21 AI-Generated Spots from Luma's 'Dream Brief' Contest Headed to Cannes Lions

​Luma AI has selected 21 finalists from its 'Dream Brief' contest to submit to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the AI Craft Film category. Luma is sponsoring all 21 entries and running the work as advertising for the brand ahead of the festival. If any of the Luma-created films win a Gold Lion, the creators will split a $1 million prize.

In total, Luma is entering 26 pieces of work - the 21 contest finalists plus five additional ads created by agency DE-YAN.

Watch all the films here.

About the Contest

The contest kicked off early this year. Since then, nearly 400 ads were submitted from 58 countries and more than 100 agencies. Over 1,700 people signed up, with hundreds of active users logging more than 10,000 hours using Luma's tools.

The contest drew a mix of advertising veterans and students, reviving scripts shelved for years - ideas previously considered too costly, too risky, or too difficult to visualise through traditional production.

A jury of creative leaders - including brand representatives from Chili's, HBO Max, and Nike, and creatives including Susan Hoffman (Wieden+Kennedy), Tara Lawall (Rethink), and Bill Oakley (The Simpsons) — selected the 21 finalists. See full jury here.

"The Dream Brief submissions were both exactly what I expected and nothing that I could have ever imagined," said Jason Kreher, chief creative officer at DE-YAN. "We expected hilarious, impossible, weird, beautiful, messy and bizarre... the results are pretty remarkable."

​Caroline Ingeborn, COO of Luma AI, "I watch a lot of videos made with AI, and I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what could be done. I was proven wrong. It's been emotional, learning something new about the industry and about myself."

A Few Highlights from the Work Being Entered

Adrenaline Junkies: creative directors: Hal Curtis, Chuck McBride, Scott Vitrone, Ian Reichenthal | Produced by Arts & Intelligence and OneDay

A 1990s-era script developed while the creatives were at Wieden+Kennedy - shelved because it was off-brief, too expensive, and deemed unproduceable. The spot follows risk-addicted outdoor athletes who can't say no to an adrenaline rush.

"I had never used AI before so I got involved to learn. And what I learned is that AI is useful in pre-visualising an idea and having creative flexibility throughout the production process," said director Hal Curtis. "I wish I could use this technology to remake many of the spots I produced over the years. That said, as powerful as AI is, the need for an idea, for story, for experience to curate and guide, to make choices: that remains."

Bacteria War: CCO: Jason Kreher | director (AI): Ruth Bellotti | creative team: Ruth Bellotti, Alex Romans

A decade-old concept for a probiotic yogurt brand - originally pitched to a major FMCG company - that visualises the fight between good and bad bacteria not as an animated diagram but as a Dunkirk-style battle scene inside a stomach.

Fourmercial Writer: Nathaniel Lawlor | directors: Ayan Issin, Joao Rosa, Medet Shayakhmetov | Production: PBC Worldwide

Originally conceived for the Super Bowl: four separate 30-second ads running simultaneously in a grid, mirroring the four-pack of the product being sold. Key product lines are synchronised across all four spots so they cut through the chaos.

Theatre Night Director: Gabriel Olson | writer: Jill Spradley

A behavioural insight - people know to silence their phones but don't feel the stakes of not doing it - taken to an extreme. A ringing cell phone intrudes on a universally recognisable historical moment, reframing a common ignored habit as something with real consequence.

The Watchers: Martin Romanella, Rosa Lykiardopoulos

A neighbourhood gossip story shot in the style of classic black-and-white Italian cinema - neorealism meets spy thriller. Both creators are from Argentina with Italian roots; the project draws directly from personal memory and cultural identity.

The Hug: Roman Jonsson, Melina Nakaluk, Michael Robb

A personal film about the creator's mother's suicide. Jonsson's stated intent: if the film wins and he receives the $1 million prize, he would direct the funds toward depression support. "If there is any chance to help prevent other children from losing a parent this way, I want to take it."