Cannes Lions 2026 has released the shortlist for the Digital Craft Lions category, one of the Festival\u2019s key benchmarks for technical, aesthetic and experiential excellence across digital environments, interactive platforms, technology-led content, data, artificial intelligence and new forms of brand interaction.<\/p>\n
The Digital Craft Lions celebrate technological artistry in creativity, recognising work that combines form and function, flawless design, precise execution and digital experiences capable of moving a brand forward in an ecosystem where technology is no longer just a channel, but a creative language.<\/p>\n
The 2026 Jury President for Digital Craft Lions is Andr\u00e9s Ord\u00f3\u00f1ez, Global Chief Creative Officer at McCann. His leadership brings one of the industry\u2019s strongest global creative perspectives to a category where craft, innovation, user experience, data and artificial intelligence increasingly converge.<\/p>\n
The Digital Craft Lions 2026 shortlist includes 39 shortlisted entries, distributed across 16 subcategories: Digital Illustration & Image Design, Video\/Moving Image, Motion Graphics Design & Animation, Overall Aesthetic Design, UX & Journey Design, Experience Design: Multi-Platform, Cross-Channel Storytelling, Real-Time Contextual Content, Personalised Storytelling & Experience, Data Storytelling, Real-Time Usage & Targeting, Curation of Data, AI Craft, Innovative Use of Technology, Native & Built-In Feature Integration and Technological Achievement in Digital Craft.<\/p>\n
The selection confirms that contemporary digital craft is no longer limited to the visual quality of an execution. It now brings together experience, navigation, data, interfaces, contextual content, applied technology, artificial intelligence, accessibility, personalisation and the ability to create meaningful interaction.<\/p>\n
The United States has the strongest presence in the shortlist, with 16 shortlisted entries, followed by Brazil, Australia, Peru, Japan, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Denmark, alongside a multinational entry connected to the United States, France, Lithuania and Vatican City.<\/p>\n
Among the most represented brands are Apple, Embratur and Rai, Michelob Ultra and BCP, alongside Google, Autism Society, O Botic\u00e1rio, Suncorp Insurance, Hyundai, Spoor, Microsoft, Sphere Studios, The RealReal, 1001 Optometry, NTT Human Informatics Laboratories, Mastercard, Tiffany & Co., Mapfre, Flynas and other companies showing the category\u2019s broad industry range.<\/p>\n
In Form, the shortlist brings together work recognised for aesthetic value and technical execution, including \u201cAmazonia\u201d by Embratur and Rai; \u201cLanguage of Bedwetting\u201d by Autism Society; \u201cLorem Ipsum\u201d by Purga Studio; \u201cNo Frame Missed\u201d by Apple; \u201cCreate a Beautiful Future\u201d by ADC Awards; \u201cThe Philipstown Wirecar Grand Prix\u201d by The Philipstown Wirecar Foundation; \u201cProject Genie\u201d by Google; and \u201cRun Back the Miracle\u201d by Michelob Ultra.<\/p>\n
Mexico is represented in the shortlist with \u201cLorem Ipsum\u201d by Purga Studio, entered by GUT Mexico City in Video\/Moving Image. Its presence places the Mexican market within the global conversation around digital production, audiovisual language, artificial intelligence and craft applied to new forms of communication.<\/p>\n
Apple has a strong presence with work such as \u201cNo Frame Missed\u201d, \u201cA Critter Carol\u201d, \u201cHVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone\u201d and \u201cF1 Haptic Trailer\u201d. The brand\u2019s participation shows how digital craft can operate as a product demonstration, a storytelling experience and an extension of a brand\u2019s technological ecosystem.<\/p>\n
In Content, Digital Craft Lions 2026 includes campaigns such as \u201cA Critter Carol\u201d and \u201cHVL by MCK | First-Ever 360 Shot on iPhone\u201d by Apple; \u201cCode Her\u201d by O Botic\u00e1rio; \u201cSeat With a View\u201d by Flynas; and \u201cRun Back the Miracle\u201d by Michelob Ultra. These entries show how digital content can adapt to platforms, audiences, cultural moments and personalised experiences.<\/p>\n
The presence of \u201cCode Her\u201d by O Botic\u00e1rio in Real-Time Contextual Content and Innovative Use of Technology confirms the value of ideas connecting technology, context and cultural conversation. In an environment where brands need to respond with greater speed and precision, the shortlist recognises work that uses data, content and technology as central parts of the idea.<\/p>\n
Data & AI is one of the strongest territories in the shortlist, with entries including \u201cHaven\u201d by Suncorp Insurance; \u201cAmazonia\u201d by Embratur and Rai; \u201cMapfre Contigo\u201d by Mapfre; \u201cSOS POS\u201d by BCP; \u201cForests Without Names\u201d by Hyundai; \u201cTransit Tales\u201d by Mastercard; \u201cMermaid\u201d by Tiffany & Co.; and \u201cThe Birdwatcher\u201d by Spoor.<\/p>\n
The AI Craft subcategory features five finalists and marks one of the most important signals of Cannes Lions 2026, with \u201cLa Basilica di San Pietro: An AI-Enhanced Experience\u201d by Microsoft; \u201cThe Wizard of Oz at Sphere\u201d by Sphere Studios; \u201cL\u2019Ultimo Uomo Reale\u201d by The RealReal; \u201cProject Genie\u201d by Google; and \u201cMagical Surveillance\u201d by Movistar Prosegur Alarmas.<\/p>\n
AI Craft confirms that artificial intelligence is now central to the conversation around craft, creativity and technology, not as a decorative tool, but as a driver of new narrative, production, experiential and design possibilities that could not be achieved through traditional methods alone.<\/p>\n
In Technology, shortlisted work includes \u201cSOS POS\u201d by BCP; \u201cThe Birdwatcher\u201d by Spoor; \u201cCode Her\u201d by O Botic\u00e1rio; \u201cMagnif-Eye\u201d by 1001 Optometry; \u201cWaves of Will Powered by NTT\u201d by NTT Human Informatics Laboratories; \u201cSpeed Shields\u201d by KXNGS; \u201cF1 Haptic Trailer\u201d by Apple; and \u201cRun Back the Miracle\u201d by Michelob Ultra. This section confirms the role of applied technology as a platform for improving experience, communication and brand utility.<\/p>\n
Peru stands out with \u201cSOS POS\u201d by BCP, entered by Circus Grey Lima, appearing in Real-Time Usage & Targeting, Innovative Use of Technology and Native & Built-In Feature Integration. The repeated presence of the case confirms its strength as a digital idea capable of meeting different craft, technology and utility criteria.<\/p>\n
Brazil also has a solid presence with \u201cAmazonia\u201d by Embratur and Rai and \u201cCode Her\u201d by O Botic\u00e1rio. The two entries represent important directions for the category: the use of design, data and storytelling to promote a destination, and the use of technology to activate cultural relevance.<\/p>\n
The repeated presence of campaigns such as \u201cAmazonia\u201d, \u201cRun Back the Miracle\u201d, \u201cSOS POS\u201d, \u201cLanguage of Bedwetting\u201d, \u201cProject Genie\u201d, \u201cCode Her\u201d, \u201cHaven\u201d, \u201cForests Without Names\u201d and \u201cThe Birdwatcher\u201d highlights the versatility of the strongest digital ideas. These works compete across several subcategories because they connect craft, experience, data, technology, narrative and execution.<\/p>\n
Digital Craft Lions 2026 arrives at a decisive moment for the creative industry, as brands face the challenge of creating digital experiences that are more useful, inclusive, fluid, personalised and memorable in a landscape shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, real-time data and new interfaces.<\/p>\n
With this shortlist, Cannes Lions 2026 confirms that the future of digital craft lies in the integration of human creativity and technological capability. The best ideas do more than look good: they work, respond, learn, support, simplify and turn digital interaction into a brand experience with real value.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cannes Lions 2026 has released the shortlist for the Digital Craft Lions category, one of the Festival\u2019s key…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80951,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[24,25,263,44130,6313,44131,293],"class_list":["post-80950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ai","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-awards","tag-cannes-lions-2026","tag-creativity","tag-digital-craft-lions-shortlist","tag-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80950\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}