Last year, misuse of AI at the Cannes Lions Festifval of Creativity caused a scandal that resulted in the disqualification of several Lions-winning entries. 

This year, AI tech developer Luma has put up $1 million in prize money to be awarded to creative work using Luma AI that wins a 2026 Cannes Lions Gold Lion. 

Developed in collaboration with experiential and creative agency DE-YAN, The “Luma Dream Brief” challenges creatives to use Luma AI’s platform to create “fully realized” commercials for Luma itself. 

Luma specializes in advanced generative AI technology, with a strong focus on visual content creation and multimodal AI.  

“A lot of great advertising never gets made,” said Caroline Ingeborn, COO of Luma AI. “The Dream Brief is about removing those constraints and letting creatives prove what’s possible when ideas set the ceiling.” 

The Dream Brief will roll out in multiple phases, beginning with a launch week featuring original films created with Luma AI. Creatives will then be invited to submit their own commercials through The Luma Dream Brief website by March 22. 

Organizers say that one thing the intiative won’t generate is scandal if creatives follow the rules which align with Lions’ guidelines. Selected finalists will receive paid media support to ensure that the work has launched publicly and has run within the required eligibility period. Submissions will be reviewed by a jury of leading voices in advertising and culture, Luma said.  

“Almost everyone in advertising has an idea they loved that never saw the light of day,” said Jason Kreher, Chief Creative Officer at DE-YAN and former creative leader at Wieden+Kennedy, Maximum Effort, and Accenture Song. “That shared frustration became the insight behind this project. Rather than fearing how generative AI might change our industry, this is a chance to understand it, by using it to make something that previously had no path to being real.” 

One of the issues last year was that certain entries didn’t disclose their use of generative AI, misleading jurors. The Lions organization has new rules outlining how the technology can be used and the disclosures that are required.