5 Cannes Lions trends in Innovation from jury president Diego Machado

Ad Age invited several top Cannes Lions jurors to write about their takeaways from this year’s judging experience. Here, Diego Machado, global chief creative officer at AKQA, offers some learnings from leading the 2024 Innovation Lions jury. Ad Age Small Agency Conference & Awards Join us July 23 & 24 in Boston Learn more here The Innovation category awards the future, not the past This was the 11th edition of the Innovation Lions. Over the years, the shortlists and winners have consistently provided glimpses into the future. This year was no different. From the most advanced technology systems to purely analog projects, the diversity of possibilities available today was evident. Finally understanding data In the past decade, data collection has been the hot topic. Gathering data was considered the most significant achievement. Now, with advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence, we’re finally able to connect this vast universe of data to create something new—connections that our human brains alone wouldn’t be capable of. Previously, data was used to measure, find metrics and quantify. Now, we’re achieving a deeper understanding of this information—of our consumers, our products, our world and even our bodies. We saw examples like Google’s Contrails, Degiro’s PinkChip, EarSwitch’s Airquity, KVI Brave Fund’s Voice2Diabetes and many others. Closing the gap between ideas and reality Technology is bridging the gap between what we can imagine and what we can materialize. I like to think of the Innovation category as an experimental one. Each winner from every edition represents a hypothesis and a tangible answer. The most ambitious questions require more creative solutions to become possible. In this and the previous edition (2023), it has become apparent that it is easier to provide answers and make them tangible—faster, cheaper and more efficiently. • Can you control your phone without your hands? MouthPad. • Can you track corruption? Transparency Card. • Can you measure diabetes without pricking your finger? Voice2Diabetes. • Can you prove women are better leaders? PinkChip. • Can you remove racial bias in medical diagnoses? Airquity. Considering all the winners, I’d say half of them wouldn’t have been able to execute two years ago. As a jury member and a creative professional, that’s really exciting. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Embracing flaws For decades, brands spent millions of dollars building their guidelines, refining design, tone of voice, and controlling every single pixel. While this created consistency, it also made them somewhat untouchable. Distant. This edition of Cannes Lions made it clear that brands are trying to show their humanity. They are getting closer to people, engaging with social, popular comments, and embracing their own flaws. Examples include Coors Light’s “Coors Lights Out,” Coca-Cola’s “Thanks for Coke-Creating” and “Recycle Me,” Heineken’s “Whateverken” and many others. Keep it simple With all the advances in machine learning and AI, consumers (including the jury) can sometimes feel overwhelmed by complex technologies. AI ideas and executions start overlapping, naturally creating space for those with simple and analog solutions. (For example, AXA’s “Three Words” and Johnson & Johnson’s “Illustrate Change,” which won big even in the Innovation category.) These make us think: How has no one thought about this before?

5 Cannes Lions trends in Innovation from jury president Diego Machado

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