Learnings from this year’s Cannes Lions Festival

This year, according to the wrap-up report on the 70th edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, AI was referenced in the synopsis of 8.3% of winning entries, up from 4% in 2022, and was referred to across the stage sessions as a tool that can enhance creativity. Other themes that dominated this year’s festival included a plea to go back to the basics of building brands.

By Romanita Oprea

We are living in a time of unprecedented change and opportunity. Artificial intelligence is already having a profound impact on the world around us, transforming products, accelerating scientific research, improving healthcare, and changing the creative landscape. At Cannes Lions this year, the marcomm industry’s energy and excitement for the potential of AI was palpable.Nearly 2,000 entries cited AI in their synopses, more than three times the number cited in 2022.

It was Exploratist’s first time participating in the Cannes Lions Festival. The agency’s representatives made a strategic decision to extend the invitation to their senior leadership in order to seek inspiration, gather valuable insights, and establish meaningful connections with both industry professionals and each other. And the festival exceeded their expectations, providing a wealth of knowledge and creative inspiration that has already begun to shape Exploratist’s vision and approach.

“Comparing this edition to other events we have attended in the past, Cannes Lions stands out as a showcase for creativity and innovation. The festival offered an exceptional atmosphere that was conducive to learning, networking, and creative exchange. We came back invigorated. We are already planning to include Cannes Lions in our marketing plans for next year,” says Silviu Andrei Petran, managing director at Exploratist.

He and his team recognise the importance of broadening the impact of this experience within their agency and are committed to extending the invitation to other key members of the organisation, so they can benefit even more from the unique opportunities the festival offers. Cannes Lions is certain to remain an essential event in their calendar for years to come.

The Cannes Lions Festival celebrates creativity that drives progress. Exploratist is a “People first. Everyday.” employee experience agency. They believe that creativity, when focused on people’s experiences, needs, and aspirations, becomes a powerful force for positive change. By placing people at the centre of the creative process, they aim to drive progress for businesses and brands and also uplift and enrich the lives of the people they serve.

“If creativity is our driving force for growth, and people are at the centre of what we do, then Cannes Lions is unquestionably the festival for us. What an absolutely thrilling opportunity it was for us to attend! The agenda was a perfect blend of diverse elements, offering a comprehensive experience for participants like us. The mix of presentations, live acts, panels, workshops, and awards allowed us to gain insights from multiple perspectives, learn from industry leaders, and participate in engaging discussions,” Petran says.

The festival’s unique layout was another major attraction for Exploratist’s team. Situated in the heart of the city, Cannes Lions provided a dynamic environment that seamlessly blended various venues, hotels, the city promenade, beach areas, and harbour. This allowed them the freedom to choose where and what to interact with, which made for a rewarding and flexible experience.

“On top of that, the festival’s focus on AI was particularly compelling to us, as technology is shaping the future of our industry. Exploratist’s core values were strongly reflected in the discussion about AI, as well as in the celebration of the enduring power of brands and the focus on creativity-driven communities. It was inspiring to witness the cool ideas about nurturing creativity while also discussing hot topics about future trends and the new opportunities within the ever-evolving landscape,” the managing director adds.

For him, the festival’s emphasis on personalisation and choice was a standout feature. “Being able to tailor our experience, selecting sessions and activities that resonated with our interests and professional goals, empowered us to make the most out of our time at Cannes Lions and gain insights that were directly relevant to Exploratist’s growth and future success.”

Roxana Memetea, managing partner at DDB Romania & Tribal Worldwide Romania, says there were many reasons for her team to attend this edition. Personally, she was very keen on seeing the inspiring talks, as there was a diverse line-up of influential speakers from various industries, such as Spike Lee, Halle Berry or Tor Myhren from Apple. She wanted to take the pulse of the industry at a macro level and hear other marketers’ experiences, insights, and success stories and leave the festival feeling more inspired. Memetea also wanted to study the work showcased at each gala and witness groundbreaking campaigns that represented creative excellence, in order to further support her team back home with fresh ideas.

“There was also a lot of networking involved as DDB, our global network (which eventually won Network of the Year) had a lot of great campaigns entered this year and therefore a lot of colleagues from within the network were present at the festival. So the festival itself became a great opportunity for us to connect even more with our colleagues. Another aspect was the fact that we had various entries with #UnExaminable, our heartfelt campaign that removed virginity testing in Romania, a campaign that also eventually won 2 Lions and 4 shortlists. It was an overall truly inspiring experience this year, enhanced by the joy of winning and celebrating all our wonderful results with DDB,” Roxana Memetea explains.

Meanwhile, Roxana Nita, executive creative director at DDB Romania, feels like there was a bit of a paradox between all the endless talks about AI and its complexity and the pure, basic simplicity of some of the winning ideas.

“I think we as humans sometimes tend to overcomplicate things and forget about the basics. We tend to get carried away by new technologies and trends and tools and oversee the fact that some of the most powerful ideas are the ones that come from deep inside, from powerful insights. Sure, generative AI can help us come up with such ideas, but it’s just another tool; it’s not the holy grail of becoming a better creative,” she argues.

One aspect that surprised the executive creative director in a pleasant way was the comeback of humour. It looked like it was back with a bang and it felt like an open invitation for any brand to bring back laughter.

“People want lightness and joy, thus laughter is a powerful tool and a good way to increase engagement and attachment to a brand. We would choose laughter over lectures any time,” Nita adds.

As for her overall evaluation of this edition, she says it felt like a plea to go back to the basics of building brands and the role these brands play in our lives. A plea that’s being backed up by stories like the Patagonia owner, who donated all further profits of the company to fight the climate crisis, or with Mattel, which took a creative risk by creating an irreverent movie based on their biggest franchise, Barbie, in order to support feminism. In a similar note, this edition also premiered “Here’s To The Crazy Ones,” a highly anticipated documentary featuring Lee Clow, which presented the untold history of an barrier-breaking ad agency.

According to Alice Gavril, managing partner at Godmother, the most discussed topic was AI and how it affects or helps creativity. There was a positive attitude around the topic, a reinforcement of the idea that human creativity would not be changed but enhanced—just as James Manyika, Google’s SVP for Research, Technology, and Society, drew a parallel to art and photography, explaining how photography, rather than obliterating painting, ended up complementing it.

“In the same way, AI will be additive to creativity, eventually evolving into an art form of its own. AI can make difficult ideas possible, help small projects grow, and let brands respond to current events quickly. Don’t be intimidated by the complexity of AI; it can help people connect with each other and brands be more agile,” Gavril points out.

She believes advertising professional can make a difference in the world, as the advertising industry has the power to reach a large audience and advertisers and agencies can use this power to make a positive impact, at least on their close communities. While most of their work may not seem like it has a big impact in the larger scheme of things, they can use their creativity to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.

“The advertising industry is constantly changing, and we need to be able to adapt to new challenges. We also need to be able to self-motivate and cope with adversity. I used to say that we’re not doctors and we don’t save lives with our campaigns. But truth be told, we all want to make things that have meaning. And that’s why I always strive to add a layer of meaning to our campaigns. Overall, the 2023 edition of Cannes Lions was a celebration of creativity and innovation. It was also a call for change and it offered a glimpse into the future of advertising.”

For Ruxandra Papuc, executive creative director at McCann Worldgroup Romania, Cannes Lions has always been the guiding light of her and her team’s work, paving the way to their creative development. This year she was appointed as a member of the jury and this amazing opportunity was an important benchmark in her understanding of how that guiding light works from within. She has been a part of the McCann Cannes delegation for the past 8 editions and each has left its own mark. This year, Papuc said the festival felt bigger: more speeches, more things to do, the same feeling of too little time. With only 3 percent of the entries converted into wins, it was also a very harsh edition, and it awarded a lot of great work.

“Only my share of judging went through almost 400 entries from across the globe and I loved seeing that even in the shortlisting phase the quality of work was very high. For me, it will always be ‘the first time when I was part of the jury’ and having this inside view on the festival gave me first-hand access to the world’s top creative work in the year when AI was the most popular tool, the efforts to help Ukraine made a real difference in people’s lives, and the world registered its first digital nation,” Papuc notes.

Top trends

Moving on to the aspect that most marcomm people are interested in, the trends, Roxana Memetea thinks the industry is definitely moving forward by integrating more technology. In her view, the key trend at Cannes was generative AI and its implications in the creative process, with experts predicting that it will be a real game changer by supporting and accelerating creativity.Another trend Memetea noticed was the ongoing fight for equality and inclusion. There’s still a long way to go in this process. Brands still have a powerful role to play in society, from shaping pop culture to actively carving out opportunities and making space for marginalised categories of people, so it’s their responsibility to deliver more on equity.

“Last but not least, I’ve noticed an emerging co-creation model between influencers and brands. Influencer marketing has become increasingly important over the past years, and it’s something that we’re also aware of in the local industry. Brands are relying on content creators to boost their awareness, build trust, and drive loyalty. But the true value of these kinds of partnerships may lie in the potential of co-creation ideas, where influencers and creatives have a seat at the table to develop the brand’s products, messaging, and strategy,” Memetea argues.

The Exploratist representative sees the following trends: Back2Brand, AI with a Human Touch, and Community-First Creativity. Double down on what makes your brand unique. Be clear about what makes people come back to it again and again, as it will help you build strong relationships with your audience. Audit your company’s infrastructure and assets to update how you show up, while staying true to your core values. Additionally, there is an increasing focus on businesses exhibiting heart and humour in novel and unexpected ways and using a “blue ocean” strategy to discover untapped potential and set themselves apart from competitors.

“Nearly half of the global creative community prioritises targeted promotions for sales growth. However, we remain committed to putting people first, valuing comprehensive brand development and exceptional consumer experiences as equally essential to delivering truly meaningful and enduring results for our clients and their audiences. We believe a holistic approach to marketing is key to lasting success,” says Silviu Andrei Petran.

At the same time, according to Petran, your brand experiences should be community-centred. Root your multi-layered experiences in what sets your brand apart, providing your audience with something they can’t find elsewhere. By leaning into communities, you open the door to collaboration and co-creation, nurturing lasting relationships that result in winning work.

“The festival’s stage sessions delivered valuable insights, offering techniques to forge more impactful connections with audiences, especially targeting Gen Z ad avoiders. In addition, brands are increasingly embracing the concept of sharing control with creators, empowering them to monetise and measure their work,” Petran points out.

“I think the level of innovation is unprecedented, whether we’re talking technologies, entertainment formats or use of data. There have been 2,000 entries involving AI and what we’ve all learned is that tech for the sake of tech doesn’t cut through and that all the innovation needs to meet the good old insight and work together for the best ideas out there,” adds Ruxandra Papuc.

“Make ideas bigger than your brand. Contribute to a greater good, even if this might mean partnering up with competitors. Together with our client partners we can be stronger and really contribute to change. Use technology to integrate your brand stories into people’s everyday lives in a way that is both meaningful and entertaining,” Alice Gavril comments.

Takeaways

Godmother is interested in entering works for next year’s editions of Cannes Lions. They have a few potential cases they are currently working on and will be submitting them if they are completed to a high standard, as results matter. They believe that Cannes Lions is the most prestigious festival of creativity and innovation in the world, and they want to be a part of it. Even if they are not nominated or awarded, they believe the team and clients will still be winners by striving for the best.

“We have strengthened our team over the past year by adding a creative director and a brand strategist. This has made us even stronger on creativity, which helps us live out our mantra of being ‘brand experience artisans.’ We do have a recurring meeting called ‘Friday Inspiration,’where we share inspirational stuff from all around the business, from small things like brand swag to big ideas. This meeting has been going on for a few years now, and it’s a great way to stay inspired and keep creativity top of mind,” Alice Gavril explains.

Immediately after her return from Cannes, she organised an internal event for the team to view, vote, and comment on the winning cases. Since the event was well-received, it inspired her to keep this as a routine for the future. Being surrounded by creativity for a week at Cannes, Gavril came up with several new ideas and dusted off some old ones to start some creativity-focused projects. These projects are ongoing and the goal is to keep the momentum and find ways to further integrate creativity in what they do.

As a manager, Roxana Memetea will strive to implement several key strategies inspired by the festival, in order to enhance the agency’s creative output and impact in the industry. For example, fostering a culture of creativity by investing in professional development. The festival showcases cutting-edge trends and technology, so it’s important to see how they can be turned into development opportunities for the team. Going back to brands, Memetea would like to continue the client-centric approach and build strong relationships with the clients. Understanding their specific needs and goals is crucial in allowing the agency to deliver more impactful campaigns that are aligned with their vision and objectives. And last not but least, they will actively submit their best work to industry awards competitions to gain recognition for their creativity and expertise. This recognition not only boosts morale, but also attracts new clients and top talent from the market.

“It’s hard to pass down this kind of experience to others beyond some keynotes and stories, but I think it all boils down to having the right mindset when it comes to creative work. And that’s what I’m trying to grow within the department: a positive mindset that encourages the exploration of new ideas, regardless of whether or not they end up being implemented. I’m not a huge fan of putting pressure on people when it comes to award shows, but I’m a huge fan of hearing and discussing ideas. So, within the agency, we regularly discuss proactive ideas, social ideas, and big brand ideas that could have an impact in our community, and that’s a creative habit that keeps our drive and ambition going,” says Roxana Nita, adding that they are also lucky enough to be part of a huge network like DDB (who actually won Network Of The Year) so they’re extra motivated by both the healthy envy and creative admiration they have for their peers. “We motivate each other to get better and keep on going and that contributes to that right mindset I was talking about,” Nita explains.

At Exploratist, they are forward-looking in their expertise and believe ideas are meant to be shared. It’s why they love inspirational gatherings such as the Cannes Lions Festival. “The culture of curiosity we nourish within our team empowers us all to always explore creative solutions and stay at the forefront of the ever-evolving employee experience industry. The knowledge we acquired at Cannes Lions will be the catalyst for driving positive change within our agency, developing unique value for our clients, and shaping an even more innovative future for Exploratist. Indeed, entering works at the next year’s edition of Cannes Lions is something we are seriously considering. Showcasing our own creative endeavours will allow us to further contribute to the industry’s progress,” says Silviu Andrei Petran.

But while eager to participate, they will purposefully take their time to have a thoughtful and well-prepared approach to the process, as they want to make sure they create their best work, aligned with their core values and truly reflecting the dedication to delivering exceptional employee experiences. “This festival has reaffirmed Exploratist’s commitment to creativity and the power of putting people first. We are confident that by elevating the experiences of people and brands alike we can drive positive change and build a better, more meaningful future for us all,” Petran concludes.

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