This has been another breakthrough year for branded content. You don’t need to look any further than the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity awards (also known as “Lions”), which recognized a host of amazing content in their branded content category. We’ve long been committed to helping content-driven advertising succeed and become a mainstream marketing strategy, so we were especially excited to see multiple clients campaigns come home with awards.

In a very close vote, Chipotle was awarded the top Lion, know as the Grand Prix, over some stiff competition, such as Montblanc International’s “The Beauty of a Second” by Leo Burnett Milan, Carling Black Label’s “Be the Coach” by Ogilvy in South Africa, and “Great Crusade” for Australian airline Qantas by Sydney agency Wonder.

Many of you probably remember the incredibly emotional and sophisticated campaign from Chipotle titled “Cultivate”. With a focus on sustainable and humane farming practices, Chipotle and agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) tells an animated story about a farmer takes a stand against the growing industrialization and hormone-filled practices that have become commonplace.

Additional Sharethrough campaigns and partners also had strong showings:

Canon USA’s “Project Imagination” by Grey NY received a Silver Lion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbHtzlCAQ7o

and Mr. Pizza’s “True Origins of Pizza” by SS+K and MLB’s “MLB Fan Cave” by Hill Holliday received Bronze Lions