Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN) has congratulated X3M Ideas for being the first Nigerian agency to win the hugely-coveted Cannes Lions Award.

X3M Ideas Group, one of the leading creative agencies in Nigeria, won Nigeria’s first Cannes Lions International Festival for Creativity.

The agency won in the just-concluded 2023 edition of the international festival in the health category for the public health advocacy called “Scoot Life Expectancy” which was done to tackle the menace of soot owing to unwholesome environmental practices in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.

Steve Babaeko, Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer, X3M Ideas Group, attributed the win to not only X3M Ideas but also AAAN and most importantly, all Nigerians.

“It feels great to finally break the 70 years jinx for Nigeria at the Cannes Lions,” Babaeko noted.

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival), was established to reward creativity across the world in 1954.

A global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields, the awards, considered the highest honour in the advertising and creative communications industry, holds annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France.

For the 2023 edition, about 15,000 delegates from 90 countries gathered for the festival to celebrate creativity and innovation.

“This is not the first international lap of honour for the creativity-driven X3M Ideas Group; the number swells further with each passing season,” Chairman, Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria, (BJAN) Clara Okoro noted. According to her, the win couldn’t have come from a better organisation and at a better time.

“The leadership quality of Steve Babaeko has made it possible for the numerous wins recorded by X3M and the current one is no exception.

“With the wealth of experience, expertise, creativity and leadership skills of Steve Babaeko, who is also the current President of Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), it is no surprise that X3M Ideas Group is flying.

His fresh perspective and visionary approach helps the team come up with innovative ideas, fostering strong partnerships with various stakeholders and the transformative effect on the industry is clear for all to see,” Okoro stated further.

“Barely a year ago, the industry was raving about yet another impressive achievement by X3M Ideas as the agency clinched an astonishing 16 awards in the concluded Pitchers Creativity Award in 2022. The year before, it was the Gold won at the Luum awards in Geneva, Switzerland that left many in admiration, all of which underscore X3M Ideas’ standing as Nigeria’s foremost multinational and forward-thinking agency.

“Looking at the trajectory, it is even more remarkable that X3M Ideas attained this height in just a decade of operations, enormous feats for which deserved credit goes to the entire team,” she enthused.