Via Media Sarajevo has won a Bronze Lion at Cannes Lions for “It’s Time to Stop”, a campaign created for Bingo Group.
The award came in the Sustainable Development Goals Lions category, under Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, which recognises work that connects creative ideas with tangible social impact.
The campaign was launched on 8 March 2025, when Bingo paused operations across its stores, production facilities and logistics systems throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina for 30 minutes. The move created space for collecting signatures in support of legal reform, supporting safe houses, and building stronger public pressure to treat violence against women as an urgent social issue.
The road to Cannes did not happen overnight. “It’s Time to Stop” had previously won Gold at Golden Drum in the Creative Use of Media category, a SoMo Borac award for Best Social Impact Project, the Grand Prix at No Limit, a Golden Sempler for Best PR Strategy or Promotion, and the festival’s main Grand Sempler award.
The campaign also won two Bronze awards at Eurobest, in the PR and Glass: The Award for Change categories, followed by Silver and Bronze Effie Europe awards. It later received a Bronze at the Clio Awards in New York, alongside two finalist entries, while at BalCannes it won the Grand Prix, the Impact Prix and three Gold awards in Retail, Best Experiential Advertising & Events, and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.
For Via Media, the Cannes Bronze represents its first Cannes Lion and the most significant international recognition in the agency’s history. For Bingo Group, it confirms the strength of a decision not to leave violence against women at the level of declarative support, but to give the issue real business space, time and influence.
“The goal was never to win an award, but to spark change. This Cannes Lion confirms that ideas from Bosnia and Herzegovina can stand alongside the best in the world. I am especially proud that this is the first Cannes Lion for an independent agency from our country, leaving Via Media and Bingo Group with an indelible mark on the global stage. I believe this recognition will encourage the local creative industry, because the greatest ideas do not depend on the size of a market, but on the courage to create them,” said Amna Džambić Branković, CEO of Via Media.
In the Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions category, which recognises projects with a clear social impact and a contribution to stronger institutions and justice, the Bronze went to work that showed creativity can be a tool for tangible pressure and change.
