Burson and VML won the PR Lions Grand Prix in Crisis Communications and Issues Management, as well as four additional Gold Lions and three Silver Lions, at the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. The winning campaign, The KitKat Heist, delivered a real-time crisis response that transformed a supply chain disaster into a global cultural moment.
The KitKat Heist, created by VML and brought to life in partnership with Burson, earned four Gold Lions across PR: Social Engagement, PR: Real-Time Response, Social and Creator: Real-Time Response and Media: Consumer Goods. It also won three Silver Lions in Social and Creator: Innovative Engagement of Community, Media: Use of Social Platforms and Direct: Real-Time Response.
‘Crisis communications has long been the discipline of caution, protecting reputation, minimising damage, staying safe,’ said Dana Tahir, PR Lions Jury President, Cannes Lions 2026, and CEO, HAVAS Red Middle East and Egypt. ‘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.’
When a 12-tonne theft threatened KitKat’s Easter, the agencies turned a crisis into a brand-building opportunity. Bypassing defensive corporate messaging, they injected KitKat’s playful spirit into initial communications. The news release and statements were crafted to be meme-able and shareable: immediate conversation starters that fuelled global discussion but also shaped it. It gave the media permission to have fun with the story while reporting facts.
‘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,’ said Taj Reid, Global Chief Creative Officer, Burson. ‘We couldn’t be more honoured to have partnered with our colleagues at VML to help rewrite that playbook, turning a crisis into a break-out 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.’
‘The KitKat Heist has been an incredibly special project that brought together creative ideation, social and PR orchestration all in real time,’ said Ryan McManus, Chief Executive Officer at VML UK. ‘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.’
Watch the case film here.
BURSON
www.bursonglobal.com
VML
www.vml.com
