Future Lions 2024 Celebrates Four Winning Innovations
Celebrating its 19th year, Future Lions, in association with the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, continues to highlight the vision of young people and their innovative use of cutting-edge technologies. This year, AKQA partnered with Spotify and The Wall Street Journal, challenging young minds to spread positivity by leveraging technology to connect listeners with the creators and communities they cherish.
Grand Prix: Break the Sound Barrier
In a world with 7,000 spoken languages and 300 visual sign languages, music remains the universal language connecting us all. “Break the Sound Barrier” uses deep fake technology to add deaf performances to songs, making music more accessible to everyone.
Winners: Molly Egan and Marlana Bianchi
Institution: Syracuse University, New York
Winner: EarSafe
With studies showing an increasing risk of hearing loss among young people from loud music, EarSafe turns Spotify into a free hearing assessment tool. By using popular songs in interactive hearing tests, users can personalize their Spotify audio settings to better suit their hearing needs.
Winners: Ana Gabunia and João Parreira
Institution: Miami Ad School, Berlin
Winner: The Good Loop
The Good Loop aids people with neurodiversity in managing sensory overload by allowing them to create auditory stims from their favorite tracks. This tool cuts and loops tracks, separates instrumentals into layers and uses generative AI to find similar songs, enhancing the listening experience.
Winners: Loris Ghidini, Giulia Ciapparella, Enrico Monacelli, Andrea Debernardi, and Emma Ceramelli
Institution: Accademia di Comunicazione, Milan
Winner: Beats in Motion
Beats in Motion addresses motion sickness, enabling users to fully enjoy Spotify while traveling. It incorporates a customizable layer of white noise and features adjustable fonts to reduce nausea and improve readability and concentration.
Winners: Tate Lampi and Maia Johnston
Institution: Leeds Arts University, Leeds
In honor of AKQA’s Chairman Emeritus Tom Bedecarré, whose four-decade career has profoundly influenced many young creatives, the inaugural Tom Bedecarré School of the Year award recognizes institutions expanding access and using technology for positive impact. This year’s award goes to OpenLearn Academy, an online education platform that breaks financial barriers and challenges educational norms in South Korea.
Ajaz Ahmed, CEO and Founder of AKQA remarked, “We are inspired and invigorated by the limitless creativity of a rising generation. The Future Lions competition honors pioneers and elevates their ideas, rethinking 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 prestigious honors for emerging talent in the design, creative, and advertising industries. This year saw record-breaking participation with entries from around the globe, including the USA, Spain, Argentina, Sweden, the UK, South Korea, Canada, Brazil, Peru, and Germany. Over 240 schools participated, with notable 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.