With the industry's leading creativity Festival just around the corner, we're kicking off our 2024 “Road to Cannes” series, spotlighting FCB jurors from across our global network.
From traditional categories such as Creative Strategy, Craft, and Print & Publishing, to the boundary-busting Lions that are Titanium, our jurors are sharing their thoughts on the trends and themes they are hoping to see in their category as we celebrate work that pushes our industry forward.
Watch this space as we add more insights in the weeks leading up to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
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Speaking about the Titanium Lions, which “celebrate game-changing creativity” and awards “envy-inspiring” work that “breaks new ground in branded communications,” Danilo Boer, Global Creative Partner, who is on the Titanium Awarding Jury said:
I'm extremely energized to judge Titanium. It's a category that really defines Cannes and propels our whole industry to new horizons.
Every year, I look to the category as my north star for inspiration on what else we can achieve when it comes to fostering great client and agency relationships. And every year, it makes me realize just how vast the possibilities are when we apply our creative thinking to solving our client's business challenges.
After BMW Films pushed advertising into a new space ‐ Entertainment ‐ others followed, and discovered what can happen when we apply advertising creativity differently. Who would've thought before about extending our work into the medium of film, or even working with farmers to affect real change? Every time creativity is applied to a new space to take our industry somewhere completely new ‐ that for me is Titanium.
Call me bias, but FCB has often done well in Titanium because we strive to break the mould every time. From redefining the meaning of a word in “Dyslexic Thinking,” to changing the way farmers are financially compensated with “Contract for Change.”
I want to see more of that ‐ not just from FCB, but from everyone. If we all strive to collectively make work that doesn't feel like traditional advertising, that “wouldn't fit in any category,” we can truly take our industry to greater heights than ever before.
Ana Becker, Creative Director & Head of Insights for FCB Brazil, is on the Creative Data Awarding Jury. On awarding the best work that holds creative data at its core, she commented:
I'm loving simplicity. The word “data” sometimes takes us too far up the overcomplicated or intangible garden path. But the kaleidoscopic view of a creative approach to data can be simple. And that’s when it is most inspiring.
The best work I've seen so far all has something in common. Maybe it’s just my journalism background speaking, but the stand-out entries don’t try to bend the data – they embrace it. They have found a true connection between the story the data tells and the brand. And then, the pièce de resistance, they find an awesome creative idea to illustrate this. That's the “chef's kiss.”
As one might expect, there’s a lot of AI this year, which can be tricky. No one really-truly-exactly-super-duper knows where to draw the line between what constitutes data or AI, or what can be categorized as both when it comes to creative work. Not yet. Those are going to be fun discussions.
There are a few submissions I’ve fallen in love with, and a bunch of others that have piqued my interest. I’m eager to discuss them all with the other jurors to see what might make me feel something deeper. Those will be my winners.
Peter Vegas, CCO for FCB New Zealand, who is on the Entertainment Shortlist Jury shared these insights:
Entertainment is an interesting category because it’s an area where the boundaries between brands and ideas can get blurry.
Sometimes the relationship feels tacked on and clunky, and in a submission where you can be watching a 30-minute documentary, you can often find yourself wishing for the fast-paced discipline of a two-minute case study. But when it works, when you are pulled into an idea where the brand effortlessly slips into the execution, it can be so, so good.
The range of work was varied this year, but there were enough hits to leave me feeling inspired and pretty confident about the future of our glorious little business.
Alexandre Abrantes, Executive Creative Director at FCB New York is on the Awarding Jury for the Entertainment Lions for Sport, and he said:
The beauty of the Entertainment for Sport category is that it provides a unique opportunity for us to draw a line between traditional ads that merely entertain, and true pieces of entertainment.
There’s a lot of talk around brands creating actual content — rich, narrative-driven pieces that audiences seek out and enjoy for their intrinsic value. And sport, in particular, provides a perfect platform for this type of content. The passion, drama, and personal stories within the sports arena naturally lend themselves to compelling storytelling, allowing brands to connect with audiences in a more profound and lasting way.
Of course, these days, technology plays an increasingly pivotal role in this evolution. We’re in the age of AI and digital innovation, where sophisticated algorithms and data analytics can tailor content, creating personalized and highly engaging experiences. Work entered into this category should not only showcase creativity, but also contribute meaningfully to cultural conversations, blurring the lines between marketing and entertainment.
FCB London’s Director of Production, Nikki Chapman, is on the Shortlist Jury for Film Craft. Talking about her experience, she commented:
Judging any award ceremony is an honour and privilege but Cannes Lion winners lead the way for agencies, creatives, and clients worldwide. The work that wins at Cannes sets the standard for the rest of the year.
The Festival always revitalises my love for this industry, so I’ve really enjoyed spending time carefully considering each entry. You can’t ignore the effort that has also gone into making the crafted case films
that support the work which I find interesting and strangely addictive to watch! I absolutely love immersing myself in the work and taking a deep dive into every piece of film, focusing on the minutiae of the craft that every entry encompasses.
Within each sub-category, I wanted to see individuality – work that feels like a step change. I’ve been on the lookout for the highest quality of film craft across every element of the production, homing in on every detail in each entry to make sure we’re awarding “on-screen artistry.” Because that’s what it is. Exceptional filmmaking is art, and it’s our duty to honour that.
Mohamed Bareche, Executive Creative Director for Horizon FCB MENA shared these thoughts on his experience so far as part of the Print & Publishing Shortlist Jury:
For me, it’s one of the toughest categories because of the nature of the format – telling the whole story in a still picture. As an ex-art director, I’m hoping to see some fresh ideas with strong visual codes that are different and unique, that will stick in my mind and inspire me for the future. Ultimately, I’m looking for great thinking. Those brilliant ideas that make you want to meet the creative behind and compliment them, genuinely!
The big trend that’s caught my attention are those real-life moments captured in a beautiful photo. I love to see this really subtle art direction that’s not overly sophisticated in terms of lighting but is still really beautiful. I’ve also been surprised (in a good way!) to see so many fresh ideas on big brands.
I love the category for the fact that you can look at work in a blink and understand the idea in a second. It’s been really fun to judge so far.
Shelley Brown, FCB Canada’s Chief Strategy Officer, who is on the Direct Awarding Jury added:
I’m excited to delve into a wealth of ideas that prove the effectiveness of creativity. The Direct Lions have become one of the most creative and innovative categories, and one of the broadest. We can expect to see work for big brands and small, from packaged goods to B2B, from all over the world.
The freshest ideas, the ones that astonish, delight, and inspire, are the ones that drive results and will ultimately rise to the top to demonstrate how brands can connect with a specific audience and build deeper relationships. Proving that far from being opposites, creativity and effectiveness are two sides of the same coin.
Vita Harris, Global Chief Strategy Officer, is Jury President for the Creative Strategy Lions which celebrate “the idea behind the idea – how strategic planning can redefine a brand, reinvent its business, and influence consumers or wider culture.” Speaking about how she aims to identify ideas that have gone above and beyond, she said:
As jurors, we have a huge obligation to the industry to put our competitiveness aside, look beyond our own agencies and work, and suspend our preconceived notions to award excellence in creativity no matter where it comes from. That’s one of the things I’ll be looking for while judging – the very best creative work that has a true economic impact and moves the needle for some of the world’s biggest brands, all while benefiting culture and making life better.
Most of all, I’m hoping we’ll be able to curate a collection of work that’s ambitious. I want to see the best ideas that go above and beyond to demonstrate creatively ambitious thinking in strategy. Whether it’s creative strategy that breaks with convention, thinking that reframes clients’ issues and concerns to
pave the way for new possibilities, direction that provokes an “aha!” moment of “realization, inspiration, insight, recognition or comprehension,” or strategic ideas that lead to work that builds confidence in this industry, this category has a unique ability to demonstrate that what we do has value and is worth all that we put into it.
Frederik Clarysse, Creative Director at Happiness Brussels, who is on the Brand Experience & Activation Shortlist Jury added:
I’m looking for work that doesn’t let the case film do all the work.
As a judge it’s hard to not get distracted. Great music, nice animation on the supers, and quotes from newspapers help sell an idea, as does a logo from a brand that’s won at Cannes before, new technology, or the word “first.”
But while they’re nice to see (and make the process of judging a little more interesting), they shouldn’t matter too much. What matters is a simple, meaningful idea that can be felt and experienced – work that goes beyond the hype. Great ideas will shine through, no matter how flashy the case is, and that’s what I want to see.