DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — A team of UAE-based young creatives announced the official launch of The Loudest Roar, an Interactive Cannes Lions prediction platform.
The groundbreaking open-to-all platform empowers emerging talents worldwide to step into a Cannes Lions jury member role and predict which campaigns will roar the loudest at this year’s prestigious awards festival. Participants compete for leaderboard positions and exciting prizes, including cash rewards of up to $500 in Amazon gift cards and a portfolio revamp by Pimp My Portfolio. As a memento of their participation, each player will receive a personalized juror badge, for them to share their roaring pride on their social media channels.
Founded by Chirag Khushalani, Tobbi Vu, Teena Mathew, and Jack Rogers, The Loudest Roar inspires, educates, and rewards participants. It aims to become the fantasy league for awards festivals, fostering a vibrant global community of creatives.
“If the world can have a say on who can win the Superbowl or Premier League, why can’t they cast an iron on the Cannes Lions too? The Loudest Roar was born from my love for creativity and desire to geek out with other ad nerds. It’s a space where everyone has a say on what’s great, and can feel inspired to create more great work,” said Chirag Khushalani, the brains behind The Loudest Roar.
The platform breaks free from age-based initiatives, catering to emerging talents united by their passion for creativity and desire to grow by learning and sharing.
The Loudest Roar is the first real-time platform where participants learn from Cannes Lions jury members. Industry experts like Rob Schwartz, former Titanium jury president, Tracey Follows, former Innovation Lion juror, Akhilesh Bagri, former Brand experience and activation juror, and other global veterans will share their invaluable tips on judging and creating impactful work. Social channels will continue the conversation by becoming a space to discuss predictions and share insights about the creative process and inspiration behind the winning campaigns.
Post-Cannes Lions Discussions
After the awards festival, The Loudest Roar will invite this year’s jury members to share revelations about the official Grand Prix selections. During these sessions, the gamified platform will also reveal what the emerging talents’ chose as their winners and foster discussions on differences in perspectives. For future dialogue, clients and non-industry individuals will be invited to talk about the work they value the most.
How voting works
Real-time voting starts when Cannes Lions releases its shortlists. Participants view shortlisted cases and vote for Grand Prix winners in six trend-setting categories beyond traditional advertising: Titanium, Innovation, Film, Entertainment Lions for Gaming, Creative Effectiveness, and Creative Business Transformation. Voting closes a few hours before winners are announced. In the spirit of guidance, past Cannes Lions jurors share category-specific tips to assist participants in making informed choices.
In the meantime, participants can sign-up for the mailing list on www.TheLoudestRoar.io and be notified when voting goes live.
Rewards
Depending on how accurate their predictions are and how high they rank on the leaderboard, the top predictors can win Amazon gift cards worth up to $500. In addition, one creative who tops the leaderboard will win a portfolio revamp by Pimp My Portfolio, an initiative started by Camilla Ciappana to help creatives get into their dream agency. The winners will also get roaring (bragging) rights and be featured on social media platforms. The Loudest Roar seeks to partner with more industry veterans and initiatives that champion young talent and can offer additional rewards such as scholarships, mentorship, recognition, and educational programs.
Future plans
The Loudest Roar will invite its community to discuss and predict the winners of other global awards festivals. It will introduce private leagues for agencies and universities to gather insights into how their employees and students think and how they can improve their entries to be more successful in the awards circuit. The platform will also add interactive elements like a simulated Cannes Lions virtual jury room for young talents to pick their Grand Prix winners collaboratively. Ultimately, The Loudest Roar aims to be a year-round community that inspires, educates, and provides networking opportunities.
Born to drive change in the advertising industry, The Loudest Roar now allows the future of advertising to have their input too.
**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 what makes excellent work truly outstanding.
For more information about The Loudest Roar and to register, please visit www.TheLoudestRoar.io
