A significant achievement for PAVLEYE Artist Management & Production: The “Phone Break” campaign for KitKat, created by VML Czechia, was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix in the Outdoor category at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. The campaign visuals were photographed by Miro Minarovych c/o PAVLEYE, with production led by the team of Jozef Pavleye.
The concept is simple yet powerful – replacing smartphones in everyday situations with KitKat bars to encourage people to take a real break. Whether waiting at a bus stop, meeting friends, or standing in line, the campaign highlights how absorbed we are in our devices – and how refreshing a true pause can be, with something as simple as a KitKat.
The visuals were strategically placed in high-traffic outdoor locations – such as tram stations, public squares, and pedestrian zones – precisely where phone usage is most visible. The “Phone Break” campaign stands out as one of the most striking entries of the year – a compelling example of the power of clear creative thinking, impactful visuals, and flawless execution.
Jury President Keka Morelle, Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy for Latin America, praised the campaign as “a masterpiece in the Outdoor space”: “Without words or logos, it communicates a powerful message through a beautifully crafted image. It captures the spirit of our times, strengthens the brand concept, and immediately sparks reflection.”
Jake Barrow, Chief Creative Officer, VML Prague: “The KitKat Phone Break work was one of the first projects I worked on in my new role as Chief Creative Officer at VML Czechia. It was selected out of 400 ideas submitted from VML offices the world over. The work was produced and run in Prague as a print and OOH campaign. And it’s the Czech Republic’s first ever Grand Prix at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Congrats to the entire team who made our KitKat Phone Break idea happen.”
And what does Jake say about his creative philosophy? "What I’ve learnt most over the years, is that it doesn’t matter how many good ideas you have, if they don’t get made, they don’t count. I get the entire agency to care about making world class work. Not everyone is expected to be creative but I expect everyone to be champions of creativity. I make each department equal in the quest for good work and remind every single person I work with creativity is our product, it’s up to every department to make sure it happens.
Also part of the team:
Bas Korsten, Global Chief Creative Officer Innovation & EMEA CCO at VML
Jaime Mandelbaum, Chief Creative Officer at VML - EMEA
Iva Welker, CEO VML Czech Republic
Jake Barrow, Chief Creative Officer, VML Prague
Mauro Fardin, ECD at VML
Karla Calheiros, Head of Copy at VML Prague
Wanslez Quaresma, Creative Lead/Head of Art at VML Prague
Carlos Paboudjian, Senior Creative at VML Prague
Johnny Gaponenko, Copywriter at VML Prague
Helena Johnston, Senior Copywriter at VML Prague
Kristyna Ochvatova, Strategy at VML Prague
Aneta Jungvirt, Account Manager at VML Prague
Soumik Babuya, Designer at VML Prague