(Image supplied) After its successful 2023 launch, The Loudest Roar, a space for young talents to test instincts, develop perspectives, and learn from industry veterans by voting for their Cannes favourites, is back

The immersive gamified platform invites participants of all ages to share insights, vote for favourite campaigns in this year’s Cannes Lions shortlists, and gain valuable perspectives.

Founder of The Loudest Roar, Chirag Khushalani says, “My vision is to make the platform the official hub of Cannes Lions for discussions and learning among young talents. Similar to fantasy leagues for sports, it engages, inspires, and ignites excitement among emerging talents, creating greater interest in the creativity festival.”

With 350 participants from 25 countries and 20 industry veterans already onboard, 2024 presents an even bigger opportunity to inspire change.

The game went live this year on 14 June, aas Cannes Lions released their first round of shortlists.

Cannes Lions has unveiled its latest cohort

Dentsu  11 Apr 2024

How it works

Participants view shortlisted case studies on the platform and vote for Grand Prix winners in five trend-setting categories that inspire the future of our industry; Titanium, Innovation, Glass, Creative Effectiveness, and Creative Business Transformation.

Voting closes a few hours before Cannes Lions officially announces the winners on 20 June.

Prizes

Participants compete for prizes like $250 Amazon gift cards and mentorship from a network of 600 mentors at The University of Planning.

Each player receives a personalised juror badge for sharing their pride on social media.

Lions announces 2024 scholarship recipients, SA on the list

30 May 2024

Community expanded

In the spirit of guidance, past Cannes Lions jurors share category-specific tips to assist participants in making informed choices.

This year the Loudest Roar community has expanded with new participants and past judges like Alice Chou, CCO at Dentsu Taiwan, Ronald NG, CCO at MRM, and Ari Halper, global ECD and head of creative excellence at R/GA, among others.

Some of the most valuable tips include 'New Innovation must always balance novelty with familiarity,' by Tracey Follows, an Innovation Lions judge, and 'Be subjective but open to change during discussions,' by Mihnea Gheorghiu, a Film Lions judge.

Two Hyper Island graduates, Samita Balakrishnan and Mingus Lion, also join Khushalani, Tobbi Vu, Teena Mathews, and Jack Rogers, in expanding the community.

'See It Be It': Overcoming gender barriers in the creative space

Danette Breitenbach  21 Apr 2023

Jury room stimulation

The Loudest Roar is creating a jury room simulation led by Jennifer Fischer, 2022 Innovation Lions jury member.

This session will help young talents learn the art of judging and develop their teamwork and critical thinking skills.

At the end of the session, The Loudest Roar’s ‘jury’ will submit their collective predictions of winners, and test their prediction accuracy with the official Cannes Lions jury.

2023 predictions

In 2023, young talents showed a unique perspective on winning campaigns, with just a 13.2% prediction match to actual results.

This sparked discussions on the need for more knowledge sharing.

In the Innovations category, while 15% voted for eventual winner Mouthpad, many favoured Mammoth Meatball, citing its timely focus on food sustainability and innovative approach to artificial meat.

2023 winner, Louie Smit, a Miami Ad School graduate, says: "This platform and the judges' tips taught me how to see ideas in a whole new light, such as, how it reaches audiences, shapes culture and solves real-world problems. I'm applying these insights to my portfolio case studies as well.”

If great ideas can come from anywhere, so should opinions about those ideas

Divide between young talents and industry veterans

The Loudest Roar serves as a research project, bridging the knowledge gap between emerging talents and industry veterans through dialogue and understanding of judging great work.

It plans to collaborate with advertising schools to integrate these discussions into their curriculum, empowering the future of advertising.

"Everyone loves to have a say, but until now, there's been a divide between young talents and industry veterans and the voicing of their opinions.

“The Loudest Roar believes in the value of every voice and provides a platform for everyone to unite. If great ideas can come from anywhere, so should opinions about those ideas,” explains Khushalani.

All participants can sign-up and predict on here.

NOTE: The Loudest Roar is not affiliated with Cannes Lions or the team's employed agencies; it is a personal project driven by a deep admiration and respect for the festival. Its primary goal is to benefit young talents by providing them with a unique opportunity to engage with Cannes Lions and enhance their understanding of outstanding work.