The Advertising Council Australia (ACA) has been appointed as the official representative of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Australia, taking over the duty from The Misfits, the publishing and events company behind B&T and Travel Weekly.

The Misfits was the local representative of the festival for five years, having been appointed in 2019. APN Outdoor had held the remit previously. 

Now, Australia's peak body for advertising agencies will join an international network that sets benchmarks for creative excellence and innovation in advertising, and will be responsible for supporting local agencies and clients, nominating Jury members, organising the Young Lions competition, and hosting events and screenings of Lion-winning work throughout the year.

"Partnering with Cannes Lions is the natural progression in ACA’s established program of work to champion creativity. With the industry going through such disruption and change, it is essential that we develop greater confidence in creativity’s ability to generate growth across all aspects of business. We are thrilled with the partnership and the natural synergies between our pillars and the roles of WARC and Contagious, and look forward to collaborating with Cannes Lions over the coming years." said Tony Hale, CEO, Advertising Council Australia.

Managing Director, WARC APAC and SVP Lions Division, Ed Pank, is currently in Australia for WARC’s ‘Creative Impact Unpacked’ event series in Sydney and Melbourne.

"To be represented locally by one of the most credible and authoritative bodies in Australian advertising is a great fit for Cannes Lions. We look forward to collaborating with the ACA team across all the LIONS brands, including WARC and Contagious, to push the boundaries of creative marketing that matters in this key market for the business," said Pank,

CEO of LIONS, Simon Cook, said: "For over 70 years, Cannes Lions has served as a convening force for the global creative community, and we are delighted to now be able to offer that community the unique expertise from Advertising Council Australia. There is so much creative talent in the region, and we look forward to welcoming that talent, along with their ideas and energy, to the festival."

It comes as Ascential, the parent company of Cannes Lions and WARC, is set to be acquired by Informa in a deal worth 1.2 billion pounds (A$2.36 billion).