2026 Lexical Creativity Contest – The Winners

Since 2022, the OQLF has produced video capsules to unveil the winning neologisms of its Concours de créativité lexicale — words invented by high school students to name realities that have no French name yet. These capsules serve a triple purpose: celebrate the young creators of the winning words, inspire other young people to enter the next edition, and help these new words become known and naturally enter everyday usage.

For the 2026 edition, the OQLF wanted to improve the virality of its capsules — to produce content original and engaging enough that young people would actually want to share it. Which is, as we know, quite the challenge.

The turning point: rather than putting the contest front and centre, we chose to stage the word itself. The winning students aren’t interviewed about their experience — they become actors illustrating the neologism they created. This shift in role also solves the camera comfort issue: performing a short, well-directed scene is very different from talking about yourself on camera.

To carry the narrative thread, our team created a fictional influencer character: Alexe Sique, self-proclaimed specialist in lexical news, played by comedian Laurie Théroux. Alexe creates the hook, delivers the definition, and pulls the viewer into a world where each neologism becomes breaking news. The whole series adopts a platform-native aesthetic: fast cuts, visual collages, 2D animation, jump cuts, casual but correct French.

Three capsules delivered in long (60–90 s) and short (15–30 s) versions, 16:9 and 9:16 formats, integrated subtitles, ready for multi-platform distribution.

The capsules generated organic media coverage: featured on Tout un matin (ICI Première), broadcast on Les coulisses du pouvoir (Radio-Canada), picked up by Néomédia and Le Citoyen magazines, shared on the government intranet and across the social channels of the Ministère de la Langue française and the AQPF. Paid media ran May 25 – June 22 on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitch.

But it’s the teachers’ feedback that best measures the real impact on youth:

“The humorous tone makes it appealing — my students tell me they’re more likely to rewatch and share them.” — Nathan Buscemi, teacher

“Aesthetic, funny, and informative — the video is fantastic.” — Hélène Frankland, teacher

“More appealing to young people, more complete — they illustrate the definition of the word and make it easier to understand.” — Patricia Moisan, teacher