Inside Cannes Lions 2024
Industry Thought Leaders Reflect on Their Biggest Takeaways From the Festival
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where many of the world’s top marketers, advertisers, technologists, strategists, and media minds converged to celebrate groundbreaking work and discuss where we are as an industry and where we are heading, has ended. Yet, the topics at the forefront of marketers’ minds continue to be at the center of conversations.
To round out our Cannes coverage, we checked in with some industry thought leaders who were there (some have been featured on our site, and others are new friends) to weigh in with their insights. Here’s what they shared with us:
Anna Bager
President & CEO, OAAA
My biggest takeaway from this year’s Cannes Lions centers on two vital themes: the exceptional display of out-of-home (OOH) advertising and the renewed focus on creativity. OOH advertising was prominently displayed everywhere—from the airport to the Palais to the Croisette—demonstrating its effectiveness and versatility. Standout examples included Kargo’s innovative drone show, impressive billboards from MNTN, Criteo, Amazon, and others, alongside immersive experiences like Stagwell’s Sport Beach and Pinterest’s Manifestival.
The festival also heralded a notable shift back to creativity at the core of advertising, moving away from the previous focus on ad tech. Brands, agencies, and media owners are revitalizing the landscape with a fresh commitment to creativity, content, and creators, showcasing their pivotal role in driving the industry's evolution. Cannes is clearly championing a future where creativity leads and is at the forefront of driving the industry forward, making this year's festival especially significant.
Jean-Paul Jansen
Senior Vice President of Marketing and CMO of Mars Petcare, NA
I’ve been reflecting on the Cannes Festival, and it is very clear that inspiration was the key theme this year. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the festival and talk about the impactful work being done at Mars. My greatest takeaway is that we can always find inspiration in a multitude of places – from our media, tech partners, consumers, and one another. I look forward to next year’s events!
Suzanne Powers
Founder & CEO, Powers Creativity
As a new founder, I was inspired by the expanding world of creativity. We always say ideas can come from anywhere, and in this broadening and welcoming community of creators, makers, movers, and shakers, this has never been more true.
I took as much inspiration from the work of the Museum of Toledo and an enlightened presentation on pricing models as I did from the huge wins of the mighty clients changing the world from Mastercard to Pedigree - all strategically sharp and creatively brilliant. For marketers, the creative community is multi-faceted and at the ready to solve any challenge if the right mix of expertise, capabilities, and energies are applied. I'm keen to draw on the variety of expertise and capabilities, both human and tech-powered, to craft new models to solve marketers' thorniest challenges.
Bill Duggan
Group EVP, ANA
YES – there were awards celebrating terrific creative. And tons of content. And continued chatter about the impact of AI. But what stood out to me was the “sponsorship mania” at Cannes. Sponsors were EVERYWHERE pitching their wares – on the beaches, the cabanas, yachts, and various hotel meeting spaces. There were “official partners” – well over one hundred. And also dozens of unofficial ones that had miscellaneous signage. Sponsors were media companies, ad tech suppliers, agencies, and more. And these sponsorships don’t come cheap. For example, the fee for an official yacht partnership is “from €50,000 + VAT.” In U.S. dollars, that’s about $65k. I’d love to know how these companies evaluate sponsorship ROI.
Sheryl Daija
Founder & CEO, BRIDGE
DEI in all its forms - from attendees to creative to content - deserves an intentional recalibration of how and where it shows up in Cannes. It should no longer be relegated to side discussions or venues along the Croisette but rather be front and center in all activations and main stage content. After all, seasoned executives recognize Inclusion as the next big growth opportunity for their business - according to P&G, it's a $500 million opportunity in the first year and $1 billion in year two. To seize these dollars, we need Inclusion experts and practitioners to take their rightful place at the world's biggest gathering of marketers and advertisers!
Katie Kempner
Founder, Kempner Communications
Creator and Host “Perspectives with Katie Kempner”
This was my 20th time attending Cannes. I know that dates me, but it also gives me an interesting perspective on how the festival has changed and how the best parts have remained the same. To me, what truly resonates is that although the parties have become slicker and you can’t even see the beach with all the sponsored spaces, the most valuable part of being at Cannes is the power of connection.
People from literally all over the world come together in one place to find ways to push the industry forward and – at its very best – solve problems. They come to learn, share what they have learned, network, be inspired, be challenged – and for some, of course, to be seen. The connections they make, the conversations they have (yes, many over rosé), and the ideas they come away with truly inspire us all to be better, think bigger, and hopefully make a difference.
July 9, 2024
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