Cannes Lions is wasting no time in attempting to salvage its reputation after the scandal around AI fakery in awards entries. CEO Simon Cook has already produced a new set of “integrity standards” which he promised only a week ago, soon after stripping three cheating campaigns of their awards.
Cook has very sensibly taken the heat off AI and put the responsibility back onto the real human beings who approve these entries. Named senior individuals must now take ownership to confirm that every entry is genuine, and provide independently verifiable statistics to back up their claims.
Cook said: “Creativity is only valuable if it’s credible. And credibility must be earned, not assumed. These timely changes mark the beginning of a new era for us all – not just for Cannes Lions, but for the future state of global creative marketing… These renewed standards reflect our responsibility to both provide a platform for, and protect the value of creativity, and reinforce that creative excellence should be synonymous with creative integrity.”
The new global standard for creative integrity in full:
1. Ownership and Authorship: Accountability, Partnership and Permission
Every submission must be approved by the business leader of the entrant company and by a senior marketer from the commissioning brand. These declarations confirm that all submissions, including case films, written submissions, data, and claims – are factually accurate, responsibly sourced, and representative of real world events and outcomes.
2. Veracity of Claims: Rigorous, Two Tier Fact-Checking System
A new dual-layer verification system will combine manual checks with AI-led analysis to interrogate the veracity of claims made by each entry. This marks the first time a human + AI hybrid infrastructure has been institutionalised across the global awards to bolster existing measures.
Objective, Independent Expertise and Support
Cannes Lions Juries will have access to an objective and independent data and measurement expert at their request, throughout judging, to provide further technical scrutiny across impact claims, campaign effectiveness, media impact, and data interpretation.
AI Integrity Handbook
The AI Integrity Handbook will set a global standard for awards integrity in the age of AI, protecting trust, creative legitimacy and transparency. It will outline what is acceptable, what must be disclosed, and what constitutes a breach. This clear and replicable model* is designed for the use of entrants, jurors, and stakeholders – and encouraged for adoption across the industry.
3. Consequence of Misrepresentation
Disqualification and Withdrawal
Cannes Lions reserves the right to disqualify or withdraw any awards entry at any stage of submission or judging, including after a Lion has been awarded if material misrepresentation is found. This includes the right to request additional documentation or testimony from entrants or clients at the highest level of seniority.
Sanctions for Deliberate Misconduct
Companies found to have wilfully submitted false or misleading work may be banned from participation for up to 3 years. Jury eligibility may also be revoked. All sanctions will be determined through an independent review process to ensure neutral and objective oversight is prioritised.
4. Due Process & Independent Oversight
Independent Integrity Council and Due Process
All escalated cases will be reviewed by a newly established Integrity Council made up of legal, ethical, and neutral industry experts. Entrants will have the right to respond and appeal within a reasonable timeframe.
5. Transparency in Governance:
Annual Creative Benchmark Integrity Audit
To ensure transparency, Cannes Lions will publish an annual Integrity Audit documenting an overview of concerns that lead to continuous improvements to the system that underpins the global benchmark for creativity.
