Cannes Lions has made some changes for 2024. Most notable is a new humour category responding to a surge in humour in advertising (understandable after the earnestness of the Covid years and the desire to entertain to defeat ad ennui).
Humour:
The humour category has been added to the Cultural & Context sections. Work entered into this category should use wit and satire to provide amusement and create memorable, laughter-inducing connections with audiences.
Luxury & Lifestyle Lions:
This new Lion will recognise and celebrate the most impactful creative work, experiences and creative business solutions for the luxury sector. It will recognise branded communications and solutions that drive business performance and brand loyalty, as well as creativity and innovation that are rooted in craftsmanship.
Innovation Lions:
Innovation Lions have been expanded to include spaces for environmental, societal and financial innovation. Work entered into the Innovation Lions should demonstrate ground-breaking innovation, technology and problem solving that turn imaginative ideas into impactful reality.
Social & Influencer Lions:
Social & Influencer Lions have been given a refresh expanded to recognise and celebrate better the pivotal role that content creators play in shaping and amplifying brand messages.
Audio & Radio Lions:
Radio & Audio Lions have been updated to Audio & Radio Lions to reflect the prominence that audio content has gained across a range of platforms, breaking free from its traditional radio roots. Radio spots are still able to enter across the Lion as usual.
PR Lions:
PR Lions have been refreshed to ensure the Award accurately reflects the current PR industry and celebrates work that delivers a brand message, changes behaviour or engages customers at scale.
Work entered into the Excellence in PR Craft section can only be submitted and paid for by independent PR agencies, companies owned by a PR network or independent PR networks. This section will sit outside the existing maximum limits for entry within the PR Lions.
Mobile Lions:
Mobile Lions have been retired. Mobile devices are embedded in work across every channel and discipline, and over the past number of years, device-driven creativity has been expanding into almost every Lion. For many, mobile-first thinking is the norm. To reflect this shift, Cannes Lions has closed the Mobile Lions. There will still be places for mobile-first creativity across the Lions, it just won’t have a standalone Lion.
The cultural context question:
Cannes Lions introduced a question about cultural context last year, to help Jurors understand the nuances of submitted work better. The Jury found it very valuable so this year it is a compulsory element on every entry that entrants can use to explain why their work is relevant for its brand, in its market, at its moment in time.
AI disclaimer:
A new compulsory question asks entrants to disclose whether they used AI in your work, and if so, how. This is to help the Jury judge the work fairly, with the full picture.
Sustainability and DE&I questions:
Cannes Lions has introduced an option for entrants to share their responses to the sustainability and DE&I questions with the Jury to encourage those making progress in these areas to share their success and to ignite conversations in the Jury room.
Cannes Lions has opened its call for speaker sessions Apply to speak here.
Awards dates:
- Entries Open. January 18 2024
- First late fee applies. After March 7 2024
- Second late fee applies. After March 21 2024
- Third late fee applies. After April 4 2024
- Final deadline. April 11 2024.
