The world’s leading brewer’s approach to creativity as a competitive advantage results in strong performance and increased revenues
The Cannes Lions International Festival of
Creativity has announced AB InBev as the 2026 Creative Marketer of the Year. The
honorary accolade is presented to a marketer that has amassed a body of iconic,
Lion-winning work over a sustained period of time. AB InBev’s continued
commitment to using creativity as a growth lever across its portfolio resulted
in it winning an impressive 37 Lions at last year’s Festival.
AB InBev is the first company in Cannes
Lions’ history to be honoured with the award for a third time. Since 2021 the
global brewer has embarked on a journey of inorganic to organic growth, betting
on creativity as a key competitive advantage that has contributed to strong
performance and increased revenues.
About the honour, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS,
said: “AB InBev has embedded creativity into how it operates, not just how it
leverages marketing, and it is consistently outperforming as a result. By
prioritising creativity at a C-suite level and implementing an internal
creative effectiveness system, it continues to demonstrate the clear and
compelling link between creative excellence and commercial performance. This is
a historic win, recognising a company that has made creativity scalable,
measurable and sustainable across hundreds of brands globally.”
AB InBev’s published Q1 2026 business
results demonstrate strong momentum across its global footprint, achieving
all-time high revenues and increased beer volumes. Its focused and consistent consumer-centric
strategy builds brands to drive sustainable long-term growth – with 20 “+1
billion-dollar” brands.
About the award, Marcel Marcondes,
Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev, said: “Creativity is always in
service to driving growth. To be named Creative Marketer of the Year for the
third time in the last five years reflects our consistent and sustainable
approach to building brands people love. It’s also a credit to the amazing teams
and agency partners we have around the world that are delivering all-time high
revenues. Cheers to everyone that helped make this history-making recognition
possible.”
At Cannes Lions the Juries have
consistently recognised AB InBev and last year awarded work from 10 countries
across a breadth of 15 different Lion Awards. Additionally, the Global Effie Index
ranked AB InBev as the World’s Most Effective Marketer for the fourth year in a row, and in the
Kantar BrandZ rankings, AB InBev brands lead the world’s most valuable beer
brands, taking eight of the top 10 places, with Corona ranked number one for
two years in a row.
AB InBev will open the 2026 Cannes Lions
programme, delivering a keynote on the Lumière Theatre stage at 10am, Monday 22
June. Following this, it will be honoured as Creative Marketer of the Year at
the final Awards Show of the Festival on Friday 26 June.
