TBWA\Hakuhodo Tokyo wins Innovation Silver Lion for AI-powered Radio Time Machine
TBWA\Hakuhodo Tokyo has won a Silver Lion in the Innovation category at Cannes Lions 2026 for ‘Radio Time Machine’, created for Nichii Gakkan Co.
The AI-powered device recreates era-specific radio broadcasts by generating historical news, popular music and other audio content from a selected year, helping elderly users reconnect with memories from their past.
Developed in collaboration with Nichii Gakkan, one of Japan’s leading aged-care operators, the project is designed to stimulate memory, cognition and communication while enhancing wellbeing among care facility residents.
The idea is built around the principles of Reminiscence Therapy, a non-pharmacological approach that uses familiar stimuli such as music, photographs and shared memories to support cognitive and emotional health.
Designed to resemble a classic 1950s-60s radio, the device features a traditional tuning dial that allows users to select any year between 1950 and 2025. Once a year is chosen, generative AI creates a unique radio-style broadcast featuring content from that period, recreating the experience of tuning into the past.
By combining artificial intelligence with nostalgic storytelling, Radio Time Machine aims to spark conversation, strengthen intergenerational connections and bring moments of joy to elderly audiences.
From 162 entries received in the Innovation Lions, 5 Lions were awarded: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze, and the Grand Prix was presented to “Supernova Adaptive”, for adidas, by TBWA\Canada.
Innovation Lions Jury President Kazuhiro Shimura, Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc., Japan, said: “We awarded the Grand Prix to ‘Supernova Adaptive’ not because adidas simply built a shoe, but because it expanded the possibility of running for people with Down syndrome and moved society forward. In the age of AI, creating is easier than ever, but creating change is not. Our Jury judged by one perspective: Innovation is a shift from Proof of Concept to Proof of Change.”
