Cannes Lions 2026 jurors on creativity as a business driver

Clockwise: Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev (Creative Brand Lions jury member); Tanja Grubner, Global Marketing Director, Essity (Direct Lions jury member); Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia (Creative Data Lions jury chair); Kazuhiro Shimura, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu (Innovation Lions jury chair).

Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev

Creative Brand Lions

The Creative Brand category is unique because it evaluates the inputs – the capabilities and processes – behind the creative work that drives results. Not just across one campaign or quarter, but across years, brands, and geographies.

The jury recognized the companies that use creativity to solve business and consumer problems. The most compelling work showed how creativity is embedded across the company – informing decision-making, shaping experiences, and delivering consistent, measurable and sustainable results.

With no Gold, Silver or Bronze awarded, we treated those shortlisted as if they were winners.

Tanja Grubner, Global Marketing Director, Essity

Direct Lions

This year's Cannes Lions was all about work that is authentic with verifiable impact on the brand/business it was created for. On the Direct Lions jury, we looked for targeted, response-driven creativity that developed customer relationships and inspired action with measurable results.

Four key trends emerged from the 1,300 entries:

1. The best work does not interrupt people, it involves them: Heineken held a mirror up to those who send podcast-long voice messages, inviting them to meet in real life instead, while KitKat made a real-time-response call for worldwide participation to find a stolen KitKat batch, turning a key consumption moment into a brand moment that led even non-fans to buy.

2. Even the Call-to-Action has been transformed: Periodic Fable (The Ordinary) made a Call-to-Question beauty jargon, while Columbia Sportswear CEO made a Call-to-Prove the Earth is flat in exchange for all of Columbia's corporate assets.

3. Creativity is only limited by our imagination: Everything can be creative, even coupons or promotions like Mercado Libre's 'Discount Chants' or Mercado Livre's 'Field Barcode'.

4. We - clients and agency partners - have to be willing to take risks: Puerto Rican delivery app UVA bet on Bad Bunny singing a song during the Super Bowl that featured their name in the lyrics, promising their users to turn their app into a $1 store. It did not play safe and won big by turning a cultural moment into real-time commerce.

Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia

Creative Data Lions (Jury Chair)

As AI, computing and data capability advance, Creative Data is set to become one of the most exciting spaces at Cannes Lions. More brands should be showing how data and technology can power ideas with creativity, purpose and impact.

Our jury observed three trends:

1. Sophisticated data, made powerfully useful. One stream of winners showed brands using large and complex data sets with real ambition – not to show off complexity, but to solve meaningful problems.

Suncorp Australia's Haven transformed complex climate and insurance data into a deeply personal tool, helping homeowners understand the risks to their own homes and take practical steps to protect them.

2. Simple data, elevated by human ingenuity. Another strong trend was work where the data was not necessarily the most complex, but the creative leap was exceptional.

This year's Grand Prix winner (“SOS POS” for BCP by Circus Grey Lima) won because it used data to protect people's money at one of their most vulnerable moments – turning everyday payment terminals into emergency account-blocking points after phone theft.

3. Unseen data, becoming systems of change. A third pattern was work that used data to make invisible realities visible – and then build systems around them. Here to Stay for Mastercard transformed migrant underemployment into career pathways and economic opportunity.

The best work did not just reveal problems; it created ways to act on them.

Kazuhiro Shimura, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu

Innovation Lions (Jury President)

As I took to judging this year's entries, I began with one question: what is innovation in our industry in an age of rapidly advancing AI? Not simply new technology, nor an idea no one has seen before. AI has made it easier than ever to shape ideas; the harder task is to create real change. That is why I set this year's judging lens to be: From Proof of Concept to Proof of Change.

Our Grand Prix, adidas's Supernova Adaptive, symbolised this shift. It was not just a shoe. Through co-creation with athletes with Down syndrome, adidas expanded the possibility of running and moved society forward.

Two trends stood out. First, the field of creativity is expanding. The strongest innovations were not limited to marketing communications; they extended into product development, social systems and business transformation. We judged work ranging from running shoes to urban energy systems and healthcare solutions. Our industry is moving from creating advertising to creating change itself.

Second, innovation is collaboration. The most compelling presentations brought together agencies, clients, specialists and communities. Meaningful innovation is no longer created by agencies alone. It is built by diverse teams. Increasingly, AI is becoming part of that team.

Read more perspectives from the jury room in the companion article here, featuring Jane Wakely (PepsiCo) on Creative Effectiveness, Breana Auberry (The LEGO Group) on Glass Lion: The Lion for Change, and Thanh Anh Nguyen (Grab Vietnam) on Creative Commerce.