Creativity Moves Us Forward
Introducing a new space to amplify stories of how quick-thinking, acts of kindness, invention and compassion are being employed in real-time to solve some of the issues we’re collectively facing in this new reality
Jump to: Community Content | Featured Talks | Winning Work | More Insights
The need for creative progress is greater than ever
Creativity is more important than ever before, but it’s not easy to be creative under confines like the ones we face today. We’re going to be sharing useful talks, Lion-winning work and inspiring stories from the creative community around the world.
So far, our community has sent us stories from around the globe of how creativity is being applied to respond to shifting consumer behaviour, rapidly changing circumstances and a period of extended isolation. And, of course, we’re here to offer timely lessons from the past ten years that highlight the enduring power of creativity.
Regular, relevant insights and inspiration.
We’ve built this space to give you access to important resources including original content – ordinarily available exclusively to subscribers to our creative intelligence platform, The Work. Expect inspiration from the Festival stages, expert guidance on how to navigate change, creative insights from winning work and stories from inside our community. Each week, we’ll share relevant learnings and breakthroughs, highlighting creative solutions to today’s challenges from across the community.
Today's inspiration:
Airbnb has revolutionised the way we travel. Back in 2008, its inception marked the explosion of a sharing economy that would define the next decade. CEO & Co-Founder Brian Chesky tells Cosmopolitan Editor-in-Chief Joanna Coles about raising investment in for 'air beds' in a cratering economy, the pressures of pioneering a new category and his vision for closing the cultural gaps that divide us.
Progress Through Creativity
In our new podcast series we talk to members of our global community and explore their inspirational stories of progress. Across the world governments, businesses and individuals are dealing with extraordinary circumstances that are forcing all of us to challenge the status quo as we step into a new normal. But as traditional models are being upturned and everyday routines are being dismantled, small shoots of hope are emerging.
Listen to this week's episode
Community Content: Creative, Hopeful Stories
People of the Pandemic
What can we do to bring light to the humanity behind the current headlines? Creative project and global collective People of the Pandemic amplifies the voices of everyday heroes often taken for granted – healthcare workers, supermarket workers, delivery drivers, cleaners and frontline workers. The group’s sensitive portraits (documented at a distance) bring us the stories of those risking their health to continue serving our needs.
Opinion: Five Ways the Creative Industry Can Rebuild Through Uncertainty
What does the future of work look like for the creative industry? Stephanie Nadi Olson, founder of talent consultancy We Are Rosie, shares the ways that we can revolutionise our now outdated organisational structures - from genuinely inclusive remote working policies to teams built on ‘fixed’ and ‘flexi’ talent working side-by-side.
Opinion: Long Live the Servant Brand
The current crisis has revealed a flaw in the idea of ‘brand purpose’: it’s inherently about the brand, not the consumer. Solitaire Townsend, Co-founder of change agency Futerra, charts the pandemic-accelerated shift from the 'purposeful brand' to the ‘servant brand’.
Featured Talks: Curated Thought Leadership at Home
Anna Wintour In Conversation with Christopher Bailey
A timely lesson from the iconic Editor of Vogue on how a strong editorial voice cuts through in the age of always-on digital content and deadlocked algorithms. Enjoy Anna Wintour in conversation with Burberry on the power of disruptive narratives and the secrets to creativity that stands out.
Creativity and Responsibility: Using Our Voices to Promote Gender Equality
Understand how to use a brand voice responsibility – for good and for growth. Facebook CCO and author of ‘Lean In’, Sheryl Sandberg, Former Editor of Vanity Fair, Tina Brown, and Chief Creative Officer of Badger & Winters, Madonna Badger discuss their work with brands on advancing gender equality.
Winning in Real Time
What does it take to respond in real-time to what’s going on in the outside world? In a classic talk, former President, Sparkling and Strategic Marketing (now global CEO at Dentsu Aegis Network), Wendy Clark, introduces us to the newsroom-style ‘Global Hub’ that enabled the company to listen, manage and engage with brand conversations during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Winning Work: Applied Creativity and Inspiration
President's Playlist: Industry Craft Lions
Jayanta Jenkins, Global Executive Creative Director, Samsung Mobile, Cheil Worldwide, Global and Jury President for 2021 shares ten favourite pieces of work from over the years.
President's Playlist: Direct Lions
Reed Collins, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, Asia and 2021 Jury President shares his favourite work in Direct from over the years. Here, Reed offers up insights into targeted and response-driven creativity.
President’s Playlist: Sustainable Development Goals Lions
Eduardo Murari, VP, Global Creative Board and President & CEO, Europe, Grey and 2021 Sustainable Development Goals Lions Jury President, shares a selection of his favourite action-driven work from over the last two years.
More guidance, insight and inspiration
MENA Anatomy of Effectiveness
In Egypt, 49.7% of adults used an ad blocker in the past month. So did 52.4% in Saudi Arabia and 49.1% in the UAE. For marketers in MENA, there’s rising concern that ad spend is no longer driving brand growth. A special report looks at how WARC's global guidelines for effectiveness apply in the region. Understand how to invest for growth, balance your spend, plan for reach, find the creative heart and tackle barriers to recognition.
Storytelling at Scale
A Cannes Lions original report reflects on the eternal appeal of great stories and offers expert guidance for creative storytelling strategies. In the face of profound change, great storytelling remains fundamental to creativity. But, in truth, the only stories that matter are those that are going to be retold.
Creative Resources
We are making our creative intelligence platform, The Work, available to all university students. During this period of isolation, it’s so important that we continue to develop our future talent and provide better access to learning tools.