Cannes Lions Creativity Report: 4 trends redefining how brands turn creativity into growth

Cannes LIONS has published its Creativity Report 2026, spotlighting the trends and ideas that defined this year's winning work at the Festival. In his introduction to the report, Simon Cook, Chief Executive Officer, LIONS, said Jury Presidents looked beyond whether ideas were simply innovative or powerful, and considered "their impact, both on outcomes business and society at large." The report identifies four creative trends running through this year's Lion winners.

Fair trade

This year's winners showed that the best way to connect with people is to provide a true value exchange, rather than find crafty ways to interrupt their experiences. Creative Strategy Juror Emeka Obia, Regional Head of Strategy at Publicis West Africa, said several standout cases succeeded because "they created genuine value for people."

Mobile game Clash Royale's 'Copycats Welcome' let players in imitation games convert their progress into real Clash Royale currency, driving 1.65 million new accounts in just three days. Uber Brazil secured naming rights to fourth-division club Uberlandia E.C. without changing the team's identity, lifting brand mentions 14-fold and attendances by 84%.

Sound reasoning

Many of this year's winners found innovative ways to claim prominent sounds in culture as their own brand cues. Energy drink Sting linked its name to the roar of Formula One engines with 'The Unofficial Sound of F1,' earning 1.12 billion in reach and a 70% rise in global positive sentiment. Hyundai replaced standard car lock chirps with the call of Puerto Rico's native coquí frog, achieving 98% positive sentiment and prompting locals to request the sound on their own vehicles.

Fan folklore

By inviting audiences to investigate mysteries and unexpected events, winners turned brand storytelling into a participatory experience. Direct Lions Jury President Joaquín Cubría, Chief Creative Officer at GUT in Argentina, said "many of the strongest ideas were not fully authored by brands."

Columbia Sportswear's 'Expedition Impossible' challenged anyone to prove the Earth was flat to win the company, reaching 80 million people. German supermarket PENNY leaned into the mystery after 50 sheep charged into one of its stores, letting the public shape the story through 'Sheep Happens,' which generated €30 million in earned media and boosted nationwide brand popularity by 69%.

Tackling truth

An onslaught of AI-generated content has left people increasingly sceptical of what they can believe, pushing brands to prioritise creative transparency. Creative Commerce Jury President Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer at Flywheel, said "authenticity is becoming a point of difference at the point of sale."

IKEA's 'Sleep Talk Reviews' recorded customers' nocturnal murmurings in-store and used the gibberish as mattress testimonials, lifting trust by 12% and mattress sales by 2.9% year on year. Amstel's 'Shot Without Permission' replaced staged photography with candid, unposed images of friends enjoying the beer together, generating 25.74 million impressions and 98% positive sentiment globally within its first week.