Future Lions 2024

Amplify with Spotify

Be Heard

Streaming the creative power of young innovators.

Celebrating its 19th year, Future Lions, in association with the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, has partnered with Spotify and The Wall Street Journal to encourage young innovators to spread positivity by leveraging technology to bring listeners closer to the creators and communities they love. Over 602 million Spotify users explore a range of streaming services, from mood-boosting music to community-based podcasts. The digital platform has become an invaluable mental health sanctuary for Millennials and Gen Z users to seek creative inspiration and spark meaningful conversations.

Two people sit side by side on blue chairs in a modern, well-lit living room. The woman on the left has long brown hair and wears a black sweater and jeans. The man on the right wears glasses and a colorful striped sweater. Both are smiling.

When we signed on to sponsor this year’s Future Lions, we had high expectations of the work. They totally knocked it out of the park. Every single honouree raised the bar for innovation in our industry and set a new standard for our ability to connect with the world. We are so excited to collaborate with these brilliant minds and AKQA to explore new ways to use Spotify’s rich platform to inspire impactful creativity and rewrite the playbook together.

Grace Kao, Global Head of Business Marketing at Spotify

A record-breaking year.

Since introducing the client brief, this year’s entries have tripled with visionary ideas from around the world. Over 240 schools submitted projects with unique stories to share and challenges to solve.

The four winning team’s ideas were revealed at Spotify Beach at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with each team receiving the prestigious Future Lions trophy.

Three stylised Future Lions figures with ears and tails stand in a row on a plain white background. They have metallic silver bodies with different coloured accents: the left figure has yellow, the middle has purple, and the right has yellow. Their faces are digital screens displaying simple, friendly expressions.

Winners

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.

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

Green text on a black background reads BREAK THE SOUND BARRIER, with a motion blur effect giving the appearance of speed.

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.

A smartphone displaying the EarSafe app interface with earbud controls, surrounded by floating purple wireless earbuds, set against a purple abstract background.

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.

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

Two smartphones display a music editing app; one shows audio waveforms and controls, the other shows an artists photo with music playback. The text “The good Loop” is on the right with a stylized logo.

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.

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

A smartphone displays the text Beats in Motion with a headphone icon and the Spotify logo. The background features abstract black and white digital sound waves.
The letters OL in white against a solid blue background. The O is formed by eight short white dashes arranged in an octagon, and the L is a solid white vertical line with a shorter horizontal line extending from its base to the right.

Tom Bedecarré School of the Year Award.

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 Tom 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.

“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.”

Ajaz Ahmed, CEO and Founder of AKQA

A cartoon of a robotic Future Lions cub with a speaker as a body, amongst a colourful scene of pink grass and different shaped flowers.

Embarking on an adventure through sound.

The creative theme for the Amplify: Be Heard brief explores how audio allows users to transcend through various emotional and mental states. The Future Lions Cub is brought to life through the power of sound as it travels into a different dimension, embodying the insight that Gen Z and Millennials use audio streaming to boost positivity and productivity.

From the Classroom to Cannes

Take Centre Stage

Hear the insights from the Future Lions Jury Room, why the winners chose their ideas and see the reveal of the Grand Prix, with Sam Kelly, CMO AKQA; Gemma Redgrave, Marketing Director AKQA; Tye Comer, Creative Director Advertising and Creative Spotify; and Chloe Wix Global Director Advertising and Product Marketing Spotify.

Sam Kelly and a Chloe Wix sitting in white wicker chairs on a wooden deck overlooking the ocean. Sam, on the left, is wearing a dark short-sleeved shirt and holding a tablet. Chloe, on the right, is wearing a beige top and white pants, looking to her right and smiling. A camera is visible in the foreground.
Tye Comer and a Gemma Redgrave sitting in white wicker chairs on a wooden deck overlooking the ocean. Tye , on the left, is wearing a striped polo shirt and glasses, looking at the Gemma and smiling. Gemma, on the right, is wearing a dark top and light blue pants, looking at the man and laughing. A camera is visible in the foreground.
Gemma Redgrave, Tye Comer, Chloe Wix and Sam Kelly. standing side-by-side outdoors with a bright blue sky and ocean in the background.
Tye Comer and Gemma Redgrave on a stage with the Future Lion winners in front of a a vibrant pink and orange backdrop. The winners are holding their trophies, shaped like a Lion.
Tye Comer and Gemma Redgrave on a stage with the Future Lion winners in front of a a vibrant pink and orange backdrop. The winners are holding their trophies, shaped like a Lion. They are smiling and looking towards the camera.

“Your projects exemplify the harmonious integration of humanity with technology. They serve as beacons of how we can coexist productively and positively in this digital age.”

Phillipa Leighton-Jones, Senior Vice President, Global Head Creative and Editorial Lead, The Trust, Wall Street Journal

Aerial view of a sunny beach with turquoise water and piers, overlaid with yellow pixelated text reading AMPLIFY, and smaller text underneath saying, Take Centre Stage, Future Lions 2024.
A group of people pose together, smiling, holding yellow cartoon lion trophies. They are on a modern white and purple stage with colorful abstract art in the background.
A group of people sit on a sunlit terrace, some with headsets and cameras, listening to a person speaking near the front. Lush plants and a large building are visible in the background. The scene is in black and white.
Sam Kelly in a dark shirt and pants sits facing two Future Lion winners in white chairs. The woman on the left wears a black dress, and the woman on the right wears a dark blue and white dress with sunglasses. Two Future Lion trophy figurines are on a table in front.
Three Future Lion winners sit on a modern sofa in front of a wall with abstract, geometric shapes. The person on the left wears sunglasses and points two fingers up. The person in the middle wears a t-shirt and shorts, holding a small white cat-like figurine. The person on the right wears a white dress and smiles. A camera with a flash is visible in the foreground on the right. The image is in black and white.
Two Future Lion winners sit on a wide red staircase. The man, on the left, wears a light brown shirt and dark shorts. The woman, on the right, wears a light-coloured vest and pants. Both have the Lion trophy figurines on their heads.
A group of people stand and interact in a bright, open space. Gemma Redgrave stands in the middle of two Future Lion winners. Other people are visible in the background. The image is in black and white.
Five Future Lion winners pose on two light-coloured sofas in front of a vibrant pink and purple wall with abstract shapes, including a large orange Spotify logo. Each person holds a the Lion trophy figurine. The person on the far left raises their arm in the air.
FutureLions.com

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