AKQA announces Future Lions 2024 winners

The Future Lions 2024 competition has awarded four winning ideas.

Celebrating its 19th year, Future Lions, in association with Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, illuminates the vision of young people and their imaginative application of cutting-edge technologies. This year, AKQA partnered with Spotify and The Wall Street Journal sharing a brief which asks young people to spread positivity by using technology to bring listeners closer to the creators and communities they love.

Grand Prix

Break the Sound Barrier

In a world with 7,000 spoken languages and 300 visual sign languages, the one universal language which connects us all is music. The initiative features deaf performances that can be added to songs by leveraging deep fake technology for social good, making music more accessible for all.

Molly Egan and Marlana Bianchi.
Syracuse University, New York.

Winner

EarSafe

Studies have found that more young people risk hearing loss from listening to loud music. EarSafe overcomes the inaccessibility and costly traditional hearing tests by turning Spotify into a free hearing measure. By combining most listened songs into interactive hearing tests, users are able to personalise their Spotify audio settings to suit their needs.

Ana Gabunia and João Parreira.
Miami Ad School, Berlin.

Winner

The Good Loop

Stimming allows people with neurodiversity to overcome sensory overload and channel their inner emotions. The Good Loop enables users to create auditory stims by cutting and looping their favourite tracks, separating the instrumentals into multiple layers. It also features generative AI to find similar songs, enhancing the modern listening experience.

Loris Ghidini, Giulia Ciapparella, Enrico Monacelli, Andrea Debernardi and Emma Ceramelli.
Accademia di Comunicazione, Milan.

Winner

Beats in Motion

Beats in Motion combats motion sickness and allows users to fully enjoy all streaming services on Spotify. The feature is layered with a frequency of white noise which can be turned on when travelling and adjusted to the user’s personal preference. When on the move, fonts can also be changed to reduce nausea when scrolling, improving readability and concentration.

Tate Lampi and Maia Johnston.
Leeds Arts University, Leeds.

In recognition of AKQA’s Chairman Emeritus Tom Bedecarré and his profound influence young people through mentorship during his four-decade career in the creative industry, this award acknowledges institutions leading the way in expanding access and utilising technology for positive impact.

OpenLearn Academy has been named the inaugural Tome Bedecarré School of the Year. The institution is an online education platform that overcomes financial barriers and the challenges the educational status quo in South Korea to create a thriving environment for graduates.

Ajaz Ahmed, CEO and founder of AKQA, said: “We are inspired and invigorated by the limitless creativity of a rising generation. The Future Lions competition honours the pioneers, and elevates their ideas that rethink the potential of technology and design to set the stage for a new wave of innovation.”

Since its inception in 2005, Future Lions has become one of the most coveted honours for emerging talent in the design, creative and advertising industry. Future Lions has significantly expanded its global reach and influence this year, achieving record-breaking participation rates and receiving entries from across the world.

The highest submissions came from the USA, Spain, Argentina, Sweden, the UK, South Korea, Canada, Brazil, Peru, and Germany. Over 240 schools participated, with the highest submissions from Brother Escuela de Creativos, Miami Ad School, Arizona State University, and Berghs School of Communication.

To learn more about the 2024 Future Lions, visit: futurelions.com.