In 1950, a group of leaders of the cinema screen advertising contractors from several countries decided to get together in some informal meetings in order to exchange information on commercials among themselves. In one of those meetings, the members of this group, always focused on the screen and that later would establish the major worldwide association of the industry, took the reels of their respective countries to show to their colleagues.
Three years after the first meeting – thus, in 1953 – the non-formal meetings took an official form with the creation of SAWA - Screen Advertising World Association, a non-profit entity, founded by the four major representatives of the area: the English Ernest Pearl, the Frenchman Jean Mineur, the German Fritz Rotschild and the Argentinean Curt Lowe.
Chaired by the English founder, from the cinema screen advertising contractor Pearl & Dean, one of the first measures taken by the Association was the establishment of regular meetings, to be held every two years in London; and the creation, in that same year, of an international exhibition
of advertising films that, in fact, turned out to be the first SAWA's Festival.
Without the commitment or the purpose of giving awards, the exhibition was opened to the interested audience, in the old Palais de Cannes (where the Noga Hilton is situated today), a strategically chosen city because, once, since the end of the 40¹s, it was the hosting venue of the glamorous International Film Festival.
Suggested by the Italian Massimo Momigliano, from the commercials distributor Sipra, member of SAWA, in the following year the event was transferred to the romantic Venice, where the Festival got a competitive feature, awarding the winners of the only participating area – Advertising Films – the so-called "First", "Second" and "Third Prize".
To distinguish the winners, that still competed in categories divided by "time" and "technique" (the product¹s division was established only in 1969, when the Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions were also created), the event organizers ordered at the Argentieri Miracuolli jewelry store, Milan, the
trophies that reproduced with accuracy one of the most admired sculptures of the world – the Winged Lion of Venice.
To the French and Italian pride, until the mid 80’s the SAWA's Festival, as it was known, was held alternatively in both cities. Therefore, in the odd years, the event was held along the Cannes bay and, in the even years, along the Venice channels.
The only exception took place at the end of the 50's, when, due to an agenda problem, the awarding ceremony was held, with the same splendor, in Monte Carlo, since both host cities had their infrastructure totally committed to other cultural events.
To displeasure of the Italian organizers, at the end of the 70’s the event organization began to lose its strength due to the – not less organized – Italian strikes that started to jeopardize seriously the Festival success by paralyzing the hostelry services, transportations and even restaurants,
claiming for better wages to the working class.
In 1984, the feared "sciopero" reached its apex, forcing delegations of all the participant countries – irrespective of origin, age or number of awards – to include, in the already intense activity program, the cleaning of their rooms and the cooking of their food, while the SAWA organizers were obliged to improvise, in astonishment, the awarding ceremony outdoors, along the
Lido beach.
Since then, the event that was held in Venice wrecked in the city’s channels, and Cannes became the unique Festival official stage. Offended by SAWA's decision, the Italian organizers prohibited the use of the Venice's symbol image in the trophies, which had their forms cleverly replaced by a
stylized lion, in order to avoid losing the characteristic of an already renowned icon of the major worldwide advertising award.