Future Lions 2018 Breaks Previous Records

 A record-breaking 2,290 participants have entered Future Lions 2018, AKQA’s global undergraduate competition. Students from 386 schools across 55 countries, including for the first time, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, have submitted pioneering ideas to connect audiences to a brand in a way not possible three years ago.

Future Lions 2018 partners include Snap Inc., and global youth empowerment organisation, MiSK Foundation.

Claire Valoti, VP International Sales at Snap Inc. said: "At Snap, we believe ideas have the power to change the world and our platform exists to give flight to creativity. Young people are often the most enthusiastic adopters of new technologies, and we are excited to see how the Future Lions 2018 entrants respond to the brief, and the innovative thinking they bring to the challenge."

Shaima Hamidaddin, Executive Manager of MiSK Global Forum said: “The emerging trends of the future economy will have profound implications for young people’s futures. Those with the skills in demand and the creativity to adapt to new contexts will have an edge in the transition over those who do not. Our partnership with this year’s Future Lions competition aims to discover and empower young creative minds that inspire a sustainable difference at global scale.”

This year’s competition theme, Create Tomorrow, explores how recent advances in technology including artificial intelligence, blockchain, intelligent interfaces and new rules of energy, are advancing the possibilities yet to manifest. 

AKQA Creative Director and previous Future Lions winner Nicolai Smith said: “2018’s competition is already the biggest, and having just reviewed the diversity of entries, it also promises to be the boldest and the best. We’ve been impressed, and overwhelmed, with the extraordinary imagination and commitment of this new generation which will make choosing the finalists tougher than ever.”

The Future Lions judging panel has started to select five winning student teams that will be celebrated on stage at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on 21 June. Each will receive the prestigious Future Lions trophy and enjoy full access to the Festival. Alongside individual awards, the school with the highest number of shortlisted entries will be named Future Lions School of the Year, winning career workshops with AKQA international teams as part of their prize.

During the past decade, AKQA’s Future Lions competition has helped to launch the careers of many celebrated creatives with winners working at some of the world’s most respected creative organisations, continuing to contribute groundbreaking ideas.

Visit www.futurelions.com for further details about the 2018 Future Lions competition.