Creative students honored at Cannes Lions for real-world solutions, including a paddle that detects water contamination for Indigenous communities.
Miami Ad School - Future Lions School of the Year
Miami Ad School has been named Future Lions School of the Year for the seventh time, the most of any institution, after its students were recognised at Cannes Lions for work that tackles real-world problems with creativity and purpose.
This year’s standout project was The Noama Paddle, developed at Miami Ad School Brazil for Greenpeace. Using mercury-sensitive ink, the paddle changes color in contaminated water, helping Indigenous communities detect health risks and expose environmental crimes. It’s inspired by the Yanomami culture and designed to be both accessible and effective.
Paulo André Bione, academic director at Miami Ad School Brazil, described it as “a simple idea with real impact,” underscoring the school’s focus on purposeful innovation.
Miami Ad School attributes its success to an approach that combines classroom rigour with industry collaboration. Students work on live briefs for actual brands from day one, guided by mentors in fields such as copywriting, art direction, strategy, experience design and creative technology.
“Winning School of the Year is not just a celebration of the work,” said Rebecca Rovirosa, chief creative officer and academic director. “It’s a testament to the structure, mentorship and mindset that help students become visionaries and change-makers.”
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With 12 campuses in 10 countries, Miami Ad School trains students to develop strong creative points of view while building practical, industry-ready portfolios. This year’s Future Lions success is part of a wider strategy that includes school-wide ideathons and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Three other finalist teams also emerged from the school’s global network.
Bernardo Geoghegan, managing director at Miami Ad School Buenos Aires, said the awards reflect the school’s culture of tackling real challenges through creativity: “Students and teachers from around the world come together to solve problems with innovation that matters.”
While the seventh win is a milestone, Miami Ad School says it plans to expand its model even further. It is investing in AI integration, strengthening industry partnerships, and increasing the use of live briefs to keep student work relevant and impactful.
Founded by AKQA in partnership with Cannes Lions, the Future Lions competition aims to spotlight emerging creative talent able to rethink how brands can address the world’s challenges.