The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has added a humour category, making cultural context in entries compulsory and introducing an AI disclaimer as part of a raft of changes to its awards programme for 2024.
Agencies and brands entering the awards next year will be able to enter comedic work in a specific category as part of the cultural and context sections.
Cannes Lions said the award will aim to “celebrate the art of humour in branded communications. Work entered into this category should use wit and satire to provide amusement and create memorable, laughter-inducing connections with audiences.”
There will also be a compulsory question on each entry form about the cultural context of the work. After a successful introduction last year, Cannes Lions organisers explained that as jury members found this so “valuable” it will be mandatory for 2024 submissions.
An AI disclaimer is another new aspect for next year’s awards. Entrants will be required to disclose whether AI was used in the work and how. “This is to help the Jury judge the work fairly, with the full picture,” Cannes Lions said.
In further changes, agencies and brands entering their work will have the option to share answers to sustainability and DE&I questions with jury members.
Cannes Lions said it hopes that this will “hope to encourage those making progress in these areas to share their success and to ignite conversations in the jury room”.
Other changes include an end to the Mobile Lions category, a new Luxury and Lifestyle category and an expansion to the Innovation one.
Submissions for the awards will open on 18 January.
For this year’s festival, Cannes Lions recorded 27,000 entries, up 6 percent year on year. Awards revenue also increased 11 percent.
The 2024 event is set to take place between 17 and 21 June.
