The Dan Wieden Titanium Lions are awarded to game-changing campaigns that point the ad industry in a new direction. Previously called the Titanium Lions, they were renamed this year for their Dan Wieden, after the Wieden & Kennedy co-founder died in September.
According to jury president, David Droga (who would have had to recuse himself from discussions about The First Digital Nation because he is CEO of Accenture Song), the jurors were looking for precedent-setting, long-term ideas.
‘The winners are more than just ideas and executions, they’re solving problems,’ he said. ‘We looked for ideas that are going to have [long-lasting] impact… Is the idea going to be even better next year when no one is looking?’
The First Digital Nation fit this brief perfectly, he explained. ‘It’s not about an archive, it’s about changing international law. It’s not a technology idea, it’s a problem-solving idea.’
Droga also addressed this year’s industry buzz around generative AI, saying: ‘Almost every second presentation [at Cannes Lions] has been about technology. The world is changing and tech like AI is going to enhance what we do.’ But human creativity can’t be replaced, he said. ‘When you’ve got a problem to solve, you’re going to call your agency, not ChatGPT.’
