HERALBONY Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “HERALBONY”) is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Gold Lion in the “Glass: The Lion for Change” category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025, held from June 16 to 20 in Cannes, France. HERALBONY was also shortlisted in the SDGs category.
“Glass: The Lion for Change” is one of the most prestigious categories at Cannes Lions, celebrating creativity that drives cultural and social change beyond brand purpose. This year, there were 252 entries from around the world—a 53% increase from the previous year—including submissions from global giants such as Apple, Nike, and AXA. HERALBONY’s sustainable business model and social impact led to its selection for the Gold Lion.
View the winning entries here: https://www.lovethework.com/work-awards/results/cannes-lions/glass-the-lion-for-change
*The “Glass: The Lion for Change” category awarded 1 Grand Prix, 1 Gold, 2 Silver, and 4 Bronze Lions this year.
Jury President's Comments
“‘Glass: The Lion for Change’ was established to celebrate campaigns that challenge gender inequality and stereotypes and drive societal and cultural change. This year, the scope of evaluation was expanded beyond gender to include disability, race, sexuality, and social inequality. Additionally, sustained, long-term impact was introduced as a new evaluation criterion, raising the standards even further.
Through the judging process, I learned about HERALBONY for the first time. As I deepened my understanding of the project, I was deeply moved by how HERALBONY creates opportunities for people with disabilities to thrive as artists and creators.
We were also highly impressed by HERALBONY’s collaborative work with companies to create significant social impact. Instead of merely growing its own brand, HERALBONY ventured into co-creation with other organizations—a remarkable move that allows for broader and more meaningful societal transformation. I truly hope HERALBONY continues this initiative moving forward.”
On June 17 during the festival, HERALBONY artist Satoru Kobayashi and CEO Takaya Matsuda appeared on stage for the official Dentsu seminar at Cannes Lions 2025, alongside Dentsu copywriter and creative director Kinami Hasegawa. Together, they shared the power of unconventional creativity with the world.
HERALBONY’s mission is to “Radiate Your Colors” By celebrating the unique talents of artists with disabilities, HERALBONY seeks to change public perception and create a society where everyone can live authentically. In July 2024, HERALBONY established its subsidiary HERALBONY EUROPE in Paris, France, to accelerate global expansion through the licensing of artistic intellectual property. As a creative company, HERALBONY is strengthening ties with artists worldwide—especially in Europe—and developing collaborations with global enterprises.
Comments
From HERALBONY Co Founder Takaya Matsuda:
“‘Time’s up, please finish.’
With that announcement, our final jury presentation for the Glass category on June 16 in Cannes came to a close. We were unable to introduce Shota Matsuda, HERALBONY’s true founder, who was meant to be introduced at the end.
“Please welcome Satoru Kobayashi!!!!!”
When we introduced artist Satoru Kobayashi, who had traveled with us from Japan, he calmly put on his sandals but did not rise from his seat—maintaining a humble demeanor.
Despite it being my first-ever presentation in English, and with the support of HERALBONY EUROPE CEO Marie Oshioka, I exceeded the time limit due to my faltering English. As I was nervous and overwhelmed, the 10-minute Q&A began. Then came the final question:
“Time’s up, but what were you actually trying to say?”
The room was moved. A juror threw us a lifeline.
“The true founder of HERALBONY, my brother Shota Matsuda! Stand up, please!!!!”
Though I asked him to stand, Shota unexpectedly walked toward the stage. Perhaps he wanted to speak. “No, Shota, you don’t need to come up. Just stand!” As this exchange unfolded, a warm, welcoming atmosphere filled the room.
Looking toward the juror who asked that kind question, I finally noticed he was in tears. I had been too focused on completing the presentation to see his emotion.
In that moment, I was convinced: the world is on our side.
Next month marks the seventh anniversary of HERALBONY’s founding, and this Gold Lion in the Glass category at Cannes Lions is our crowning achievement.”
From HERALBONY EUROPE CEO Marie Oshioka:
“Our final pitch was as perfect as it could be. Not because it was flawless, but because it included the unpredictability of Satoru and Shota, making the space feel like HERALBONY’s home. For the first time, I felt a sense of gentle support while being judged: we weren’t just being evaluated—we were connecting..
Two weeks after becoming a finalist, we practiced tirelessly as a team. Takaya Matsuda passionately recounted his childhood, the founding of HERALBONY, meeting global artists, and his certainty of going global. Though not a native speaker, his pitch was deeply compelling. During my part, I discussed the business model, the project’s social significance, and its global feasibility. The jurors nodded so warmly that I looked each one in the eyes as I spoke. Afterward, I was moved to tears as I exited the stage.
Carrying the heavy baton passed on by many people who believed in HERALBONY over the past seven years, we were determined not to drop it. But as we crossed the finish line, the jury was there, cheering us on. We truly delivered that baton to Cannes.
Our dream has only just begun. We are deeply grateful for this Gold Lion and will continue striving toward our next dream.”
This award belongs to every one of you
Congratulations on Cannes Lions GOLD (HERALBONY artist Satoru Kobayashi)
Ackey / Aki Onozaki / Akiko Shirotani / Anna Kuronuma / Asuka Tazaki / Atsuhito Fujiki / Chihiro Yagyu / Chikara Akagi / Chizuru Fuyusawa / Daichi Sakamoto / Daiki Ito / Daisuke Katayose / Daisuke Shibuta / Daisuke Uejima / Eri Nitta / Etsuko Oyama / Fujiko Tomisawa / Fumi Takada / Fumie Shimaoka / GAMON / Haruka Asano / Haruka Mori / HASHIMOTO Yoshie / Hideaki Yoshikawa / Hideko Tomoda / Higuchi Yunosuke / Hitoshi Shimazu / Hiroko Kawabe / Hiroo Suzuki / Hiroshi Yoshida / Hiroya Oji / Hiroya Uezato / Hiroyuki Nakamoto / Hiroyuki Ukai / Ikkei Okukameya / Ikumi / Ikuru Kudo / Juri / Kahoru Sugimoto / Kaede Wajima / Kana / Kanano Tanida / Kanta Wajima / Kaori Sakurai / Kaoru Iga / Katsumi Sasayama / Katsuya Kamesawa / Kazuki Noguchi / Kazuko Syuto / Kazumi Kamae / Kazuya Suzuki / Kei Sugahara / Keiichi Morishita / Keigo Mitsui / Keisuke Mori / Kenji Kawakami / Kenji Suzuki / Kentaro Kinjo / Kiyomi Hoshi / Kiyoshi Yaegashi / Kohei Sato / Koichi Tsuchiya / Koji Endo / Koji Kon / Koki Kimura / Kodai Hiwatashi / Kosuke Yamamoto / Kota Kimura / Kota Ooshiro / Kouji Kon / Kurumi Ikeda / Madoka Nishimura / Mai Endo / Mai Miyamoto / Maho Kikuchi / Mahiro Oba / Mai Endo / Marina / Mari Nakui / Masaharu Hiyoshi / Masaharu Honda / Masahiko Kimura / Masahiko Sato / Masaki Mori / Masaki Watanabe / Masamichi Ichimura / Masami Yamagiwa / Masao Fujimori / Masaomi Aoki / Masaru Tsuchiya / Masayuki Shikano / Mayuko Uno / Mayumi Matsumoto / Michiko Koyama / Michiyo Yaegashi / Midori Kudo / Minami Masaoka / Minami Takahashi / Mineo Ito / Miriam Hosner / Misaki Oya / Miyu Ishihara / Miyuki Higo / Mizuki Sonoda / Momoko Eguchi / Momoko Nakagawa / Moriya Kishaba / Naoki Watanabe / Naoto Iguchi / Nana Yamazaki / Nanami Sasahara / Nozomi Fujita / Norimichi / Reiko Aoki / Rikuto Yoshida / Ryo Nakao / Ryosuke Kon / SANA Sasaki / Sachiko Miyazawa / Saki Tsuchiya / Satoshi Morita / Satomi Iwahori / Sayaka Sanpei / Seijiro Ishikawa / Seiko Yamashita / Seto Shohei / Shiho Saito / Shigetaka Wada / Shihaku / Shika Tarui / Shigenobu Wajima / Shigaku Mizukami / Shika Tarui / Shintaro Aoki / Shion Nishimura / Shota Takeuchi / Shu Toriyama / Sumie Akiyama / Taisuke Kinugasa / Takafumi Yamane / Takahiro Kimura / Takashi Anzai / Takeshi Kakuma / Takeshi Shimizu / Takeru Aoki / Takuya Shibayama / Takuya Tamura / Teppei Kasahara / Teruhisa Sato / Toshio Katahira / Toshio Okamoto / Toshiya Nakajima / Tsukasa Sato / Uchiyama.K / XL / Yasue Hitoshi / Yasuhiro Kobayashi / Yasutaka Minami / Yawara Takeguchi / Yoriko Kotera / Yoshihiro Shimoma / Yoshikazu Ookame / Yoshie Hashimoto / Yoshimi Kuramochi / Yoshiteru Horiguchi / Yosuke Katsuma / Yoshiya Hashimoto / Yuki Ino / Yuki Kawakami / Yuki Kato / Yuki Sugimura / Yukihiro Kokubo / Yukihito Okabe / Yukinori Watanabe / Yuma Hayashi / Yuna Nakanishi / Yurika / Yurika Miyagi / Yuji Mori / Yu Mitani / Yosuke Katsuma
*We have listed only those whose relationship with HERALBONY is publicly available on our website.
And to everyone who’s supported us over the past seven years:
- Families of the artists
- Staff from welfare institutions
- Welfare professionals
- Clients
- Investors, advisors, and mentors
- Journalists and media
- Collaborating companies
- All creators involved in our projects
- Partners who supported our overseas expansion
- Social media followers who cheered us on
- Customers who purchased our products
- And every single person who believed in HERALBONY
With deepest gratitude,
Thank you for our Cannes Lions GOLD.
Thank you for Cannes Lions GOLD (HERALBONY’s true founder Shota Matsuda)
We extend our sincere gratitude on behalf of the entire HERALBONY team.
Team HERALBONY
Airi Fujii / Akane Ueda / Akihiko Nagata / Anna Kuronuma / Ayano Nagao / Chisato Matsuo / Chiaki Kayamori / Daichi Katsuki / Daichi Nakayama / Daiki Matsumiya / Ekumi Sasaki / Emi Sagayama / Erika Kubo / Fumi Kikunaga / Fumito Matsuda / Haruka Maekawa / Haruka Sakamoto / Hideaki Sone / Hidemi Miyamoto / Hiromi Kurosawa / Hirari Tanaka / Hirona Hono / Hirofumi Arai / Honoka Tamaki / Junya Ueda / Kagome Nagayama / Kaho Fukasawa / Kana Taniguchi / Kanae Miyahara / Kano Gozatani / Kasumi Kasai / Kazu Ito / Kazuki Sakurai / Kazuma Yokosawa / Kayoko Oya / Keiichiro Misumi / Keiichiro Tamura / Kensuke Ishii / Kiko Komori / Koji Kameyama / Koki Shimizu / Kouzo Eguchi / Mahiro Oba / Mako Inada / Mari Nakui / Marie Kitamura / Marie Oshioka / Marina Suzuki / Masakazu Takahashi / Masako Muro / Masataka Matsumoto / Mayuko Uno / Mc Boo / Megumi Kobayashi / Mei Komori / Miho Onodera / Minoru Ohira / Miwa Seki / Miu Nakatsuka / Miyabi Saito / Moe Iijima / Momoko Abe / Mona Suzuki / Monami Kawamura / Motoki Tsuchitani / Nana Tanaka / Nana Ueda / Nanoha Iwakoshi / Naoya Nozawa / Natsumi Ishii / Naho Ando / Nahoko Suita / Noa Oshiro / Noriko Jin / Noriko Okado / Nozomi Sawauchi / Reiko Seki / Remi Abe / Rika Kawachidani / Rika Sato / Rina Park / Runa Tasaki / Ryoko Makino / Ryota Asano / Ryotaro Kamada / Ryo Saimaru / Saki Kato / Saki Tsuchiya / Satomi Kokubun / Seto Shohei / Shiryu Hashimoto / Shintaro Tanno / Shizu Oka / Shizuka Ono / Shizuku Yamamoto / Sho Kawamura / Sho Nagata / Shoka Takahashi / Shota Gennozono / Takahiko Inoue / Takashi Fukui / Takaya Matsuda / Takuma Ito / Takeshi Kakuma / Tomomi Yano / Tomoyuki Kuwayama / Vincent Pedemonte / Yoichi Morio / Yujin Gen / Yuji Yagawa / Yuka Yamazaki / Yuki Murai / Yuki Taira / Yuko Umino / Yumi Saito / Yunosuke Ota / Yuta Izumi / Yoshikane Kimura
*As of June 2025, only individuals whose permission has been obtained are listed by name, including employees, contractors, part-timers, and others working in various capacities. We thank everyone who has contributed to building HERALBONY over the past seven years.
STAFF LIST
Executive Producer: Takaya Matsuda(HERALBONY Co., Ltd.)
Creative Director: Tomoyuki Kuwayama(HERALBONY Co., Ltd.)
Branding Director: Takahiko Inoue(HERALBONY Co., Ltd.)
Public Relations: Naho Ando(HERALBONY Co., Ltd.)
Executive Creative Director: Noritaka Kobuse(DENTSU INC.), Noriaki Onoe(DENTSU INC.)
Creative Director, Copywriter: Kinami Hasegawa(DENTSU INC.)
Planner: Yuhi Suzuki(DENTSU INC.), Rise Miyamoto(DENTSU INC.)
Art Director: Sakura Yamaguchi(DENTSU INC.)
Executive Producer: Seiichi Masuhara(DENTSU INC.)
Producer: Yukiko Matsue(DENTSU INC.)
Creative Producer: Aki Daisho(DENTSU CREATIVE FORCE INC.)
Creative Advisor: Ryohei Manabe(DENTSU INC.), Kazuomi Goto(DENTSU INC.)
Business Producer: Yoshiaki Takai(DENTSU INC.), Ryoto Aoi(DENTSU INC.)
Investment Lead: Kotaro Sasamoto(Dentsu Ventures), Yuka Okada(Dentsu Ventures)