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Cannes Lions 2024 – How AI Can Supercharge Creative Marketing

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Google Highlights the Latest Developments in Creative AI

In both 2023 and 2024, AI has been an overarching theme at Cannes Lions. However, Vidhya Srinivasan encapsulated how things are different this year. “Last year, it was all about What is AI? This year is really about the how”. Srinivasan, Vice-President and General Manager of Advertising at Google along with Alexander Chen, Director of Google’s Creative Lab, dove into the details of AI in the Cannes Lions session “The AI Era: Supercharging Marketing and Creativity”. Their talk led the audience through Google’s new AI tech, and how it can help creatives ideate, create, and expand.

Ideate

The talk demonstrated how AI can support the ideation process by analyzing various file formats and fostering conversational brainstorming.

Chen began the session by showing off AI studio’s ability to analyze complex inputs, such as photos, large videos, and even hand drawings. He showed how the AI was able to understand his 9-year-old’s drawing of an imaginary machine. The model was then able to break down almost every detail of a 20-minute video, even recalling the exact offerings of a lunch menu that was on screen for 2-3 seconds. 

Srinivasan also explained other ways that AI can support the ideation process. She explained how Media.Monks used Gemini to help develop market personas for Hatch. The team was able to use Gemini’s collaborative features to adjust, enhance, and perfect the Personas. 

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Create

The session also showed off a few different ways creators can use AI to produce impressive images and videos.

Chen used Google’s GENTYPE to create custom typefaces using simple prompts. He showed off fonts made out of Jello, Ramen, and Jellyfish. He then demonstrated how his team used AI to create “AI Roadtrip”, a series of promotional videos created using various AI tools. The videos featured Google Pixel and iPhone going on a road trip to various audience-requested locations. Using AI, the team could respond with real-time content within as little as ten minutes.

Srinivasan then showed how Google’s Product Studio can instantly generate backgrounds that complement product photography. The AI can then turn this product photography into a short video. Google also offers Dream Screen, an image generator that creates backgrounds for YouTube shorts. Srinivasan also presented a demo of Veo, Google’s video generator, which can create short, high-resolution videos. Veo is unique in that it allows the user to request specific cinematic effects. 

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The session concluded by highlighting how AI can allow marketers to scale existing assets and ideas.

Chen featured the project, Infinite Wonderland. This project imagined the timeless classic, Alice in Wonderland, in 5 select artists’ styles. The project allows users to select any sentence in the novel and see it illustrated in one of the artists’ styles. This project shows AI’s ability to supercharge creative assets, taking a few different illustrations and scaling them nearly infinitely.

Srinivasan then showed how Google’s creative team used AI to take existing promotional assets and scale them into over 4500 different executions.

To conclude the talk, both of the speakers emphasized that AI is not creative by itself. It is still the role of the marketer to shape the aesthetic and persuasive direction of every advertisement. However, these new tools allow creatives to further push the boundaries and limits of advertising.

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Cannes Lions 2024 – The Creative Voice: Using Advertising to Create Social Change

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AnNahar and IMPACT BBDO Discuss a Legacy of Outstanding Advertising

The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity often showcases advertising’s power to build brands and fulfill business objectives. However, Thursday morning’s session, “A Time To End Our Fear”, tells how AnNahar, Lebanon’s leading newspaper, used advertising to create social change. Dani Richa, Chairman of BBDO EMEA, and Nayla Tueni, Editor-in-Chief of AnNahar highlighted 5 years of the newspaper’s advertising. 

The Blank Edition

The partnership between IMPACT BBDO and AnNahar began in 2018, amidst a time of political unrest in Lebanon. The country had been without a government for 6 months. The political parties were at a standstill–using the media to point fingers and make excuses. AnNahar was fed up with printing the lies of politicians, so they decided to take a stand. “The Blank Edition”, featured AnNahar printing an empty copy of their newspaper, along with a blank website and social media page. The project sparked a movement across Lebanon, as citizens filled the empty pages with their message to the politicians of Lebanon.

A New National Anthem

A year later, Lebanon Suffered a major currency devaluation, sparking protests in the streets of the country. During the protests, the women of Lebanon were at the frontlines of the movement, singing the country’s National Anthem. However, AnNahar was deeply grieved as the women sang an anthem that only mentioned men. So they took action–printing new lyrics of the Lebanese National Anthem, that included women. The words, “The birthplace of women and men”, were printed in bold letters on the front pages of AnNahar’s daily edition, sparking a revolution. This movement resulted in a cabinet with 400% more women and the first-ever female minister of defence. The new cabinet went on to submit a bill to change the national anthem forever.

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The Elections Edition

When Lebanon continued to endure economic devastation, the upcoming 2022 elections provided the possibility for change. However, in a bid to keep their power, politicians planned to delay the election–claiming that they lacked paper and ink. AnNahar responded to the excuses with a tongue-in-cheek political stunt. They left the daily edition unprinted and donated the paper and ink to the Lebanese government. This action stated boldly that the elections must go on. Many other organizations followed suit, donating supplies and urging the government to keep their promises. On May 15th, the elections took place as scheduled, and moved the country forward in their democratic traditions.

Newspapers Inside the Newspaper

Lebanon has a history of silencing the press. In 2005, Gebran Tueni, the Editor-in-chief of AnNahar and Nayla Tueni’s father, was assassinated for his support of free speech and social progression. In 2023, to honour his death and support his life’s work, AnNahar released a special edition of the newspaper. “Newspapers Inside the Newspaper” featured a version of the publication that contained the content of 6 recently closed newspapers. The edition used the logo, format, and writers of these publications to voice AnNahar’s support of free speech. Although the newspapers were former competitors, Gebran Tueni always supported the cause of democracy and free speech no matter the publication.

AI President

In 2024, Lebanon experienced a long-term presidential vacancy. The vacancy was due to the personal biases and agendas of the country’s politicians. In response to this, AnNahar created the world’s first AI President. An AI was trained on AnNahar’s 91-year-old archive. The AI president allowed Lebanese citizens to seek answers to the country’s greatest political problems. Lebanon’s politicians even included the AI in an official cabinet meeting. The AI is “the only president who can’t be biased, Indecisive, self-serving or influenced by political agendas”, creating a statement on the political corruption in Lebanon. 

AnNahar’s series of works show how advertisers can use creativity for positive change. Dani Richa explained the significance of BBDO and AnNahar’s relationship, “The power of creativity with the weight of journalism–the combined effect is very powerful”. However, this principle also applies to all advertisers. With the power of creative thinking, agencies and clients can work together to create massive social reform. Richa shares that the key to creating great work with a client is “having access to the decision-makers, quick approvals, no back and forth. Trust between [the] partnership.” The work created by AnNahar and IMPACT BBDO is an inspiring model for agencies have a lasting impact on society.

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Cannes Lions 2024 – Orlando Wood’s Secret to Advertising Effectiveness

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Orlando Wood and Sir John Hegarty Break Down the Importance of Creativity in Advertising


This session with Orlando Wood, Chief Innovation Officer, System1, and Sir John Hegarty, Creative Founder, The Garage Entertainment, focuses on an often forgotten truth in advertising. Orlando Wood proposes that the key to increasing advertising effectiveness is an emphasis on entertainment and human-centred truth. 

audienceThe Golden Age of Advertising Technology

Orlando Wood and Sir John Hegarty respond to a frightening statistic. In 2023 alone, brands spent upwards of $750billion on advertising and only 6% of it is estimated to be effective.

Wood claimed that technology has given advertisers the ability to target consumers who are already somewhat interested in a given product–making advertisers slightly lazy. He mentioned that this ability to target interested consumers has led advertisers to  “[Forget] that we’ve got to interest people in the first place”.

feature imageSalesmanship vs Showmanship

Orlando explains further that over the last 10 years, advertising effectiveness has experienced a stark decline. The chart below shows how this decline is directly correlated with an increase in “short-termism” advertising. This advertising approach “starts with the product and ends with the product,”–focusing on key features and short-term effectiveness. He calls this approach Salesmanship Advertising.

Wood proposed a solution to the Salesmanship approach: Showmanship advertising. Wood explains that during the 1950s, there was a similar focus on Salesmanship advertising. Advertisements were centred around Unique Selling Propositions and repetitive messaging. However, Bill Bernbach broke this mould by creating advertising that focused on novelty and entertainment.

This version of advertising uses entertaining content to discuss a greater truth. One example of this is this Ryanair TikTok, which emphasizes the airline’s lack of free wifi to strengthen their positioning as cheap, no-nonsense, flights. Hegarty summarizes the showmanship approach simply, “you don’t buy things from people you don’t like”. 

Advertising Principles Explained
gorillaOrlando’s findings and research can be found in the 8-session course, Advertising Principles Explained, or a.p.e. The course provides the evidence advertisers need to make the case for showmanship advertising. The name, a.p.e. emphasizes that advertisers must focus on core advertising principles or threaten the extinction of the industry as a whole. In other words, “Ape or Die”. This was dramatically illustrated by the entrance of an ape onto the Debussy Theatre stage.

Wood concludes the session by highlighting a key tenet of showmanship advertising: “Delight, teach, and entertain”. 

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Cannes Lions 2024 – Innovation and Inspiration: Canada’s Standout Success at Cannes Lions 2024

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“This is the most fascinating time in all of history. Enjoy the ride!” These words from Elon Musk perfectly capture the excitement at the Cannes Lions Festival 2024. 

We find ourselves in a world of advancements like AI and immersive tech, set against a backdrop of pressing environmental challenges, societal issues, and a dynamic political landscape. Media continues to shape perceptions, influence behaviours, and redefine cultural and societal norms. At the Cannes Croisette, award-winning work and spirited discussions highlighted both the opportunities and responsibilities we face as leaders in the advertising industry. 

This year’s festival also introduced a touch of humour, providing a refreshing break from the weighty issues of today. Here are some of the key themes emerging from the festival:

Journalism, News, and Politics
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The intersection of journalism, news, and politics was a critical topic, especially in this pivotal election year, with over half of the world’s population, four billion people, casting a vote in 2024. Conversations and campaigns focused on the role of media in shaping public opinion, the importance of journalistic integrity, and the impact of trusted content on audiences. Both the WSJ House and The Trade Desk emphasized the importance of journalism in advertising, highlighting how trustworthy news sources are crucial for effective and ethical ad placements. WSJ publisher Almar Latour pointed out in a morning session to advertisers, “Journalism is under assault. Your support is essential.” Jeff Green, CEO of The Trade Desk, an advocate of local media, reiterated the need for the publishing world to invest in technology + talent, alongside content, and focus on monetizing it. 
 

What does this mean for Canada? With the implementation of the Online News Act and Meta’s restrictions on news content access, all eyes are on Canada. Advertisers are increasingly investing in local media and news platforms that offer brand-safe environments and strong performance. In the tech, brand, and publishing sectors, as well as within our CMDC industry association and the Canadian Manifesto, there’s a growing recognition of the need for collaboration. By working together, we can develop a sustainable Canadian media ecosystem that supports businesses and promotes an engaged, well-informed society.

AI’s Rise: Talk to Action
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The difference this year from last is striking. AI isn’t just a topic of discussion; it’s now witnessed in application. Our media industry has been using AI for over a decade, enabling greater precision in media planning, buying, optimization, and personalization ‘at scale’ for brands. At Cannes, the application of AI was awe-inspiring in its scope, scale, and impact.

Generative AI is empowering talent with new capabilities, from conducting in-depth research in seconds to innovating and measuring success. In a standout session titled “Building with AI: From Hype to Reality,” Google’s Vidhya Srinivasan and Alexander Chen highlighted how AI tools are enhancing the creative process.

One of the most talked-about sessions, was WPP CEO Mark Read’s interview with Elon Musk. Musk’s vision for AI is not just about enhancing human intelligence but also amplifying creativity. He remarked, “The most likely outcome of AI is abundance, where everyone has everything they need. And then the question becomes about personal meaning. If AI can do it better than us, people will have an existential crisis.” Musk stressed the importance of teaching AI to be truthful and curious, predicting that within the next five years, there could be 20 billion humanoid robots, like today’s smartphones. His influence is deep and words have a profound impact on markets, as noted by Dell’s stock nearly doubling.

Agencies are making significant AI investments, launching their AI labs. Havas introduced ‘Converged,’ WPP partnered with Nvidia to launch an AI-enabled studio, Publicis with Core AI, and Adobe announced AI-generated content for TikTok. Additionally, a conversation on the Croisette with the startup Alltold, which measures inclusion in ads using Responsible AI, is set to inspire new ventures. 

What does this mean for Canada? AI is projected to contribute $315 billion to Canada’s GDP by 2030, creating new economic opportunities, fostering creative ventures, and strengthening Canada’s competitive edge in the market. This is our moment to lead and innovate.

Sustainability & Power of Partnerships
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The release of GARM and Ad Net Zero’s Framework has reignited discussions on sustainability and carbon emissions within the ad industry, pushing the issue back to the top of our industry agendas. This framework is set to establish global standards for tracking and reducing carbon footprints, marking a significant step forward in our commitment to environmental responsibility.

Brands at Cannes showcased their dedication to sustainability with ethical practices. For instance, P&G highlighted their ambitious goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across their supply chain by 2040. 

P&G was again praised as a ‘Force for good, force for growth.’ At the Act Responsible session on “Sustainability as a driver of growth,” Kenneth Cukier, Deputy Executive Director at The Economist, discussed key drivers—from data and distinctiveness to organizational health and trusted partnerships. He emphasized sustainability’s pivotal role in fostering growth that is both socially responsible and economically viable.

Additionally, in the work, The Water Sustainability Score (above) serves as a global benchmark, revealing the true water sustainability of brands and organizations, helping consumers understand the impact of their choices.

Partnerships were also a hot topic at Cannes Lions 2024, highlighted by collaborations with industry associations like WFA, ANA, and 4As. These partnerships show a united front in tackling global issues and opportunities, such as the cross-media measurement to climate action.

What Does This Mean for Canada? For Canada, this momentum towards sustainability and strategic partnerships is a powerful opportunity for brands and agency partners. By committing to better ethical practices, we can build a thriving, sustainable media ecosystem that benefits all Canadians.

Commerce, Media, and Creativity Unite 
R/GA - 1The rise of commerce media is undeniable. As traditional tracking methods like cookies decline, retailers are harnessing first-party data and forging new strategic alliances to support seamless omnichannel experiences. This shift, alongside the democratization of commerce, is sparking a new era of creativity where distinctiveness, dialogue, and connection are pivotal for success. For our industry, creativity and innovation is central to the future of commerce solutions to drive brand differentiation.

In the session “Commerce x Creativity: From Transactional to Inspirational” by R/GA and IPG, Gen AI emerged as a transformative force in customer-centricity, reshaping traditional commerce tactics and platform strategies. Highlighting their long standing 20+ year partnership with Nike, the session showcased future possibilities in commerce, offering access to Nike’s full spectrum of assets— from its rich brand history and sports science insights to R&D breakthroughs and influential ambassador connections. And the good news is, using tennis as the example, the future looks incredible with instant access to court times, shoes based on court surface, workout regimes, and even insights on improving your swing speed. I’m ready.

This case study underscores the crucial role of brands in developing and leveraging their unique assets to stand out and differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace. The session also underscored three crucial areas for brands:

  1. Dialogue With Consumers (DWC): Moving beyond passive tracking, brands that engage in meaningful dialogues with consumers build trust and loyalty.
  2. Omni-Modal Experiences: Seamless integration across all channels ensures a cohesive and user-friendly journey for customers.
  3. Build-Together Approach: Empowering consumers and partners to co-create experiences, setting new standards for customer-centric innovation.

What does this mean for Canada? With retail media ad spending projected to exceed the C$3 billion milestone by the end of 2024, the shift towards inspirational commerce is not only a global phenomenon but also a local one. 

Canada Strong 
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As Canada continues to climb the ranks at Cannes Lions and beyond, this success serves as a testament to the talent, creativity, and innovation that defines the Canadian media industry. 

Securing 66 awards, our brand and media leaders shared their inspiring work and perspectives on stage. This achievement is greatly supported by The Globe and Mail, who have been pivotal partners of Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity for 19 years. Catch up on the celebration highlights here if you missed them.

Canada ranks #5 out of 52 countries at Cannes Lions and is on a trajectory towards the top. Additionally, we hold the #4 spot in the 2024 Warc Creative 100.

Thank you to The Globe and Mail, the Cannes advisory board, the Canadian jury, Young Lions, and all the agencies and marketing talent who contributed to this remarkable success! 

Canada, you’ve made us immensely proud!

– Shannon Lewis, President, CMDC
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Experiencing the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: Insights from the World of Sports Marketing

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Mike Miura and Ryan Grippo Highlight Their Key Insights From Cannes Lions 2024

This past week, we had the privilege of attending the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a prestigious event celebrating the best in creative communications. Last year, we were honoured to represent Canada in the Young Lions Marketing competitions, securing gold in our category. This year, free from the pressures of competition, we immersed ourselves fully in the festival’s offerings. As representatives of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), we focused our attention on marketing trends in the sports industry, attending a variety of sports-centred events. 

Athlete Endorsements and Authentic Partnerships

A significant theme in this year’s festival was the critical importance of authenticity in athlete endorsements. The key takeaway was clear: if athletes do not genuinely use or care about the product they endorse, the audience will recognize the insincerity, leading to poor content performance.

One standout example of authentic partnerships was Travis and Jason Kelce’s role in Garage Beer. The drink is marketed as the “Beer Flavoured Beer,” appealing to small-town values and die hard football fans. Their endorsement was organic and aligned with their personalities, enhancing the brand’s appeal.

Additionally, Jason Kelce’s partnership with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, driven by his genuine enthusiasm for the product, exemplified successful authentic marketing. The famous tagline, “I put that $#!T on everything,” resonated well with audiences, including a hilarious mention of using the sauce on cereal and candy.

We also witnessed future endorsements in the making. During the session “The Kelce Effect,” Jason turned an impromptu skit into a call to action for soap brands. In a hilarious back-and-forth between the Kelce brothers, Jason doubled down on his infamous statement that no one needs to wash their feet or legs, saying, “Pits & bits with a bar of yellow Dial soap is all you need to feel clean”. The joke concluded with a call out to all soap companies, inviting them to reach out to him for future partnerships. Interactions like this highlight how spontaneous and genuine moments can evolve into effective marketing opportunities.

Joe Burrow’s session further emphasized the value of authenticity. He discussed his approach to partnerships, prioritizing deals with companies that align with the values of his charity, the Joe Burrow Foundation. His commitment to giving back underscores the importance of meaningful and genuine partnerships.

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Women’s Sports – A Necessity Not a Novelty

Sessions at the Women’s Sports House and Sport Beach delved into the exponential growth and impact of women’s sports across the world. They highlighted the significant financial and societal benefits of supporting women’s sports, backed by compelling data and proof points.

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“Welcome to The Party: The Expansive Reach of Women’s Sports on TikTok and Beyond.” featured LSU Tigers basketball star and rapper Flau’Jae Johnson, TV and podcast host Joy Taylor, and e.l.f.’s Patrick O’Keefe, in conversation with TikTok’s Harish Sarma. Flau’Jae shared how she is paving the way for the next generation of young women–empowering them to be anything they want when they grow up. She shared a powerful encounter with a young girl who told her she wanted to be a doctor and a professional basketball player, drawing inspiration from Flau’Jae’s successful career in both rap music and professional sports. Joy Taylor challenged the audience to “Stop treating women’s sports like a novelty,” Highlighting that the quality of play and business results in women’s sports are being proven every day by thousands of females across the world. 

A notable panel at Women’s Sports House featured industry leaders such as sports TV personality Katie Nolan, Formula One driver Lando Norris, Mclaren CEO Zak Brown, McLaren CMO Louise McEwen, and ICE CMO Stephanie Dobbs Brown. They discussed the success of McLaren’s new women’s driver, Bianca Bustamante. Her social signing announcement outperformed that of Lando Norris, underscoring the potential of women’s sports to capture audience interest globally.

Lando Norris emphasized the importance of grassroots adoption to grow women’s F1, noting that while most male drivers start racing at ages 6-8, women have fewer opportunities, resulting in adoption at ages 10-12. This discussion highlighted the need for more youth-driven programs to foster talent in women’s sports.

Final Takeaways

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity provided us with invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of sports marketing. Authenticity in athlete endorsements and the undeniable growth of women’s sports emerged as pivotal themes. These experiences not only enriched our understanding but also inspired us to implement these learnings in our work at MLSE. The festival underscored the power of genuine connections and the potential of underrepresented segments–guiding us toward a more inclusive and impactful approach to sports marketing.

Mike Miura,
2023 Global Young Lions Competition Gold Medal Winner
Manager of Commercial Marketing Strategy at MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment)

Ryan Grippo
2023 Global Young Lions Competition Gold Medal Winner
Manager of Strategy & Innovation at MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment)

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Cannes Lions 2024: Day 5 Wrap-Up

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Cannes Lions might be over but it ended on an incredible high note as Canada captured it’s most wins ever at The Festival, with 66. As the festivities come to an end, we break down The Globe and Mail’s Canada Party, the Young Lions competition results and look ahead to Decoding Cannes. Follow our daily recaps, Q&A’s with industry execs, and festival breakdowns at Globe Media Group’s Cannes Lions hub. 

In this edition:

  • Festival Wrap-up Report
  • Young Lions winners announcement
  • Cannes Canada Party presented by The Globe and Mail
  • The Tokyo Toilet Project
  • How to create great B2B campaigns
  • Decoding Cannes Lions 2024 with Karen Howe

The Official Cannes Lions 2024 Wrap-Up Report

Click here to early access to The Official Cannes Lions 2024 Wrap-Up Report. The Wrap-Up Report distills insights, themes, and expertise from the Festival, and also explores the award-winning work of 2024. Spanning five content streams, this report provides an all-access view into the creative marketing moments that truly matter.

Young Lions Winners Announcement
This year at the Global Young Lions Competition, 448 Young Lions from 69 countries competed, judged by a distinguished panel of 38 jurors. The Young Lions competition is where the next generation of creative stars go head-to-head, providing an unparalleled opportunity to showcase their talent on a global stage. While Canada didn’t secure any medals this year, we proudly celebrated a shortlist in the Marketers category. Congratulations to Jenn Bailey and Nick Carson for this significant achievement!
 
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all our young lions: Jordan Bloom, Benjamin Nusca, Charles Côté, Charles-Antoine Thériault, Gabriel Lafond, Alphée Lamothe, Sammy Lo, and Emma Lorenzi. Making it to the global stage is a remarkable accomplishment, and you should all be immensely proud. We are incredibly proud of you! A huge thank you to our dedicated Young Lions trainers Shannon Lewis, Karen Howe, Cathy Collier, Mary Maddever, Steve Levy, Susan Irving, and Aaron Nemoy, with special thanks to Mike Miura and Ryan Grippo. Your guidance and support have been invaluable.
 
What are the Young Lions Competitions?
The Young Lions Competitions are your chance to shine at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Following local competitions organized by Cannes Lions Festival Representatives, these events feature seven distinct themes but share a common structure. Upon arrival at the Festival, participants receive a brief from an NGO, charity, or company focused on a good cause. They then have just 24 hours to create and present a campaign to a jury of top-level creatives from leading agencies worldwide, selected from the Cannes Lions Shortlisting Jury. Only those who have won their local competitions are eligible to compete.
 
To learn more about the Canadian Competition, sign-up for our newsletter and be sure to follow Globe Media Group on social media: Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
 
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Cannes Canada Party presented by The Globe and Mail
On Thursday, June 20, The Globe and Mail hosted its annual Canada Party at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This highly anticipated event took place on the charming garden patio at the Hotel Martinez on the Croisette. The evening was a vibrant celebration of Canadian creativity and talent, bringing together close to 150 Canadians from across the country. Delegates enjoyed a night of networking and cocktails, fostering connections and sharing insights amidst the beautiful setting of the French Riviera.
 
The event was particularly special as it celebrated outstanding Canadian work that had garnered numerous awards throughout the week. This year was record-breaking for Canada, with an unprecedented number of Lions won by Canadian creatives. The evening also included toasts to the accomplishments of our Young Lions, recognizing their exceptional contributions and promising future in the industry. Additionally, we honoured our esteemed Canadian jurors, who were selected by the festival to judge the entries, acknowledging their critical role in the success of Canadian entries at Cannes. The Canada Party at Cannes Lions was a testament to the thriving and dynamic creative community in Canada.

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The Story Behind Koji Yanai’s Oscar-Nominated Film

Koji Yanai and Takuma Takasaki, during their Cannes Lions Festival session, discussed the origin and creation of the Oscar-nominated film “Perfect Days,” which stemmed from the Tokyo Toilet Project aimed at revitalizing Tokyo’s public bathrooms to be accessible and inclusive for all. Yanai’s initial idea evolved from creating an exclusive product for the disabled community to designing public toilets for all. The film, directed by Wim Wenders, honoured the project’s cleaning crew and demonstrated that impactful art can effectively promote social initiatives.

How to Create Great B2B Campaigns

The Creative B2B Lions Jury highlighted the essential elements of successful B2B campaigns. Winning campaigns, such as VW Brazil’s Trucker Napp and JC Decaux’s Meet Marino Prieto, showcased innovative strategies and emotional connections. Read this article to discover some of the Key ingredients to creating award-winning B2B campaigns.

Decoding Cannes Lions 2024

2024 brought us some key themes worthy of decoding, but none bigger than the ascendancy of AI. AI gave impetus to much of the awarded work this year, such as Doritos Silent which featured a Doritos noise canceler for snacking gamer and Samsung’s Impulse used AI to aid stutterers.

Unquestionably the watershed session was with Elon Musk. He admits there is some probability that AI will annihilate humanity. It’s already threatening some advertising livelihoods. But the cheerful upside, according to Musk, is that AI will help us do more of what we want to do, faster and better. 

Humour is back and needed now more than ever (see previous paragraph). Laughter is a powerhouse for marketers in tough categories like insurance. 

Legacy media like billboards have been reinvented, they are no longer passive. One offered the ability to meet and adopt a dog in real time. 

Data was the backbone of “Pink Chip” that proved companies run by female CEOs outperformed others. Positive advocacy using creativity was present this year in a number of cases. Darker themes? The kids are not alright. Depression and social media are taking their toll on children. And women’s rights are under tremendous duress as seen through the Glass Lions cases tackling domestic violence, child brides and enforced reproductive in the US. 

How brands engage with gamers world has evolved in truly innovative ways from banking to raising money for charity.
Heritage brands like Heinz Ketchup and Lucky Charms have reinvented themselves. Coke let brand fans redo their logo and Heineken let them respell its name spelling – which really built their community. 


Dog are hot (of course they are). And creativity activists flexed their power in innumerable ways.
A final happy-making note: Canada had one of its best years ever at the podium. Congratulations to all who won, you know who are are. (Oh wait, so do we!) Thank you for defining our country as a truly global creative force.


For the full decode, please reach out to me or Globe Media GROUP for details. It will be an hour of inspiration and intel for your organization.

Cannes Lions 2024, that’s a wrap.

–Karen Howe
Cannes Lions Advisory Board Member/Jury Coach/Young Lions Trainer
President | The Township Group

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Cannes Lions 2024 – How to Create Great B2B Campaigns

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The 2024 Creative B2B Lions Jury Breakdown Winning Campaigns

As the Cannes Lions Festival comes to an end, members of the Creative B2B Lions Jury sat down to discuss this year’s winning B2B campaigns. Julie Scelzo, CCO, Dentsu Creative, Andisa Ntsubane, Managing Executive, Vodacom, as well as Bianca Guimaraes, Partner and ECD, Mischief, discussed the key ingredients in a winning B2B campaign. 

What is B2B?

Andisa Ntsubane started off the session by mentioning an ongoing discussion that happened in the B2B jury room. What is B2B? The definition of a B2B campaign is not always cut and dry. Sometimes deciding whether a campaign is definitively aimed at businesses is difficult. However, Ntsubane reconciles the complexities this way: “Who is the primary buyer of a piece of work? If the primary buyer is a business decision-maker or a group of business decision-makers, then it’s absolutely B2B.” Bianca concluded that the best B2B works are single-mindedly focused on selling to businesses.

Winning B2B Campaigns

 Here’s a breakdown of some of the winning B2B campaigns and the qualities that made them effective.

Bronze

Trucker Napp by AlmapBBDO sal palo for VW Brazil.

This brand activation by VW Brazil defines VW as a leader and advocate in truck transportation.  avoid road Accidents. Trucker Napp advocates for truck driver safety by creating a special program that rewards drivers for sleeping. The app allows truckers to earn points by sleeping, which truckers can redeem for part replacements and other rewards. Guimaraes breaks down that this campaign combines a simple idea with powerful business results. The campaign also focuses on creating emotional affinity with their customers– an unconventional tactic in B2B advertising.

Silver

The move to Minus 15 by Edelman London for DP World

DP World’s campaign challenged companies to transport frozen foods at -15 °C instead of -18 °C, creating a movement within the supply chain industry. This change had a significant impact on wastefulness and no impact on the quality and safety of the food. To Ntsubane, this Case study proves B2B’s potential to solve some of the world’s largest issues. However, Ntsubane mentions that more creative execution could have pushed this work to a Gold Lion.

Gold

“Pub Museums” by LePub Milan for Heineken.

“Pub Museums” by Heineken addressed the mass closure of centuries-old pubs in Ireland. The project recognized pubs as historical landmarks, allowing them to claim a 20% tax reduction and earn extra revenue from tourist guides. The Jury members emphasize how year after year, Heineken creates great campaigns that consistently voice their core values. Julia Scelzo called this “Constancy, multiplied by change”.

Grand Prix

Meet Marino Prieto by David Madrid for JC Decaux

To prove the power of OOH outdoor advertising, JC Decaux used empty advertising space to turn a Galician Grandma into an Instagram Hero. The campaign featured the 100-year-old woman’s Instagram content on unbooked media around Brazil. The campaign proved the power of OOH advertising–attracting 185 new brands to JC Decaux. The jury concludes that this work proved the power of emotional appeal in B2B advertising. 

Final Takeaways

To wrap up, the Jury answered a few questions about key factors in winning a creative B2B Lion.

What’s the main takeaway you’ll bring back to your teams after judging?

 Andisa Ntsubane mentioned four takeaways:

  • B2B brands play a big role in addressing social issues: Leadership brands take leadership positions.
  • Innovative use of content: like never before, B2B brands now use social media content to reach specific audiences.
  • Ntsubane emphasizes the importance of using humour, Influencers, and celebrities as part of driving awareness in B2B advertising.
  • The rise of creativity in B2B in Brazil; Ntsubane encourages advertisers to keep a close eye on the great B2B work coming out of Brazil.

If we were sat on the stage in 2025, what trends and themes would we be talking about?

Bianca Guimaraes mentions an upcoming trend in B2B advertising. Many great B2B campaigns are an iteration of an existing B2C campaign. The consumer campaigns have a core insight and strategy, allowing them to translate into powerful B2B campaigns 

Ntsubane mentions a disappointing trend in some of the work. Many of the campaigns had great strategy, great insight, and great execution. However, there was little linkage back to the business results.

If you were entering the creative B2B lions in 2025, what things would you do now to stand out to next year’s Jury?

Julie Scelzo concludes the session by making a useful statement on emotion in advertising. “Even in B2B, you can’t underestimate the power of emotion. You can’t think of it as a rational category anymore. Proof and point, every [campaign] that won has a human component to it … B2B doesn’t have to be Boring to Boring anymore.”

In summary, the jury emphasized the power of emotion in B2B advertising, the role of B2B in affecting social change, and the importance of connecting a B2B campaign back to business results

Follow us @globemediagroup on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to stay in the know.

Cannes Lions 2024 – The Story Behind Koji Yanai’s Oscar-Nominated Film

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How Koji Yanai and Takuma Takasaki created the Oscar-Nomatinated Film, Perfect Days.

“Perfect Days” is an Oscar-nominated and award-winning movie created by Koji Yanai, the senior executive officer of Fast Retailing Group, and Takuma Takasaki, the ECD of Dentsu. The movie was based on The Tokyo Toilet Project, a public bathroom revitalization project created to improve Tokyo’s public facilities. In Monday afternoon’s session at the Cannes Lions Festival, “Don’t Work from the Goal: Expanding the Creative Potential”, Koji Yanai, and Takuma Takasaki, break down the origin of “Perfect Days” and the Tokyo Toilet Project. 

Koji Yanai’s initial idea for Present Days was completely different from the final product. In 2016, Yanai recollects how he was deeply impacted by “We’re the Superhumans”, Channel 4’s commercial promoting the 2016 Paralympic Games. Around the same time, Yanai recollects having a conversation with Shingo Kuneida, the most successful wheelchair tennis player in the world. Yanai was told that Tokyo is not a very accessible city. This is where Yanai’s idea for the Tokyo Toilet Project started, however, it didn’t end there. 

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After this conversation, Koji felt motivated to create something special for the disabled community. Since many services and luxuries are not accessible to those with disabilities, Yanai wanted to create something that only the disabled community could use. However, Koji’s father, Tadashi Yanai, the Founder and CEO of Uniqlo, gave him wisdom that completely changed the project’s direction. “Specialness is nice to have, but what’s more important is being made for all.” The idea of making something for all is at the very heart of what Uniqlo does.

This comment changed Yanai’s mind and his plans. Yanai now planned to create something that everyone could use. Yanai explains why he decided to focus on public bathrooms specifically. “Sometimes, I cannot sleep at night, I have to skip a lunch or a dinner, but there are no days when we don’t go to the toilet.”

Now that he was settled on a direction, Yanai had to figure out how he would create an innovative public bathroom. He discovered 7 things that are wrong with the public bathroom. “Almost all public toilets have the same issues, Dark, Dirty, smelly, scary, women avoid them, not friendly for the disabled, not friendly for the children and sometimes hard to locate.” To make his vision a reality, Yanai invited great minds from many different professions to help design the bathrooms – creative directors, professors, architects, and product designers were all invited to design an innovative public bathroom. 

Yanai’s the biggest challenge in The Tokyo Toilet Project. “Can we sustain this with the highest level of cleanliness?”

That’s when Yanai contacted Takuma Takasaki, the ECD of Dentsu. Takasaki convinced Yanai to create a film based on the Tokyo Toilet project. They sought to create a stylized movie honouring the project’s cleaning crew. With the help of film director Wim Wenders and actor Koji Yakusho, the film won numerous awards, including the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or and an Oscar nomination. 

The critical response around “Perfect Days” reveals an important truth for advertisers. Yanai and Takasaki did not create “Perfect Days” for marketing or commercial reasons. However, the film was overwhelmingly impactful in promoting The Tokyo Toilet Project. This project is overwhelming evidence that great art is the best promotion. 

Follow us @globemediagroup on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to stay in the know.

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Cannes Lions 2024: Day 4 Wrap-Up

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Day 4 at Cannes Lions has come to an end, with Canada winning a record number of Lions. Shannon Lewis and Karen Howe, Cannes Canada Advisory Board Members and Young Lions mentors, share their standouts from the day and Marcin Zerek highlights lessons that young creatives can learn.  Follow our daily recaps, Q&A’s with industry execs, and festival breakdowns at Globe Media Group’s Cannes Lions hub. 

In this edition:

  • CMOs in the Spotlight, Poor Things and The IOC Refugee Team
  • Favourite work from Karen and Shannon
  • The Globe and Mail’s Young Lions lunch 
  • Canada breaks its wins record on Day 4
  • Young Lions Creative Academy session
Day 4 highlights from Shannon Lewis

1. CMO Spotlight: Sustainable innovation and equity is the new driver of growth – Mustafa Shamseldin, Chief Marketing Officer at PepsiCo, are paving the way forward.

cmos spotlighgt shnanon #2

 

2. The IOC Refugee Olympic Team is a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination of more than 100 million forcibly displaced individuals around the world. 36 incredible athletes from 11 different countries, this session sent a powerful message of the values of hope, belonging, and inclusion on the world’s largest sports stage – the Paris Olympics. 

 
olympics

 
3. From Inspiration to Manifestation: Oscar-winning production designers Shona Heath and James Price on the creative process behind the surreal sets in ‘Poor Things’.  From texture to historic painting, they sure know how to bring a film world to life on screen. Inspired by their creative and design journey.
 
poor things

The Work: Standouts from Day 4 from Karen Howe and Shannon Lewis

The Basement in the Palais houses a showcase of this year’s shortlisted entries live. Festival goers can view the work digitally on kiosks that provide access to The Work, as well as in exhibitions displaying both shortlisted and award-winning pieces.

Here are some of Karen and Shannon’s standouts from their viewing today.

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A toast to Canada’s Young Lions

Every year, it is a cherished tradition for The Globe and Mail to host a celebratory lunch in honour of the ten Canadian Young Lions winners who participated in the Global Young Lions competition in this past week. This special event always takes place at La Pizza Cresci, a beloved spot situated by the picturesque Cannes harbour. Joined by members of the Canadian Cannes Advisory Board, our esteemed partners from Strategy Magazine, Jury members, mentors, and the 2023 Global Young Lions Marketers winners who won it all last year. The lunch serves as an opportunity to unwind after an intense and demanding week. It is a time to reconnect, enjoy each other’s company, and raise a toast to the remarkable achievements of these talented individuals. The winners will be officially announced on Friday morning.

 
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Canada Wins 55 Lions, Breaking its Personal Record
Today, Canada has added 12 additional Lions to yesterday’s 43 medals. This means that Canada has accumulated 55 Lions, surpassing its record of 51 in 2023. 8 Lions were awarded to Rethink as well as Dentsu Creative and Ogilvy winning 2 Lions each. This is an outstanding achievement for Canada and a gratifying testament to Canadian creative power. See the full breakdown from Strategy Online.
Creative Academy – Young Lions Session
I was invited by James Coburn to attend a Creative Academy session today–“Unlocking creativity: finding, nurturing, and sharing inspiration in today’s world”. It was inspiring to be in a room full of motivated, young, next-generation creative leaders. They asked great questions and got some valuable insights. Here’s a list of key lessons for young creatives:
 
  • Say yes to opportunities, and be seen. It’s extremely important to get yourself out there as an upcoming creative leader.
  • Opportunities can arise from the most unexpected places.
  • At the same time, know that “No” is a complete sentence. Never feel pressured to take opportunities. Be careful with your commitments and confident in your creative value.
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Follow us @globemediagroup on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to stay in the know.

elon

Cannes Lions 2024: Day 3 Wrap-Up

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As Day 3 of Cannes Lions comes to an end, Cannes Canada Advisory Board Members, Shannon Lewis and Karen Howe, share their highlights from the day. Follow our daily recaps, Q&A’s with industry execs, and festival breakdowns at Globe Media Group’s Cannes Lions hub. 

In this edition:

“Enjoy the Ride” or “A Crisis of Meaning”?

Elon Musk. There it is. The top trend at Cannes Lions this year a day early. He is a living, breathing galactic-level disruptor – equal parts inspiring and terrifying. As an avowed advocate of free speech “within the bounds of law” notoriety dogged him after he suggested advertising could go “%@#$” itself for punishing him for unpopular social stances. 

That aside, the bigger question he tackled is “AI, friend or foe?” 

Musk shares the same point of view as Jeff Hinton, the “godfather of AI”, that there’s a 10 to 20% chance of AI being catastrophic. We need to teach AI to be truthful and curious. (Houston, do we already have a problem?)

Musk feels AI can enhance human intelligence versus replace it. Yet in 1 to 5 years, there may be an existential crisis – if AI can do most things we do better, why do anything? What is our purpose? 

Musk feels the future belongs to those who learn to use AI most effectively. 

With regards to advertising it’s a classic point of view, do work augured in human insight. But context is everything. People don’t inherently know what product they want, such as an electric car. You have to parse human need. According to Monk, “People won’t tell you they want an automobile. They’ll tell you they want a faster horse.”

Musk has undeniably done much for the planet – and society– through the creation of Tesla, Starlink, SpaceX and Neurolink. He thinks we are living in the most interesting time in history. Yet the words of Musk that really stay with me are these, “Even if annihilation is happening, I want to see it.”

At the same time, Musk extols us to “enjoy the ride.”

Indeed.

– Karen Howe, Cannes Canada Advisory Board Member and Young Lions Mentor

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The AI Era: Supercharging Marketing and Creativity with Google

Speakers:

  • Vidhya Srinivasan, Vice-President and General Manager, Advertising, Google
  • Alexander Chen, Director, Creative Lab, Google

Google explores unlocking new ways to learn, ideate, and create in the AI Era. With Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s Ads Product Vice President, and Alex Chen, Director at the Creative Lab leading the charge, AI is supercharging creativity and marketing like never before. The limitless potential of AI to enhance creativity, productivity, and performance is truly groundbreaking. However, let’s not forget that human ingenuity is still at the core of it all.

AI FRMO SHANNON

WSJ Journal House: A Look at the Race for Power in the U.K. and U.S. with Times Media and The Wall Street Journal
With over half of the world’s population – four billion people casting a vote in 2024 – this year’s eleections have a significatan impact globally.  Join editors and political commentators of The Times, The Sunday Times and The Wall Street Journal for their view of the current political landscape, domestically in the U.K., U.S. and across the global stage. They will dissect the economic and geopolitical impact of this busy year in politics, breaking down the political players and new policies shaping the world.

Speakers

  • Daniel Finkelstein, Columnist, The Times
  • Tony Gallagher, Editor, The Times
  • Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell
  • Ben Taylor, Editor, The Sunday Times
  • Emma Tucker, Editor in Chief, The Wall Street Journal

Enlightening, informative and open conversation with editors and political commentators.

wsj

 – Shannon Lewis, Cannes Canada Advisory Board Member and Young Lions Mentor

Canada’s Lions Totals
Halfway through the 2024 Cannes Lions festival, Canadian agencies are excelling, with 39 awards so far, including Gold, Silver, and Bronze Lions. Highlights from Andrew Jeffrey (Strategy Online) below:

Canada’s strong performance at the 2024 Cannes Lions festival includes 166 shortlist nods, despite falling short of last year’s 202. With 39 awards so far, Klick Health earned its second Gold Lion for “American Cancer Story,” and FCB won Gold for “Runner 321” with Adidas. Wednesday saw 18 Silver and Bronze Lions, with Rethink leading with seven, followed by awards for Edelman, Courage, FCB, Dentsu, VML, Angry Butterfly, Ogilvy, and LG2. Rethink, Klick Health, and FCB are the most awarded agencies with 11, six, and four Lions, respectively.

Country Lion totals

  • Gold: 4
  • Silver: 14
  • Bronze: 21
  • Shortlists: 166
Follow us @globemediagroup on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to stay in the know.

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