Photo Credit: Lucy Brumberger
Thousands of brands are headed to the South of France next week for the biggest industry event of the year: Cannes Lions.
There will be 170 official partners activating in Cannes and an estimated 13,000 delegates in attendance, per the festival. This year, the festival is looking to be even more global, more diverse and more safe. They are launching Country Pavilions to drive deeper global representation and they have doubled the amount of free passes given to underrepresented communities and they have launched safe spaces with mental health resources around town open all night.
Apple will be honored as Creative Marketer of the Year. And dozens of other brands will be honored with Lions Awards ranging from out-of-home to digital in categories from pharma to CPG. Expect to see excellent creative in the Palais, the big tech companies taking over the beaches and the CMOs of Fortune 500 companies cruising the Croisette talking about AI, agency consolidation and tariffs.
“The growth and scale of Cannes Lions across the City of Cannes reflects the evolving ecosystem, and it is very purposefully curated so that everyone there can leverage it for their specific needs,” said Simon Cook, CEO, Cannes Lions. “So, for example, last year we had more than 350 brands in Cannes and that number will increase again in 2025. We know that there’s very little silo between creativity and business because the two are inexplicably linked, and that’s why we’re seeing a greater integration of this at the Festival.”
Paul Woolmington, CEO at Canvas Worldwide, noted that the festival is “always a six ring circus of vital divergent topics critical to the future of our industry,” he said, noting that this year attendees will be discussing “the continuing atomization of brand storytelling techniques, platforms, mediums, technologies, data insights, attribution, KPIs and not least craft skills needed today.”
“We are at that fifth wave of change, the human agentic age with fundamental implications to our industry with AI in almost every conversation but what does it mean for our industry and skills to be human in the age of AI,” added Woolmington. “We have data tech and algorithms but what does it mean to have soul?”
As a lifelong learner and someone who’s super inquisitive, Vanessa Wallace, chief marketing officer of Savage + Fenty is looking forward to learning more about AI. The long time Nike veteran, who will be attending the event for the first time this year told Brand Innovators that the event is “an incredible opportunity to build, to network, but then also to grow. The other thing is to learn more about how AI can be a lever and a tool that enhances our creativity and deepens our storytelling.”
GoDaddy’s chief marketing officer Fara Howard, is also thinking about AI. “I hope to learn how other marketers are integrating AI into their marketing efforts,” she said. “I am hoping to be inspired by creativity that extends beyond traditional media and I am hoping to hear about different team’s creative processes – how they’re capturing the attention of a distracted audience and how they’re employing AI and technology into their storytelling while retaining humanity.”
“AI is reshaping what’s possible and redefining the role of the modern marketer,” added Rhonda Hiatt, global CEO, M+C Saatchi Consulting/CEO at CLEAR. “And this will unleash a new wave of creativity. But, this will not just be about creativity in the traditional sense. All the talk will be about those who master the art of balance: ideas that move culture and the bottom line. Expect the rise of performance-fueled creativity, where emotional storytelling meets measurable impact.”
The festival has always been about creativity. And yet as technology evolves, so too does the definition of creativity to support the current media landscape.
“We’re entering an era where creativity is about more than innovation – it’s about emotional resonance,” said Monica Austin, chief marketing officer of Blizzard Entertainment. “The best creative work helps people to feel seen and heard, allows them to build meaningful connections, and invites them to explore what’s possible in both real and online worlds. The trends of authenticity and the power of creator voices fit beautifully into this evolution—as well as how we like to operate at Blizzard—and I’m looking forward to hearing different perspectives and approaches towards these topics.”
“Creativity is at the heart of what a continuum of math and magic,” added Howard. “The expectation is that you bring creativity that fuels the business and that your audience cares about…Creativity and storytelling is a way to transcend what is permeating our news feeds and bring joy and momentum to the inertia that surrounds us.”
Since technology is driving the inertia, expect to see many of the key adtech players around town from with yachts near the Palais and suites at the Hotel Carlton.
“At Cannes Lions this year, we expect the spotlight to be on the growing pressure CMOs face to deliver measurable business results in an increasingly fragmented media ecosystem. With audiences dispersed across countless channels and formats, the challenge lies in creating cohesive, effective campaigns that not only capture attention but also drive outcomes,” said Erin McCallion, chief marketing officer at Perion.
“There’s a buzz and an excitement about Cannes this year that I think far surpasses the last few years,” said Bill Wise, CEO of Mediaocean. “There’s a lot going on, from AI to the breaking up of Google. So much market share has gone to big tech and now the world is recognizing that independent ad tech companies matter.”
Wise noted this year his company is spending more than they ever had because “there’s no better conference that drives more senior relevant people.”
“You don’t see this level of CMOs at any other conference,” he added. “There’s a direct link between the investment and the ROI so companies are spending a meaningful amount of their event budgets on Cannes.” Wise added that it wasn’t about the big parties but instead it’s about having the right dozen people in the room.
But that won’t stop the big parties from happening around town. Amazon will be back at the Port. Yahoo will have Diplo performing at their beach. NBC Universal is hosting a performance with Ludacris. Meta, Microsoft, RTL, Stagwell, Influential, Spotify are among those returning to the beach.
“Spotify Beach at Cannes Lions is where creativity meets culture, IRL. This year, we’re bringing together leading voices, immersive moments, and unforgettable experiences that showcase how creativity doesn’t just live on Spotify, it thrives,” said Bridget Evans, global head of advertising business marketing, Spotify. “Spotify is truly a place where creators connect, fans discover, and ideas turn into impact. For brands, we’re making it easier than ever to tap into this creative energy with our in-house consultancy AUX, new tools like Gen AI Ads, and the expertise of our Creative Lab team to build work that hits the right note and truly connects with our audience.”
Pinterest is coming back with its Manifestival, an immersive IRL Pinterest experience, at The Carlton Beach Club. The event will feature a stylescope, a patisserie, a fisherman aesthetic tattoo parlour and DIY Tin Wallet crafting. Snap will be at the JW Marriott and La Malmaison again with a focus on the Snapchat Generation – “Gen Z and Millennials who prioritize authentic connections and creative self-expression” – and will include: Sponsored Snaps, Promoted Places and AI-driven AR experiences.
Monday-Thursday, we will host the Brand Innovators Marketing Leadership Summit at Rado Beach. We’ll have content Monday-Wednesday at the Caffe Armani. Top agency CEOs will spar at the Digital Fight Club at our beach Tuesday and Wednesday evenings 6-8pm. We will also be hosting CMOs at the exclusive LVMH Villa throughout the week. Wyclef Jean will perform at the beach on Tuesday night (invitation only).
See you on the Croisette!
