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.

Two women holding trophy awards with cartoon character design, standing in front of a colorful abstract mural at the Cannes Future Lions Award show.

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

Two people smiling and holding identical cartoon animal trophies at the Cannes Future Lions Award show.

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

Group of five people smiling and posing together in front of a colorful background, two of them holding yellow animal-shaped awards at the Cannes Future Lions award show.
Group of young people sitting on steps holding cartoon animal figures at the Cannes Future Lions Awards Show.

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

Group of diverse people celebrating with trophies in front of a colorful backdrop at the Cannes Future Lions Award Show.

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

Two women sitting on chairs, with two yellow fox-like figurines on a round white table between them, in a bright, minimalistic setting, at the Cannes Future Lions Award show.
Two women sitting on red carpet stairs at Cannes Lions Awards Show, smiling, holding awards shaped like cartoon animals.

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

Two women in black dresses holding awards standing on stairs at Cannes Lions Awards Show.

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

Two yellow lion figurines with awards on black bases, labeled "Future Lions 2024 Amplify: Be Heard" on a beige textured platform, with a colorful abstract background.
A group of three people sitting and talking at an outdoor event. Two women and one man are seated on white chairs, engaging in conversation. Two yellow fox figurines are on the table between them. A large screen in the background shows a close-up of a face. The setting appears to be a modern, open-air venue with lighting equipment visible in the background.
Two women sitting on red carpet steps at Cannes Lions Awards Show, holding cartoon lion trophies.