Cannes Lions 2024: Digital, Film and Industry Craft winners  /

This year’s Craft winners represented a variety of categories and a coup for Germany: Spotify took the top prize in Digital Craft; a German DIY store chain, Hornbach, won in Film Craft; and German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung was awarded the Industry Craft Grand Prix.

Spotify was awarded for its Spreadbeats film – a feat of human creativity built within the most unexpected of places: Microsoft Excel. Another more technology-driven campaign (Michelob Ultra’s virtual F1 race, Lap of Legends) was in contention for the top prize, said jury president Kentaro Kimura (International CCO, Hakuhodo). ‘One moved people’s emotion through the use of advanced digital technology, [the other] was created with purely human craft.’ In the end, ‘great human creativity’ won, rather than ‘a “wow” use of technology’, he said.

‘This is a very transformative idea,’ explained Kimura. ‘It converted a common, dry, boring spreadsheet into a lively, exciting music video. [It was a] truly innovative implementation because they achieved craft through decades-old, nostalgic technology... Only Spotify could do this. It brings a new way to do b2b to our industry.’ 

Spreadbeats for Spotify by FCB, New York

Lap of Legends for Michelob Ultra by FCB New York

Without Consent – A message from Ella for Deutsche Telekom by adam&eve, Berlin  

The Film Craft category Grand Prix winner, The Square Meter (for Hornbach by HeimatTBWA\, Berlin), creatively displays the unexpected improvements that can be made to small dwellings. The jury were looking for benchmarking work, said jury president and advertising film director, Prasoon Pandey. ‘We have to share with the audience stuff that they have to beat.’ 

The Square Meter is ‘a magical coming together of all the crafts, like synchronised swimming, it all comes together to lift the idea to a new level,’ said Pandey. ‘Great film craft is that which enhances the idea without ever trying to shine above it. While it is trying to do amazing things to raise the idea to another level it is also cleverly trying to keep itself invisible.’

The Square Meter for Hornbach by HeimatTBWA\, Berlin

Madly/The Poem for The Blaze by Iconoclast, Paris 

Oliveira Dos Cen Anos for Real Club Celta by Visit Little Spain, Madrid 

C4 Idents for Channel 4 by Art Practice, London and 4Creative, London 

Ashe Versus for Moderna Inc. by The Youth, Curitiba and TBWA\Health Collective, New York 

Finally, in Industry Craft, a single, striking image was awarded the top prize for a campaign called The 100th ​​​​​​​Edition. For its 100th edition, newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Scholz and Friends, Berlin, dedicated a full-page print ad to Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer (102). She was photographed in the centre of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin by film director Wim Wenders, and the limited edition issue was published on Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January.

‘We are living in this very divided world. And when there is any message of hope that goes out to the world we have [to hold it up].’ Speaking to the image’s power, he added, ‘You don’t need to know anything, it just hits your heart.’

Channel 4 Idents for Channel 4 by 4Creative, London

Thanks for Coke-creating for Coca-Cola by VML, New York, Kansas City and São Paulo 

Recycle Me for Coca-Cola by Ogilvy, New York 

The Great Indian Dunk for NBA by Leo Burnett, Dubai 

Asked about the presence of AI and generative AI among the submissions, there was consensus that human creativity was prioritised, but that technology could be used to elevate and expand human-driven ideas. ‘I feel far too much attention has been paid to AI,’ said Pandey. ‘It’s a great tool but for us creatives, we need to understand it with a pinch of salt. It can learn from everything that has ever been published. But it can’t learn from observation of personal experiences. And when we’re looking for new ideas we are trying our best to not do something that has been done before… If someone uses AI to elevate the idea that would be rewarded. But we are looking only at what you do to elevate the idea.’