I’m so excited to have been asked by the Cannes Lions School to lead an attempt on an official world record today (23rd June)! The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is aiming to join the likes of Usain Bolt, Sir Richard Branson and Otto the Skateboarding Dog next Thursday by achieving the first ever Guinness World Records™ title for the largest lesson in creative thinking.
The Cannes Lions School team is going to attempt to generate ideas for global men’s health charity the Movember Foundation using a simple creativity tool that uses the principle of substitution to generate ideas fast.
As well as setting a new Guinness World Records title, the lesson will serve a valuable purpose, to help the Movember Foundation to address a creative brief for their ‘5 MOre Years’ campaign. Participants will be introduced to a creative thinking principle in which participants put themselves in the shoes of a third party – often a well-known personality or figure from history – to answer a creative brief. Fittingly, the individuals in this instance will be mustached icons. It’s an honour to be asked, creativity with purpose is widely acknowledged and rewarded at Cannes and something I’m passionate about. We want to have some fun whilst using the amazing talent and collective brainpower at Cannes for a good cause. I can’t wait to generate some brilliant ideas for the Movember Foundation to use in their campaign later this year.
A minimum number of 250 people are needed to take part in order to make the record attempt. Guinness World Records will be on site to adjudicate, and the group will know if the attempt has been successful shortly after the end of the lesson.
Steve Latham, Cannes Lions’ Head of Talent and Training who runs the School said: “We’re really excited to attempt this record, reinforcing our mission as campaigners for creativity. Not only will delegates help the Movember Foundation through the creative lesson, participants will be also be credited as official world record holders.”
JC, who is Movember Foundation co-founder said: “Creativity has always been at the heart of the Movember Foundation. Since we began we have been pushing boundaries and changing the status quo with creative fundraising and awareness campaigns, and innovative research breakthroughs. We are thrilled to be working in such a creative partnership to help change the face of men’s health.”
Anyone who wants to take part in the Guinness World Record Attempt World’s Largest Creativity Lesson should head to the Lumiere Theatre for the 30-minute lesson which will start at 6pm today, following the Vice / Spike Jonze session. Only registered festival delegates will be eligible to take part.
If you’re headed to Cannes come and join us and become part of Cannes Lions Festival history!
The detail is on the Cannes Lions schedule here.