Thriving through change: What Cannes Lions 2025 reveals about the future of advertising
I first went to the
Cannes Lions
International Festival of Creativity since 2013.
Since then , things have changed. The essence has remained the same. It's bigger , better, more tech infused and buzzier than ever.
As the global marketing elite descended upon the French Riviera this June, a powerful narrative emerged not just about innovation and awards, but about the very soul and survival of
advertising
in an age of disruption.
There is a lot that goes on at
Cannes
and assimilating it all takes time.
Dozens of awards, talk sessions, seminars, showcases, demos etc coexist with a swirl of parties.
With insights drawn from this year's sessions, winners, and backstage conversations, a clear picture forms of an industry being fundamentally reshaped by technology and new modes of storytelling.
The creative industry is at an AI crossroads. Few developments have shaken advertising as profoundly as artificial intelligence. Its attraction is compelling. Its repercussions are increasingly clear.
What was once a novelty has now become a cornerstone of operations for many agencies. From creative conception to campaign automation, AI has woven itself into the DNA of modern advertising.
Qualcomm's in-house 'Writer' AI, which reportedly saves over 2,400 hours a month, exemplifies this transformation. Similarly, Meta's new self-service AI ad tools have opened the door for small businesses to punch above their weight in the digital marketplace.
Havas, one of the largest global agencies, made headlines at Cannes by reaffirming its commitment of €400 million to 'AI teammate' development while explicitly choosing not to cut human jobs.
The message is clear that while AI is here to stay, but it must exist in harmony with human talent, not in opposition to it.
Nonetheless , this bright enthusiasm was offset by a darker undertone. Junior and mid-level staff are increasingly vocal about the threat to job security. The sudden economic strain raises questions about long-term sustainability, especially for smaller agencies.
Still, amid the automation and acceleration, Cannes Lions echoed a recurring truth that emotion, empathy, and cultural insight matter.
They are the vital but often elusive ingredients of great storytelling. And here human advantage is going to be enduring.
The most impactful campaigns of the year proved that creativity powered by lived experience cannot be outsourced to a machine.
One of the festival's strongest undercurrents was a renewed commitment to purpose. The Grand Prix and Gold Lion winners made a resounding case that advertising is more than mere awareness and persuasion. it is activism, awareness, and accountability. Building IP is the first stone in the foundation of building culture.
BBDO India's 'Share The Load' campaign for
Ariel
, which took home a
Silver Lion
in the
Sustainable Development Goals
category, reignited conversations around domestic gender roles.
AXA won the Titanium Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Lions for its "Three Words" campaign, which integrated domestic violence support into its French home insurance policies. This involved adding the clause "and domestic violence" to its policy, enabling victims to access emergency relocation and support services,
Dove's perennial 'Real Beauty' campaign, a familiar face at Cannes, once again earned recognition for championing body positivity and mental wellness.
However, not all brands are comfortable swimming in these waters.
In the United States, where culture wars dominate headlines, some brands are retreating from overt stances.
Brand Risk
is a big horizontal concern. There is a point and counterpoint about how woke had woke become .
Bud Light and Carl's Jr., once vocal about diversity and equity, have now scaled back such efforts amid organized backlash.
Advertiser boycotts on X (formerly Twitter) and fears of violating viewpoint neutrality laws have further added to creative hesitancy.
This tension between purpose and pragmatism was palpable throughout Cannes. The question is no longer should brands take a stand, but rather how and when to do so authentically. There is deeper implication and more visceral reaction on both sides of the conservative-liberal divide.
This will not abate anytime soon. Brands will stick to the knitting and focus on tightly defined creative plots.
Another evolution visible at Cannes was the formal embrace of the creator economy as a legitimate, professionalized pillar of advertising. With billions of smart phones enabling billions of content creators, curators and consumers, much has changed.
So much so that the 'Social & Influencer Lions' were officially renamed the 'Social & Creator Lions,' reflecting a broader shift in mindset.
No longer seen as side-channel influencers or novelty spokespeople, creators are now treated as strategic collaborators in campaign planning and storytelling.
Panels and masterclasses discussed pricing models, revenue equity, and IP ownership for creators. Meanwhile, brands shared how they were moving from influencer marketing to co-creation—developing entire narratives with creators who bring both reach and authenticity.
It's not about casting a creator to say a few lines but about building campaigns around their lived experiences, fan base, and native tone.
In this new model, creators aren't just amplifiers. They are the media.
This approach has proved particularly potent in sports marketing, another dominant theme at Cannes. With linear TV viewership dwindling and cord-cutting on the rise, advertisers are chasing attention wherever it lives. News and sports have an enduring relationship with TV.
I spoke at the CNN conclave organised in association with Stagwell and the world media group. Increasingly, it's in sports, especially live events like Formula 1 and women's leagues that brands see value.
Uber's F1 activation 'La Mer' brought immersive experience-based branding to the grid, while Cannes itself hosted activations like the Women's Sports Yacht Club to celebrate the 139% rise in women's sports sponsorship in 2024 alone.
The trend suggests that the future of mass engagement lies not in platforms but in passion.
Then there was the ongoing theme of Platforms, their power, and the templates of prescriptive creativity.
As much as Cannes celebrates creativity, it is also a reflection of power and few wield more of it than the digital behemoths.
Tech giants like Google, Amazon, Meta, and Spotify were everywhere this year, not just as partners and sponsors, but as industry architects.
Their growing dominance has reshaped everything from media buying to content delivery, and even agency structures.
Interestingly, traditional non-media brands like United Airlines are also entering the ad game, launching their own networks and monetizing customer attention. United Airlines made a significant presence at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with the launch of their new media network, Kinective Media and that
The line between advertiser and publisher has blurred entirely, and Cannes is where these fused pathways become the new mainstream .
But with power comes oversight. European regulators are stepping up. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), platforms must now disclose how ads are targeted and explicitly prohibit profiling of minors or sensitive groups. There's growing momentum around 'explainable AI' tools like SODA i.e. Systemic Observation of Digital Advertising, that aim to audit and visualize how AI influences user exposure to ads.
While compliance adds complexity, it also provides a competitive edge for agencies who build trust through transparency.
Sustainability took a front-row seat in 2025, not just in message but curiously in media execution. At IAB Europe's sessions, heated discussions emerged around the environmental cost of AI infrastructure and digital advertising.
The industry is now measuring carbon footprints not just in supply chains or creative production but in server usage, streaming bandwidth, and digital asset storage.
The Global Media Sustainability Framework, which gained traction throughout the year, pushes for carbon tracking at every stage of campaign delivery. Low-carbon ad formats, energy-efficient production tools, and climate-conscious media buying are fast becoming standard client requests. Brands realize that a truly purpose-driven message rings hollow if the medium contradicts the mission. But many may brush it aside as much ado about a small contributor saying 'we didn't start the fire '.
Most crucially , there was talk across the buzzing corridors on adapting the agency model.
Earlier in the year , mergers like Outbrain and Teads created multi-capability giants with in-house AI tools, targeting systems, and measurement frameworks.
But agility and trust remain the currencies of success, and that creates opportunity for independent shops and boutique consultancies.
Clients are looking not for one-stop shops, but for nimble partners who can navigate culture, data, and technology fluidly. Talent, therefore, becomes the differentiator.
Agencies are investing not just in tech stacks but in re-skilling with training of teams to excel in strategy, ethics, digital design, and storytelling. The most forward-thinking shops are building hybrid teams of humans and AI, leaning into the strengths of each.
Have stories agencies become casualties in a move to consolidate. And are those that survive with their name at the front door merely delivery windows on a cloud kitchen ?
If
Cannes Lions 2025
revealed anything, it's that advertising is not dying—it's transforming. To survive and thrive, the industry must embrace six clear imperatives:
1. Treat AI as a transparent collaborator, not a cost-saving shortcut. 2. Center campaigns around authentic human values and social purpose. 3. Work with creators and passion communities, especially in sports and live events. 4. Comply with emerging regulations, and go beyond them to earn trust. 5. Bake sustainability into every layer of the media process. 6. Invest in people—strategists, ethicists, data interpreters—who can steer brands with insight and integrity.
Ultimately, Cannes 2025 wasn't just a showcase of creativity—it was a manifesto for survival. In a fragmented, polarized, and hyper-automated world, the brands that thrive will be those that hold fast to humanity while boldly embracing change.
The path ahead isn't easy, but it is full of possibility.
And for an industry built on ideas, that's the most promising sign of all.
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