The Cannes Lions kicks off next week but for Simon Cook, CEO, Cannes Lions, the planning has been going on since last summer.
“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,” Cook told Brand Innovators.
This year, the organizers are expecting more than 170 official partners to be activating in Cannes, a slight increase over last year. They expect the number of delegates to be 13,000, about level with last year, but broader.
“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,” he explained.
Brand Innovators caught up with Cook to hear more about what the Lions will look like this year including increased global inclusion, more creators and safe zones.
What big themes do you expect to dominate the Lions this year?
When it comes to the Festival we base everything we do around the fact that Creativity is a growth driver – for business, people and society. So the focus for 2025 is very much about building on that and putting even more focus on the breadth of business driving initiatives and opportunities. This runs through our awards, content program, initiatives and learning programs – essentially every touchpoint of Lions.
Areas that I think will be big topics of conversation at this year’s Festival include Lions Creators – the bespoke learning experience for the creator economy and the diverse mix of players in that space, which will return to the Festival for a second year giving the full ecosystem of creators a place to convene and learn how to work together to define the future model. As part of this we’ve evolved the existing Social & Influencer Lions. In 2025 it becomes the Social & Creator Lions to recognise Creators’ increasingly important role in the landscape and reflect what’s happening in the industry – Research Nester recently estimated that the creator economy market size is estimated to surpass $600bn by the end of 2036.
On the Awards side it’s worth mentioning B2B here. If we take a step back and think about the broader global macro-economic environment and add that to some of the shifts that we’re tracking, we can see that B2B continues to be on the rise. The Brand Finance’s Top 150 B2B Brands index for 2024 shows that the top 100 B2B brands grew their equity by 10%, totaling a quarter of a trillion dollars compared to 2023, and we also can’t ignore that B2B brands account for nearly half of the Global 500, which includes both B2B and B2C. When we introduced this specialist Lion in 2022 it was about raising the creative bar in this area and elevating the discipline. For 2025, the categories are designed to reflect the full breadth of this exciting and evolving space.
Retail Media is another area where we’ve seen a rise. In our recent WARC Media global ad spend forecast, global retail media is forecast to be the fastest growing channel across 2024-2026 with spend predicted to overtake linear TV by 2026. To acknowledge this we’ve introduced a dedicated sub category for it in both the Media Lions and Creative Commerce Lions. This sub-category will recognise work that strategically harnesses retailer-owned channels to engage consumers at crucial decision-making moments, using targeted insights to enhance brand relevance and drive measurable business outcomes.
How did you decide on Apple being creative marketer of the year?
The Creative Marketer of the Year is an honorary Award which we give annually. As champions for creativity, what’s important to us is that we continue to equip participants with the tools, data, and evidence they need to connect creative marketing with the boardroom growth agenda. So this Award is about recognising and spotlighting a marketer that has amassed a body of iconic, Lion-winning work over a sustained period of time and that is being bold, brave and pushing boundaries – creatively and commercially Apple has fostered a culture that prioritises creativity and innovation, and that shows up in its deep understanding of meaningful marketing. As part of its culture, it’s clear that Apple’s leadership encourages the kind of thinking necessary to create marketing content that connects with people in a uniquely emotional way. It’s all testament to a brand that has an unwavering commitment to creativity that is rooted throughout the business.
I see you expanded your global representation at the festival this year, how many countries are being represented and why this push to expand globally?
We’re expanding this commitment so that we can ensure that the Festival represents society rather than reflecting the industry. It’s about setting a standard that Cannes Lions is not only a celebration of creativity but also a destination for everyone in the business of creativity. Everyone is aware of the business case, our priority is addressing the moral case for Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) – fostering a more equitable and inclusive industry for all.
We’re continuing our ERA Programme this year which is designed to foster a global representation of talent within the creative industry by giving underrepresented recipients the opportunity to experience Cannes Lions, engage with the global industry and celebrate groundbreaking creativity. For the 2025 programme, LIONS has allocated €2m worth of complimentary Festival passes, with a focus on the Global South, to individuals and communities from 28 countries. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Cannes in June.
We’re also bringing new Country Pavilions to Cannes Lions this year to drive a greater global representation of countries. We know that creativity is an overpowered economic growth lever and we believe that countries, governments, policy makers, associations and brands all have an opportunity to supercharge their respective creative economy by showcasing their capabilities, learning from each other and driving new relationships and best practices at Cannes Lions in front of some of the most influential minds in the industry.
It’s also important in our Awards too – the truly global nature of them is incredibly significant. We receive entries from more than 90 markets annually, and this year our Jury includes representatives from 79 markets, including first-time participation from Ivory Coast and Kazakhstan. Our rigorous judging process and the calibre and range of expertise of the people on the Jury helps highlight creativity’s power as a catalyst for meaningful business transformation.
I saw there are new Safe Zones this year? Can you talk about how these spaces will support attendees?
As part of our ongoing commitment we will have designated Safe Zones across the Festival, each staffed by trained safeguarding professionals. Our Safe Zones will provide confidential spaces available to anyone who feels uncomfortable, in need of support, or would like to seek the advice of a safeguarding professional. They are going to be open 22 hours a day (8:30am-6:30am) and the locations for the safe zones can be found on the official Cannes Lions festival app. Additionally, the City of Cannes has numerous ‘Alert Buttons’ throughout the City — these are discreet, easily accessible tools that connect directly to local police and emergency services for immediate assistance. We will include precise locations in the official Cannes Lions Festival app and also in the inclusivity guide.
We’re also really pleased to continue our partnership with the Empower Café. It’s a place to connect but it’s also a welcoming, inclusive hub where wellbeing and psychological safety come first. The team that are based there are briefed in safeguarding and equipped to escalate issues appropriately.
