Apple's World Gallery, part of the "Shot on iPhone 6" media blitz, was honored at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival for Creativity with five Gold Lions and a Grand Prix award in the outdoor category.
Apple's new "Shot on iPhone 6" billboards went up on Monday. | Source: Julian Bialowas via Twitter
The World Gallery, dreamed up cooperation with longtime Apple PR partner TBWA\Media Arts Lab, took home multiple awards at Cannes Lions, but the crowd-sourced campaign's billboard initiative particularly impressed jurors.
Speaking with Fast Company, jury president Juan Carlos Ortiz, creative chairman ad agency DDB Americas, heaped praise on the idea of sourcing media from the public sphere. The strategy flies in the face of traditional media strategies which rely on art contracted from professional photographers.
"It's not just a great idea, it's a game changer," Ortiz said. "It's really opening a new way of doing things and changing behavior."
World Gallery first showed up online in March as a collection of images taken by iPhone 6 users. While some images were captured by professionals in the photography field, many were shot by pro-am or amateur users. Earlier this month, Apple added a video section to the minisite, again featuring footage borrowed from iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners.
Aside from its advertising work, Apple also has a substantial behind-the-scenes presence at this year's Cannes Lions Festival, as the event's official app is built around iBeacon technology.