Cannes Future Lions Grand Prix Winners 2024

This past June, my class partner Molly and I achieved a remarkable milestone: winning the Cannes Future Lions Grand Prix for our Spotify idea, “Break the Sound Barrier”! We had the privilege of spending a week in France attending as many festival events as possible — a virtually impossible undertaking.

Check out our winning idea here, and keep scrolling for some insights I gathered during my eventful week.

Key Takeaways from Cannes 2024

The Power of Humor

  • Post Covid-19 there has been a resurgence of comedy in advertising

  • Humor doesn’t mean shying away from tough subjects — in certain cases, it can help us approach them and heal from traumatic experiences

  • Humor can cut through the noise: if something is funny people will seek it out

  • Humor never goes away, but as society’s taste evolves the format we present comedy in changes

  • There will always be someone who doesn’t like or disagrees with the comedy we present

  • Consumers don’t want to be preached to about something they are doing wrong - but if we use humor we are inviting them in without judgement

Technology in Creativity

  • The technology should be relevant to the creative idea

    • Don’t stem an idea from technology - it should enhance the idea, have a purpose

  • Using emerging technology in advertising takes bravery, patience, and luck

Capitalize on Brand Problems

  • Looking for problems in your brand and acknowledging them will allow you to gain consumers trust and empathy. Then apologize and fix the problem to keep this trust

  • There is always an opportunity in a problem

  • Sabotage Maneuver

    • Initiate the removal/change of something in your brand/service/product/media that your consumer takes advantage of - but do this in a way that helps deliver the brand message

    • This change/removal allows the consumer to see the value of the brand/service/product/media

    • ex) removal of Whopper from Burger King menu

The Next Creative Revolution

  • The long term effectiveness of advertising is declining as brands focus more on instant sales

  • Trust is lost when there is too much salesmanship, trust us a key driver of profit so there needs to be a balance between salesmanship, trust, and showmanship

  • It is okay to go against what others are doing and disparage elements of products

  • There are certain signs that we are on the cusp of another creative revolution: resurgence of humor, more focus on the company, removal of cookies, use of emerging technology

Finding Creativity in Everyday

  • Find everyday moments that matter by spending time with you brand’s consumers

  • Find out how your brand matters in these moments

  • Use the brand to help bring the magic to these moments

Advice for Young Creatives

  • Ask questions!

    • Now that most offices are hybrid there are fewer opportunities for young creatives to interact with higher ups so it is important for young creatives to reach out and feel free to ask questions and hop on a quick call.

    • It is also important for creatives in managerial positions to reach out to younger creatives and allow them to feel comfortable and able to ask questions because there is so much to learn

  • Be patient!

    • Nothing will happen overnight. Growth takes time, practice, and acceptance of making mistakes