Burson and VML win Cannes PR Lions Grand Prix for KitKat crisis campaign

Burson Group and VML have won the PR Lions Grand Prix in the Crisis Communications & Issues Management category at the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity for their campaign, The KitKat Heist. The campaign was recognised for its response to the theft of 12 tonnes of KitKat products ahead of Easter. The campaign used real-time communications to address the incident while encouraging public engagement around the story. In addition to the Grand Prix, The KitKat Heist won four Gold Lions in the categories of PR: Social Engagement, PR: Real-Time Response, Social & Creator: Real-Time Response and Media: Consumer Goods. It also received three Silver Lions in Social & Creator: Innovative Engagement of Community, Media: Use of Social Platforms and Direct: Real-Time Response. Dana Tahir , PR Lions Jury President, Cannes Lions 2026, and CEO, HAVAS Red Middle East and Egypt, said, “Crisis communications has long been the discipline of caution, protecting reputation, minimising damage, staying safe. But this year’s work rewrote those rules entirely. KitKat didn’t just manage a crisis – they transformed it into a cultural moment, proving that creative bravery and crisis counsel can coexist.” According to the agencies, the campaign responded to the theft by using KitKat’s brand voice in its initial public communications instead of traditional corporate messaging. The news release and official statements were designed to encourage social sharing while communicating the facts of the incident. Taj Reid , Global Chief Creative Officer, Burson, added, “Crisis communications has always been one of PR’s most demanding disciplines. It’s tested in real time, under pressure and usually with the temptation to prioritise caution over creativity. We couldn’t be more honored to have partnered with our colleagues at VML to help rewrite that playbook, turning a crisis into a breakout moment for a client who knows exactly what creative bravery can deliver. This work proved that when creative, social and PR are truly in lockstep, the result isn’t just a campaign – it’s a cultural moment.” Ryan McManus , Chief Executive Officer at VML UK, said, “The KitKat Heist has been an incredibly special project that brought together creative ideation, social and PR orchestration, all in real time. We reacted to a brief that came from the real world and enlisted what seems like the whole of the internet to help track down stolen KitKats and help solve the ongoing investigation. We are so proud of our teams at VML UK and our partners at Burson who helped bring it to life. And of course, our longstanding clients KitKat for their creativity and trust in us.”