Cannes Lions 2026: Day 2 Wrap-Up – Intelligence Meets Intention

Day two of Cannes Lions 2026 saw appearances by stars such as Oprah Winfrey, Shaquille O’Neal, and William Nylander. Alongside marketing executives, they shared a wide range of insights: the importance of creating brand loyalty, maintaining consumer trust, and using AI tools to serve communities.

Here are the day two observations from our Cannes Lions ambassadors.

Oprah Winfrey: “My Heart is My Brand”

Having travelled from her humble childhood roots in rural Mississippi to the glittery stage in Cannes, LionHeart Award recipient Oprah Winfrey gave a master class in branding with five simple words. When asked to articulate her personal brand by Cannes Lions Chairman Phil Thomas, she distilled it down to one sentence: “My heart is my brand.” This guiding principle has informed her legacy of improving life for those around her, using her power and fame for good. Beyond being an inspirational role model, Oprah underscores the importance of intentionality and taking the time to understand what truly matters.

For brilliant branding, I’m holding onto this lesson: sometimes all you need is exactly five words.

Business of News: Working Out The Kinks of AI

Provocateur author and VoxMedia podcaster Kara Swisher explored the role AI plays in the news and advertising ecosystem today at Adweek House’s Business of News session. At a time when real news is so polarizing, brands struggle to find a safe harbour, and AI-powered brand safety tools don’t always block the right content.

When words like “death” or “dying” inevitably appear in brand-safe longevity articles, AI will immediately deem them unsafe for advertising. In other words, we are all still working out the kinks of AI. No one can fully define AI’s role at this point, and many fear it. Yet, news is still the best place for many big brand advertisers, like General Motors and Bank of America. It was a thought-provoking session enhanced by the usual Swisher sass.

Karen Howe, President, The Township Group, Creative Director, and Canadian Cannes Lions Advisory Board member 

Setting the Tone

Inside The Creative Brand Lions Jury Room

The Creative Brand Lions recognize “excellence in the creative capabilities that drive sustained business success for brands.” It’s the festival’s newest category, and this year AB InBev took home the Grand Prix. The category’s jury took us ‘inside the jury room’ and their process for selecting the strongest work.

All three of them followed four guidelines across multiple elimination rounds: Did the submission present strong capabilities and culture? Did it ultimately deliver strong creative work? Did it show commercial results? Did the output take place over a sustained period of time? “Use your best writers for your submissions,” said judge Rose Herceg, who heads WPP in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. “Remove jargon. Lead with the results.”

Keeping Legacy Brands Fresh and Consistent

CMOs in the Spotlight featured legacy brands Kraft Heinz, L’Oreal, and McDonald’s (as an employee of a legacy brand, I could relate). All three representatives stressed the need for a consistent brand narrative – staying true to ‘timeless’ elements while making space to ‘mash up’ assets and IP.

Creators were discussed a lot here, and that legacy brands need to effectively communicate with them about what they can and cannot do. Case-study highlights included the reboot of the iconic “Maybe It’s Maybelline” jingle with Miley Cyrus, and a campaign featuring new ways to use Philadelphia Cream Cheese, now that bagel sales have declined (who knew?).

Athletes On Brand, Off Script

Shaquille O’Neal. William Nylander. Maria Sharapova. Three athletes whose careers I have followed and admired. All three hit the Sport Beach stage at different times today. Shaq to talk about his partnership with Eli Lilly & Co., Nylander to give his thoughts on loyalty (oh, how painful it is to be a Leafs fan), and Sharapova on the evolution of women in sports. Shaq was quick with the quips (“I don’t want to act like I’m bigger than you, but I am bigger than you” – physically speaking). Nylander said that watching the Toronto Blue Jays narrowly miss a World Series win – and seeing everyone across the city get on board for the ride – renewed his desire to bring a Stanley Cup back to Toronto. Maria pointed out that athletes now have an easier time sharing their stories and being their true selves, a shift that brand sponsors are in support of.

AI in the Workplace

At WSJ’s Journal House, the impact of AI was shared with an audience participation panel. The moderator took attendees through a series of online survey questions about how the technology is affecting workplaces, and then asked three experts to comment on the findings. The most interesting observation was the low percentage of businesses that fact-check their AI outputs before going public. Most of the crowd guessed the lowest percentage (14), though Bozoma Saint John, founder of Eve by Boz, believes the number is closer to… zero. Ha! 

Reporting Sean Stanleigh, Director of Globe Content Studio, The Globe and Mail

Pairing Intelligence with Intention

Away from the Croisette crowds, COLLINS House sits high in the hills, a space designed for thoughtful conversations, connections, and insights. It was a breath of fresh air: no lanyards, no rush – just leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs exploring what comes next.

In a compelling conversation, Keke Palmer and Will.i.am reflected on the future of creativity, culture, and technology in an era increasingly shaped by agentic AI. While the possibilities of AI are extraordinary, one insight grounded the discussion: nearly 80% of people want brands to use their influence and resources to make the world a better place.

As technology continues to democratize creation and accelerate innovation, the conversation shifted to something more fundamental: values. In a world where AI can generate content, optimize experiences, and scale ideas instantly, a brand’s true differentiator may no longer be what it makes, but what it stands for. The future belongs to brands that pair intelligence with intention, using technology to create impact, build trust, and contribute meaningfully to the communities they serve.  

Every brand and every leader serves a community: customers, employees, partners and the experiences they create around them. The strongest brands understand that their influence extends beyond what they sell to the impact they have on the people they serve.

Reporting Shannon Lewis, President, CMDC, Cannes Lions Advisory Board member

Brands are Built on Loyalty

While the Future of News did not have as dominant a stage presence in Cannes this year, its core themes surfaced clearly in a Sport Beach conversation on loyalty. Mark Penn, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Stagwell; William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs forward, NHL All-Star; Anthony Capuano, President and CEO of Marriott International; and Meredith Kopit Levien, CEO of The New York Times all discussed the importance of building and maintaining a loyal brand community.  

The sharpest takeaway came from The New York Times lens: loyalty is when audiences seek you out by name, build a habit around you, return every day, and share what you do with the people in their lives. Whether in sports, hospitality, brand building or news, loyalty is earned by delivering on a promise again and again – and by continuing to invest in what people value you for.

Reporting Marcin Zerek, Head of Trade Marketing, The Globe and Mail