TURN THE FLASH ON
SAVE THE MUSIC FOUNDATION
CANNES YOUNG LIONS COMPETITION 2026
Since its founding, Volvo has been a brand that has put people first. They have made it their mission to make life safer, easier and better for everyone.
How can we pioneer the use of technology to protect people and make them feel safe?
Sophia Bugnone (Designer), Christopher Consolo (Designer)
BACKGROUND
The Give the Gift of Music campaign is Save The Music’s annual fundraising initiative, built on emotional storytelling that highlights the lasting impact music education has on students’ lives and unites music education believers across generations, from alumni to parents, grandparents and community-centered donors.
The objective of this print ad is to deliver a bold, emotionally resonant message that stops audiences in their tracks and motivates engagement with the campaign by connecting viewers to a feeling many already associate with their own music journey. In a giving season dominated by saturated, easily dismissed digital messaging, print plays a critical role by serving as an unskippable anchor for storytelling. Its tangible presence, whether in subways, alt-magazines, or large-scale urban placements, creates space for a deeper emotional connection in moments when audiences are most receptive. Like music itself, print has the ability to evoke emotion, translating the feeling of music into a visual experience that prompts the audience to pause, feel and ultimately act in support of music education.
CREATIVE
The creative concept reframes the “spotlight” as something created not only by the stage, but by the people who show up. The print ad depicts a young musician on stage, illuminated not by traditional stage lighting, but by the glow of phones held up by parents and loved ones in the crowd, turning a familiar, everyday gesture into a visual metaphor for support. This use of light immediately earns attention while elevating Save The Music’s visual language through their bold typography and use of green in the color-shifting spotlight shown in the center of the ad, guiding viewers from message to performer to call to action. Emotionally, the work taps into parental pride and shared memory, recalling the instinct to scan the audience for familiar faces and the identity shift of becoming the person whose presence builds confidence. By positioning parental support as a main source of light (the green light), the message reflects Save The Music’s mission to help students, schools and communities reach their full potential through music, emphasizing that access alone is not enough without encouragement and investment from loved ones. From all of the flashes and lights in the crowd, theirs is the strongest. This concept resonates deeply with young professionals and music-educated audiences who remember formative performances in school gyms, cafeterias, and small auditoriums, moments shaped by those who showed up rather than the size of the stage. By reconnecting viewers to those experiences, the ad positions them as an essential part of helping music education today. Paired with the line Turn the Flash On and a clear donation CTA, the work transforms recognition into urgency, inviting donors to act now so the next generation of students continue to feel seen, supported and empowered through music.
STRATEGY
Our work is informed by the insight that music programs are often the first to be cut in school districts that have weak programs and lack of parental support, leading to chronic underfunding1. This understanding shaped a design and message that speak directly to music education believers, parents and former music students by reflecting experiences many have lived. For those who once stood on stage, the visual recalls the instinct to search the crowd for familiar faces. While for those who are now in positions of stability or influence, it mirrors the responsibility of being that source of encouragement. The use of the phone light as the performers spotlight feels authentic to Millennials and Gen X, while remaining emotionally legible to older generations, linking personal memory to future impact. The CTA is designed to convert that emotional recognition into measurable action by pairing “Turn the Flash On” with a campaign-specific URL, creating a trackable pathway from print exposure to digital engagement and donation. To maximize impact the ad is placed in environments where music and the arts already matter, including performing arts centers, alt-weeklies and other cultural spaces. From local community theaters hosting first recitals, to larger venues that show symphonies and touring concerts. The print execution also functions as the emotional anchor of the larger campaign, introducing a unifying “spotlight” metaphor that can be utilized in digital and social storytelling, where motion, sound and real stories from students and alumni reinforce the message. Together this integrated approach ensures the work is felt physically, amplified socially, and driven towards engagement and action.
1 https://www.savethemusic.org/blog/schools-cutting-music-programs/