This year at Cannes Lions, the beach areas got bigger and better. Brands stepped it up; the programming was far more interesting, and the experiences more engaging. The focus of the programming has shifted towards people and cultural relevance, prioritising why people care about advertising over mere creativity for its own sake. There was also a significant increase in US attendees.
There is a noticeable movement away from traditional advertising lanes, with programming focusing on people and culture over channels and verticals – recentring behaviours and thinking about why people would even care about advertising over creativity for the sake of it. Although it was definitely still possible to find the same topics and voices that have been present in previous years, the greater variety of fringe events provided the opportunity to explore.
This diversity allowed for more exciting and spontaneous conversations, and groups of like-minded individuals were able to connect and organise their schedules ahead of the event, enhancing the overall experience for everyone.