At this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, AXA and Publicis Conseil made history by winning the prestigious Titanium Grand Prix for their bold campaign “Three Words”, which reshaped home insurance policies to support victims of domestic abuse.
The initiative, which has already taken home Grand Prix awards in the Direct and Creative Business Transformation categories, stood out for its meaningful societal impact. The Titanium jury — which honors breakthrough work that pushes the boundaries of the industry — praised the campaign as a landmark moment. “The decision to award it was instant and unanimous,” said jury president Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer at Edelman.
In France, where home insurance is mandatory by law, AXA added just three words — “and domestic violence” — to its emergency relocation clause. This simple addition led to a major shift in the insurer’s policy: any woman experiencing abuse can now be immediately relocated after calling a dedicated emergency line and will receive legal, financial, and psychological support. The change applies retroactively to AXA’s 2.5 million home insurance contracts.
“This campaign handed the entire insurance industry a clear roadmap for reform,” said John. It also marks a first in the award’s 22-year history — Publicis Conseil becomes the first French agency to win the Titanium Grand Prix. The recognition adds to Publicis Groupe’s ongoing momentum, including its recent success securing Mars' global media account and being named Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2025.
Behind the scenes, the journey was anything but simple. The idea was born out of AXA’s 2023 initiative, “Being a Woman Shouldn’t Be a Risk,” and took 16 months of development to become reality. According to Marco Venturelli, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Conseil, the process involved significant legal and operational challenges. “It sounds simple, but it meant rewriting the fundamentals of home insurance,” he explained.
One of the most complex aspects was ensuring that help could be offered even if the woman’s name isn’t on the insurance contract, and without requiring any proof of abuse. This redesign required deep collaboration between AXA’s legal teams, policymakers, and creative strategists.
Publicis first introduced “Three Words” in beta at Cannes Lions 2024, where it won Gold in the Innovation category. That early recognition gave AXA the confidence to implement the change fully. The policy officially launched in April 2025 and has already begun rolling out in Italy, with AXA now exploring similar changes in the UK, Ireland, Spain, and Japan.
“This is not just a campaign, it’s a structural response to a systemic problem,” said Agathe Bousquet, President of Publicis Groupe France. For Venturelli, it goes even further: “It’s redefining what insurance is meant to do — to protect people.”
With “Three Words,” AXA and Publicis have demonstrated that creativity can do more than sell — it can lead reform. And sometimes, just three words are enough to spark a revolution.
