Youth pair from TBWA\HAKUHODO representing Japan also clinch Bronze at the Young Lions Competitions, Media Category

 

TBWA\HAKUHODO has announced it has been awarded a Silver Lion in the Innovation category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026, the world’s largest celebration of advertising and creative excellence,for “RADIO TIME MACHINE.” Furthermore, in the Young Lions Competitions—the official global contest for young professionals under the age of 30—the pair selected from TBWA\HAKUHODO to represent Japan clinched the Bronze Lion in the Media category.

 

Cannes Lions is renowned as the pinnacle of global advertising and creativity. The Innovation track (Early-Stage Technology category), in which “RADIO TIME MACHINE” secured the Silver Lion, is widely considered one of the festival’s most challenging categories. The award demands more than mere technological novelty, rigorously evaluating the creativity, utility, quality, and seamless implementation in solving critical real-world social issues.

 

“RADIO TIME MACHINE” is a groundbreaking AI-powered device designed to resemble a nostalgic analogue radio. When users turn the dial to a specific year in the past, the system dynamically generates and broadcasts a custom-generated radio program featuring historical news highlights and hit songs from that exact moment in time. Equipped with a proprietary system that fuses text-generation and voice-generation AI, the project was inspired by the insights of “Reminiscence Therapy”—a non-pharmacological approach that promotes emotional stability and well-being in dementia patients by reflecting on past memories.

 

The device has been deployed to address major societal challenges in Japan’s super-aging society, by supporting the elderly and care workers while also fostering meaningful intergenerational communication.

 

Validation and testing conducted in collaboration with Nichii Gakkan Co., Ltd.—a nationwide provider of medical, nursing  and childcare services—an observational study was carried out across multiple elderly care facilities. By utilizing facial expression analysis to compare residents’ behaviors when interacting with the device versus when they were not, the study revealed significant positive outcomes, including an average 8.7% increase in smiling metrics and a 10% surge in expressive physical gestures.

 

The project received high international acclaim for elevating generative AI beyond a mere tool for operational efficiency into a medium for “human innovation” that enriches emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships, as well as for its technical prowess and scalable social implementation.

 

Additionally, in the Young Lions Media Competition, where the next generation of top global talent come together to compete, the TBWA\HAKUHODO pair of Erina Yokota and Riko Uesugi (representing Japan) achieved a major professional milestone by winning the Bronze Lion in the media category. After successfully advancing through the fierce domestic qualifiers to represent Japan, (within a very strict time limit) the duo designed “HandsUp4Uncounted,” a media campaign addressing the global social challenges surrounding advanced breast cancer. a brief presented by the ABC Global Alliance.

 

Competing against the best-of-the-best of young creative professionals from around the world, their exceptional problem-solving capabilities and ingenuity secured them a proud third-place finish globally.

 

Furthermore, in the Young Lions PR Category, the pair consisting of TBWA\HAKUHODO’s Hajime Sunada and HAPPY HOURS HAKUHODO’s Tomoyoshi Uchiyama took the global stage as the official representatives for Japan, proudly demonstrating their creativity to the world by securing a place on the prestigious shortlist.

 

These combined achievements showcase how TBWA\HAKUHODO’s “DISRUPTION®︎” is brought to life daily through both the next generation of creators and the teams leading large-scale projects.

 

Award Details

 

【Award-Winning Work: RADIO TIME MACHINE】

• Advertiser / Partner: Nichii Gakkan Co., Ltd.
• Award: Silver Lion
• Category: Innovation Lions (Early-Stage Technology)

 

【Young Lions Competitions Award】

• Award: Bronze Lion
• Category: Media Category
• Winners: Erina Yokota & Riko Uesugi
• Award: Shortlist
• Category: PR Category
• Winners: Hajime Sunada & Tomoyoshi Uchiyama (HAPPY HOURS HAKUHODO)

 

*Riko Uesugi is currently affiliated with Sanrio Company, Ltd.