The 71st International Festival of Creativity Cannes Lions opened its doors and announces a total of 26,753 applications competing for the 2024 Awards (including 104 from Switzerland). The Lions winners will be announced during the awards ceremonies which will take place each evening throughout the duration of the Festival, from June 17 to 21, 2024
Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said: “We have seen continued growth in the Creative Effectiveness Lions, which have received the highest number of applications since their launch in 2011, demonstrating that there is a strong commitment to creativity as a driver of growth. The changing composition of companies is also interesting: the number of brand applications increased by 6% and that of media owners by 31%, demonstrating the scale of investment in creativity across the entire spectrum of brand communication. Our juries are already building a body of work worthy of a Lion and we look forward to seeing the work that will set the benchmark for another year and show us the way forward. »
Lions outside of traditional disciplines that have seen growth include Creative Business Transformation (+8%), Creative Commerce (+18%), and Creative Strategy (+5%). The work carried out through these Lions highlights the broad spectrum of creative marketing used to solve business problems.
Elsewhere, Lions Social & Influencer saw 21% growth, seeing the highest number of registrations since the Lion launched in 2018. On this growth, Marian Brannelly, Global Awards Director, LIONS, said: “This year, we have expanded the categories within Social & Influencer Lions to better recognize and celebrate the central role content creators play in shaping and amplifying brand messages. The dynamic influence these individuals exert on audiences across social and digital platforms reflects the evolving nature of communication and branding in the modern era. The WARC study also showed that global social spending is expected to reach $247.3 billion in 2024, an increase of 14.3% year-over-year, putting it ahead of paid search. This Lion’s growth coincides with the timely launch of the new LIONS Creator Pass, providing further evidence of the rapid evolution of the industry.
About the new category of humor, Mr. Brannelly added: “The work carried out in the new category of humor, which brings together 13 Lions, represents 5% of all the work presented within the framework of these Lions, which reflects a change in tone and ‘the rise of effective commercial work designed to entertain’. As stated Andrew Robertson of BBDO on stage last year, “humor works”.
In this first year, just under a quarter of entries were submitted directly by brands as part of the inaugural Luxury and Lifestyle Lions, which were launched to serve as a global benchmark for luxury.
Reflecting what’s happening in the market, as highlighted by Dentsu’s latest global ad spend forecast, other areas of growth include Lions Outdoor, which is up 6% year-over-year, reflecting a rapidly evolving medium, with the adoption of data engagement and emerging technologies to help brands think beyond traditional billboards. Audio and Radio Lions grew by 6%, while Innovation Lions saw a considerable increase of 52%.
Shortlists for Lions of Innovation, Glass: The Lion of Change and Dan Wieden Titanium Lions are available now. The other lists will be published between Saturday June 15 and Wednesday June 19.
