AI disclosure standards and the significant focus on the digital shift in expression, this campaign, in a seemingly counter-current move, encapsulated SHIPS' unwavering stance over its 50-year history of "the best ordinary" into the statement "Proceeding in Blue." and visualized it with overwhelming craftsmanship.

Completely excluding digital processing, the campaign utilized canvas fabric, also used for "ship sails," and the brand's symbolic blue thread as materials. By employing "embroidery," the origin of garment making, and breathing life into the work, the passion for clothing that resides within the brand was expressed through the hands of artisans who make clothes.

In an era where AI can generate videos in minutes, artisans spent 600 hours, using 42.5 km of thread, to create hundreds of "embroidery frames (stills)" and capture the "tremor" and "texture" of the thread as stop-motion animation, creating "a piece of clothing that comes to life" beyond mere video.

[Award Details]

Advertiser: SHIPS Co., Ltd. 50th Anniversary Campaign "CRAFTMAN, SHIPS"

Award: Cannes Lions 2026

Silver Lion: Industry Craft Lions (Brand & Communications Design)

Silver Lion: Design Lions (Design-Driven Effectiveness)

Award Winners

Creative Director: Ryo Hozoji (Hakuhodo Gravity)

Art Director: Kentaro Harano (Hakuhodo Cabin)

Copywriter: Koji Nozawa (Hakuhodo Cabin)

Producer: Yusuke Tabata (Hakuhodo Gravity) / Daichi Yanaginuma (Hakuhodo Cabin)

Production Company: Hakuhodo Cabin

[Winner's Comment]

Ryo Hozoji

Creative Director / Senior Communication Planner, Hakuhodo Gravity Inc.

In this era, which could be described as a polarization between fast fashion and luxury brands,

Where will SHIPS head in the next 50 years?

As the rise of technology strips individuality from fashion,

SHIPS is sure to be the one to make fashion fun again.

The unquenchable passion for fashion felt from each person at SHIPS,

And the characters that emanate from each of them,

Reminded me of the essence of fashion in some way.

As an advertising creator, to impress as many clothing enthusiasts as possible,

I thought about conveying that passion to many people, while keeping it hot, by composing the video using only the smallest elements of clothing production: "thread" and "fabric," and the "craftsmanship" of sewing.

[About CREATIVE SESSION]

A project team formed by Hakuhodo Gravity and Hakuhodo Cabin to pursue overwhelming creativity in the fashion and lifestyle domain.

It fuses the knowledge of global brands cultivated by Hakuhodo Gravity with the high-quality implementation capabilities of Hakuhodo Cabin. By "sessioning" all methods such as messages, visuals, video, and interactive elements, it constructs brand experiences that resonate with the heart.

CREATIVE SESSION Official Website

https://creativesession.jp

CREATIVE SESSION Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/creativesession_h/

[Company Overview]

Hakuhodo Gravity Inc.

An agency that handles everything from strategy planning to creative production and advertising operations for brands primarily in the fashion, luxury, and lifestyle sectors. It provides total creative solutions that maximize brand value by staying close to the brand's intentions.

Official Website: https://h-gravity.co.jp

Hakuhodo Cabin Inc.

A creative boutique that shapes ideas from conception to implementation with a high level of craft. It embodies essential ideas with expressions that pay attention to every detail.

Official Website: https://www.cabin.co.jp

[Contact Information for Inquiries]

Hakuhodo Gravity Inc.

Public Relations: Asatsuma / Nakanishi

E-mail: koho@h-gravity.co.jp

*Please be sure to include your company name, department, name, and contact information when making inquiries.