AI stole the stage. Purpose stole the spotlight. And retail media snuck in through the side door wearing cleats and a QR code.
Cannes Lions 2025 didn’t just hand out awards, it handed us a new playbook. Here’s what every sharp, forward-thinking marketer should steal, adapt, and scale right now.
AI is the Spark—You’re the Fire
That rush when AI spits out a thousand ideas in seconds? It’s thrilling. But the real alchemy happens when you step in. Cannes made it crystal: AI isn’t your replacement—it’s your assistant. Use it to ideate. Then, layer in nuance, culture, and empathy only a human can bring.
Pro tip: Run 5–7 AI prompts. Pick one raw gem. Shape it with human insight—quirks, lived stories, tension and release. That’s how you get resonance, not noise. You can look back at a recent blog for tips on custom AI’s you can and should build.
Purpose with a Heartbeat
Ads with meaning. That was the pulse at Cannes this year. The best campaigns weren’t shouting—they were showing up with soul. That means leading with empathy, anchoring to data, and delivering real human stories. Not slogans—substance.
Try this: Find one powerful data point. Now trace it to a human moment. “We shipped 10 million meals” becomes “We fed Alejandra’s family in El Paso for a month.” Read my YouTube blog where I speak to the importance of titles and headlines!
Retail Media Meets Sports-Worthy Storytelling
Retail media is no longer just about shelf space—it’s about headspace. And sports? It’s the emotional engine. Together, they’re powering the most magnetic new campaigns.
Think: interactive shelf displays that double as game boards.
Think: a mid-tier athlete shouting out your brand mid-stream—and moving product in real time.
Forget reach. Think resonance.
Sustainability Is the Creative Compass
The fastest-growing award category at Cannes? The Glass: Lion for Change. It’s not because sustainability is a trend, it’s because it’s the brief. Brands are building equity by proving their ethics, not just posting about them.
Use this lens: What is your campaign doing to leave the world better than it found it? Build that into the concept, not just the copy.
Community Over Competition
Something different happened at Cannes this year. The vibe wasn’t who-won-what. It was who-built-what—together. The next creative wave is co-created, not top-down.
How to apply this: Build a micro-community around your next campaign. Give your audience a voice before the ad goes live. Let them help shape it—and watch how fast your reach turns into retention.
Five Bold Moves to Steal Now
Ignite creativity with AI-assisted idea testing
Don’t wait for inspiration—prompt it. Use AI to generate 10 quick concepts. Then pick the one that feels risky or raw, and refine it with human insight. That friction? That’s where resonance happens.Tell data-powered, purpose-driven stories
Start with one meaningful number—units donated, carbon saved, lives touched. Then bring it to life through a real human experience. Stats are proof. Stories are persuasion.Elevate retail and sports with experiential ideas
Think beyond the shelf. Turn pop-ups into QR-based scavenger hunts. Partner with mid-tier athletes for real-time content drops. Merge commerce with culture.Prove sustainability through integrated impact
Don’t tack sustainability on—bake it in. Show your process: what you changed, who benefited, and how it shapes the future. Transparency isn’t just ethical—it’s magnetic.Build user-led campaigns that grow community
Let your audience co-create with you. Invite your superfans to help shape the next concept, slogan, or creative angle. When they make it, they share it.
The Cannes Challenge
Cannes didn’t just surface trends, it threw down a challenge. If your next campaign isn’t co-created, AI-accelerated, purpose-led, retail-smart, and community-first, it’s not future-ready.
You don’t need more noise. You need sharper stories, smarter structure, and a message that actually means something.
Let me know if you want this vibe carried through your next email flow, landing page, or product campaign. We’ll get to the story under the sale - and make it matter.