Lucky Fan Index wins gold at Cannes Lions Festival!
🏆 Lucky Fan Index won a Gold Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026 in the Entertainment Lions for Sport category (subcategory: Fan Engagement/Distribution Strategy). This is the first award for this campaign at this year's festival – Lucky Fan Index has a total of 9 nominations!
The Lucky Fan Index, implemented by Wisła Kraków, is a groundbreaking tool built using artificial intelligence that uniquely analyzes and quantifies the happiness fans bring to their club. VML Poland is responsible for the creative idea behind the Lucky Fan Index.
"Great football clubs are built not only by players on the pitch but, above all, by the people who show up in the stands week after week, believing they have a real impact on the outcome. The Lucky Fan Index was our way of rewarding that faith. By combining data, technology, and fan culture, we created something that not only tells a story of loyalty but gives fans an entirely new role in the game. We are delighted that this idea has been recognized at Cannes Lions."
— Piotr Osiński, Chief Creative Officer VML Poland
Cannes Lions is the most important and influential event in the marketing communications industry. Each year, around 30,000 entries are submitted to the competition from nearly 100 countries, and the best creators, marketers, and innovators are awarded Lion trophies – a symbol of world-class creativity and effectiveness. The week-long festival in Cannes is more than just a competition – it's a celebration of ideas, inspiration, and networking. Each year, it attracts over 12,000 participants from around the world: agencies, brands, media, and technology platforms.
Wisła Kraków is the first Polish sports club in history to be awarded at Cannes Lions.
An award at this festival is the pinnacle of creative achievement and the highest honor in the marketing industry. Winning a Lion in Cannes is not only a prestigious trophy but, above all, the ultimate international confirmation that the project sets new global trends in communication and redefines industry standards. For brands like Wisła Kraków, it is also an opportunity for unprecedented exposure to sponsors. Brands nominated in the Entertainment Lions for Sport category, where the Lucky Fan Index received a Gold Lion, included adidas, Nike, Doritos, XBOX, KFC, and Audi.
"This award is proof of the transformation Wisła Kraków has undergone. For several years, we have been rebuilding this legendary club together with our fans. This year, we once again made it to the top league in Poland. The promotion caused true euphoria – nearly 100,000 fans celebrated at the stadium, Main Market Square, and on the streets of Krakow.
The incredible atmosphere and spectacular scenes from these celebrations quickly circulated online, gaining immense popularity as a powerful display of passion and loyalty. The club is coming back to life. We are attracting new sponsors. Soon, to celebrate our 120th anniversary, we will play a special match against Wrexham. We want to become the most data-driven football club in the world. Together with VML, we are creating further innovations, such as the Lucky Fan Index, which is already available to other clubs as a ready-to-use white-label solution."
— Jarosław Królewski, CEO and owner of Wisła Kraków
"If you want to be part of a story that – I deeply believe – could one day become the script for a great movie, we invite you to the Synerise Arena in Krakow to see it for yourselves.
Among 657 entries were campaigns from brands such as Nike, Adidas, Xbox, Google, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, and Golden State Warriors. And the winner? Wisła Kraków. From Poland!"
— Dawid Szczepaniak, Creative Chairman VML Poland