afvertising

A First-Timer’s Day-One Highlights

Five-minute presentations can be effective: BBD copywriter Leah Coughlan (after a brief technical delay) made the most of her (short) allotted time. Her three takeaways? Sex still sells, but differently (with a strong focus on female empowerment). A playful sense of humour is good. Audiences crave mystery. (As an aside, she stressed the need to give a voice to the “girls and gays” on your teams.)

Cheerleading and theatrical performances can help launch an advertising career: In the Lion of St Mark Seminar with Susan Credle, (who was honoured with this lifetime achievement award) said these two skills developed in high school “were more appropriate” to the development of her impressive skills than English and Science. 

The veteran of BBDO, Leo Burnett, and FCB, first gained notice by bringing the now-famous group of animated M&Ms characters to life. “Future Gazers” agree – AI is the future (for the next 18 months): In a roundtable presentation on coming trends, the technology was on the lips (and PowerPoints) of all three speakers. Matt Ticehurst of PHD attracted the most audience attention by pointing out how much more time people are spending alone and feeling more overwhelmed. One way to cope? Work with AI agents to manage the load. He extended this to the brand environment by emphasizing the need to use agents to turn your brand ethos into practical automated services, and to shift thinking from marketing KPIs to consumer goals.

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

Trust is the Future of Marketing

“Technology is a great enabler, but everything starts and ends with humans.”

A powerful opener to Cannes Lions from Marcel Marcondes, Global CMO of AB InBev, and a timely reminder from this year’s Creative Marketer of the Year that creativity is not a campaign layer, it’s a business system. What stood out most was the belief and discipline behind the work: creativity as a driver of growth, brands built with consistency, and trust earned over time.

In a day already full of AI conversations, this felt like the leadership message we need most: the future of media and marketing belongs to the brands that use technology to amplify human creativity, not replace it.

“Greatness requires trust. And trust takes time to build”: one of the simplest and most powerful messages of today from the opening day at Cannes Lions. In a world obsessed with speed, scale and AI, AB InBev reminded us that the strongest brands, relationships and communities are still built the same way they always have been: through consistency, credibility and trust earned over time.

Technology may accelerate what we do. Trust is still what makes it matter.

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

Media Investment Is Not Neutral

At A Sense of Impending Doomscrolling: Rebooting AI and Social Media, the conversation around information integrity became deeply human. Ian Russell of the Molly Rose Foundation grounded the session in the story of his daughter, Molly Russell, whose death after exposure to harmful online content became a landmark case in the fight for online safety. But the session also widened the lens: with the UN identifying mis- and disinformation as a top global vulnerability, the message to marketers was clear. Media investment is not neutral. In a low-trust environment shaped by toxic platforms, misinformation and AI, choosing trusted, accountable media is not just a moral decision – it is a business one.

Connection is the New Currency

At Wall Street Journal House’s session, More Than Memories: Measuring the Impact of Experiential Engagement, one idea stood out: the return on live moments can no longer be defined by attendance alone. As brands invest more heavily in in-person experiences, the new measure of success is emotional connection – the kind that drives meaningful conversation, deeper trust and engagement that continues long after the event ends.

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