It's time: Cannes Lions opens for entries

The 64th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has officially opened for entries.

The festival, taking place from 17 through 24 June, has no new Lions this year, and says it has made changes to simplify the entry process. Improvements include a 10-point entry checklist guide people through the system more effectively, the organisation said.

Subcategories have been revised in some existing categories, and amended guidelines will help to outline what the jury will be looking for. The changes affect the following Lions:

• The Innovation Lions has two new categories. ‘Technological Craft & Development’ will award the technical prowess behind the ideas, and ‘Early Stage Technology’ offers an opportunity for prototypes and beta-stage ideas.
• The Creative Data Lions has three new categories: ‘Data Strategy’, ‘Data-Driven Targeting’ and ‘Use of Real-Time Data’. In addition, the existing data section within Media Lions has been refined.
• The Media Lions has added a new ‘Excellence in Media’ section, which recognises "how a media campaign delivered outcomes for a brand through outstanding media strategy, planning and execution".
• The Promo & Activation Lions has a new ‘Experience’ section for "engaging, immersive, face-to-face customer-focused brand experiences with storytelling at the heart".

Cannes Lions entries have grown annually, reaching a record-breaking 43,101 in 2016.

You can download an entry kit (PDF) here, or view details online.