Notes from a Jury President: Leveraging Creative Data to Solve Real-World Problems and Multiply Economic Success

By FCB Global Chief Data & Intelligence Officer Tina Allan

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is one of the most significant moments of the year for our industry — serving not only as a global celebration of great work, but also as a powerful reminder of how we can continue to raise the creative bar.

Now in its 10th year, the “Creative Data” category is a true indicator of where creativity and innovation are headed. With the great honor of serving as Jury President, I’m looking forward to reflecting on the progress we’ve made, evaluating great work, and discussing what’s next with brilliant minds in our industry.

At its core, Cannes is about championing creative effectiveness — the standard we, as creative agencies, strive toward in every piece of work we make. This is how we multiply economic success and drive lasting value. And today, data is more than just a tool, it’s a vital catalyst for unlocking bold ideas, fueling transformative business outcomes, and taking creative to the next level to solve real-world problems.

Creative Data Excellence in Action

Creative excellence means pushing the boundaries of what was previously thought possible and finding innovative ways to have a transformative impact for businesses and culture. It's about understanding the data craft and its endless possibilities — and using that knowledge to propel impactful ideas forward.

Take Burger King’s “Whopper Detour” — a masterclass in using data and technology to supercharge a creative concept. The campaign, which directed McDonald’s customers to the nearest Burger King with the promise of a sandwich for a penny, was not only a clever idea, but also sophisticated in its execution. Fun, perfectly personalized, and innovative — the campaign’s seamless geotargeting changed consumer behavior to help solve a real business problem.

Winning the Direct Grand Prix at Cannes in 2019, “Whopper Detour” set a standard for data-driven creative. It demonstrated how the perfect blend of math, magic, and making can lead to a transformational result for both business and culture. In the “Creative Data” category at this year’s Festival, I hope to see work like this celebrated — work that is truly effective and inspires new waves of innovative creative thought. Work that maybe even leaves people envious in its wake.

Measuring Creative Data Excellence from the Jury Room…

Before the celebration comes the judging — and recognizing true creative data excellence is about more than ticking boxes. It means diving deep into the idea, understanding the data craft behind it, and measuring the work’s real-world impact.

The future of this category, and the creative data field in general, is thrilling. Creative data is fueling the new frontier of creativity, with so much opportunity to uncover new ground, explore unexpected avenues, utilize overlooked areas, and maximize the potential of emerging and existing platforms. Not to mention AI, and the power it holds as a creative partner.

And so we come to the topic on everyone’s minds this year. As a jury, it’s our responsibility to critically assess how AI is being used. In each piece of work, we will examine the value AI brings, whether the work could’ve been done without it, the data integration and complexity of the AI, and ultimately, if you remove the AI — is there anything meaningful left? It is incumbent on us to set the standard, highlighting work where AI is helping us, not hurting us, through enhancing creativity, strengthening ideas, and inspiring innovation.

All of these advancements — combined with bold and courageous creative — are what makes this moment a true turning point for our industry.

It’s an honor to lead a diverse global jury that brings an impressive, and varying, perspective to weigh the factors that separate the good ideas from the ground-breaking. Ultimately, we’re looking for ideas that demonstrate humanity, craft, transformation, impact, and simplicity. A few key considerations come to mind: Is the work rooted in human truths? Is it meaningful to the consumer? Is it flawless in its delivery? Is it easy to understand? Does it drive business impact? Does it move our industry, and culture, forward? These are some of the questions we will ask ourselves in the jury room, debating and analyzing, until we arrive at an undeniable truth.

The Creative Data Lions Await!

The role of data in creativity has never been more essential — or more exciting. There is endless potential to unlock entirely new creative possibilities with the power of the right insights, technology, and data-powered excellence. The work that transcends will go beyond “data for data’s sake,” and be rooted in human relevance that sparks consumer action.

Cannes Lions stands as a celebration of the work and ideas that embody the very best of our industry. It honors the bold thinking that challenges convention and proves that creativity is the ultimate economic multiplier. I’m looking forward to feeling inspired, energized, and maybe even a little bit jealous, as we celebrate the most innovative and impactful work from around the world.

The “Creative Data” awards night on Wednesday June 18th is not to be missed.

The stage is set, the bar is high — and the Lions are waiting…