What is the "Innovation" Cannes Recognized? Haruko Minagawa (Creative Data Jury) × Kana Nakano (Innovation Jury)

This year, the "Creative Data" category was newly established, becoming an independent award alongside the Innovation category to form the new "Lions Innovation" award. What was discussed in this new award, and what winning works were selected? We asked judges Nakanaka and Haruko Minagawa.
(This content is reprinted from the September issue of "Brain")

Evaluating "Worth the Investment" and "Uniqueness" Simultaneously

――Please tell us the judging criteria for the Innovation category and the Creative Data category.

Nakano: The judging criteria for the Innovation category are "Is it worth investing in?" – meaning "Can it be a game-changer?" and "Does it change society for the better?" And "Is it a unique idea?" This year, investment company representatives were also on the jury, making "Is it worth investing in?" a crucial criterion. The last point is very Cannes-like. If we were to highlight a difference from startup pitch contests, Cannes places tremendous value on "Uniqueness."

Minagawa: For the Creative Data category, the criteria are "Does it have sustainability?" "Is it scalable?" and "Does the idea spark that 'Wow, I wish I'd thought of that!' surprise?" "Does the data look alive and compelling to anyone who sees it?" Looking at this, even within the Lions Innovation categories, the focus is quite different. Since experts in both creative and data serve as judges, entries must satisfy both perspectives to win. The judges are all open-minded and curious individuals. Creators might get code lessons on the spot, or data judges might ask creators, "What exactly is creativity?" They even joked, "If we formed a team with the judges, we could create a dream team (laughs)."

Unanimous decision: "No Grand Prix." The reason?

Minagawa: In the Creative Data category, everyone quickly agreed that "there would be no Grand Prix this year." While entries met the criteria within their respective subcategories, none possessed the power to transcend those boundaries. However, the judges viewed this as a positive decision. We truly felt the potential of combining creativity and data, and the direction is definitely right. It wouldn't be surprising if this category became central to Cannes in a few years. So, rather than awarding a half-hearted Grand Prix this year, we decided to hold off and entrust it to future years.

Nakano: The Innovation category has two subcategories: "In-House Business" and "Client Business." The Grand Prix winner, "What3Words," was selected from the former.

Watch the What3Words video here.

This decision was straightforward. The service allows users to assign three-word combinations to locations on a 3-meter grid map. What earned the highest praise was its potential to be a game-changer. The adage "He who holds the map rules the world" dates back to the Age of Exploration, and challenging that very notion was a major point of high evaluation. Furthermore, I believe the approach of using technology to target regions with growth potential, like Africa, where address systems haven't yet caught up, was also highly valued. Its applicability to client businesses, including events and campaigns, was another key point of evaluation.

(Full text available in the September issue of 'Brain' )

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Haruko Minagawa
Hakuhodo TBWA\HAKUHODO Touchpoint Evangelist and Knowledge Concierge. As a technology-savvy generalist, she manages a wide range of responsibilities from overall strategy to KPI development and PDCA management. She is also involved in trend analysis for effectiveness measurement and system development.

Kana Nakano
Dentsu Inc. CDC Creative Technologist/Communication Planner. Joined Dentsu Inc. in 2009 after working at an online advertising agency. Plans and develops "slightly futuristic communication" inspired by new technologies, such as the wearable devices "necomimi" and "neurocam," and the IoT device "mononome."