River Island uses outdoor ads to leave its stamp on Cannes Lions

River Island has been making a huge social statement at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, using outdoor ads to promote its #LabelsAreForClothes campaign.

The fashion retailer partnered with outdoor advertising specialist Clear Channel and UGCA to deliver the ads, which form part of its current campaign on diversity, and were displayed above Cannes' The Grand Hotel.

This meant they took centre stage at the festival, and with a hashtag already incorporated in the ads' messaging, it made its message highly shareable across social platforms.

Speaking to The Drum, UGCA founder Stuart Thompson said the company - a strategic partner of Clear Channel - was "proud to be involved in this awesome project that highlights the need for better diversity and equality".

"The #LabelsAreForClothes social impact has been widely engaged with, and providing a social out-of-home version of the ads was a fun and important project," he added.