The media, tech and advertising elite are steering their mega-yachts toward the French seaside town of Cannes, where the industry’s biggest names are set to wine, dine and hammer out deals worth millions.
The rosé and champagne-fueled week-long event, known as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, is back this week for its 73rd year with over 13,000 attendees from more than 90 countries, including a heavy-hitting list of celebs, musicians and athletes.
3C Ventures founder Michael Kassan, who has been coming to Cannes Lions for over 25 years, reminisced about how the festival has evolved into the place to be if you’re in media and advertising.
“Twenty-six years ago, you went to Cannes, you went to the Palais, you saw the work, and then you went to the Gutter Bar and got drunk,” Kassan said, referring to the town’s dingy, all-night waterhole.
In the years since, Kassan helped grow the festival beyond the confines of convention center the Palais and onto the town’s beachfront, becoming a mega-event that melds creativity, commerce, tech, entertainment and business.
The conference’s guest list reflects that evolution. This year, Cannes Lions will honor Oprah Winfrey, who will deliver a keynote talk and accept a LionHeart award for her creativity and philanthropic leadership, as well as Eddie Cue, Apple senior vice president of Services and Health, who will accept the “Entertainment Person of the Year” award.
Headlining speakers include actor and producer Alan Cumming, “Saturday Night Live” writer and performer Colin Jost, Seth Meyers, the host of NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” as well as Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun, EBay CEO Jamie Iannone and E.L.F Beauty chairman and CEO Tarang Amin.
But most of the action will take place outside of the Palais and spill over to La Croissette, the beachside main drag where companies will hold talks on the hottest topics such as artificial intelligence, sports media, commerce media and influencer marketing.
Despite the mixed economic outlook, execs are buzzing about the emergence of giants like ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and how it is expected to change the ad landscape.
OpenAI’s recent projection of $2.5 billion in ad revenue this year and $100 billion by 2023, has execs cheering that there may be a new player to compete with the juggernaut that is Google, Meta and TikTok.
“It feels like a tectonic change in the digital landscape,” said Rob Wilk, the chief revenue officer of Yahoo. “A new player coming out of nowhere and three years later becoming or predicting themselves to be, let’s say, a top five publisher in terms of revenue is a very, very large change.”
Wilk is banking on Yahoo’s own answer to ChatGPT, Yahoo Scout, which it is set to roll out this year.
At Cannes Lions, Yahoo is bringing a purple submarine parked on the Croisette. Upon entering the vessel – which nods to Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and the theme of exploration – guests will get to test out Scout.
It makes use of Yahoo’s data, content, user insights and deep search history, and includes an AI-powered chatbot for Yahoo Sports called “Ask Kevin O’Connor,” which answers fans’ NBA Draft questions written by Yahoo senior analyst Kevin O’Connor.
The rollout is an example of how brands are approaching AI – more as a tool to amplify creativity and boost the bottom line than a cost-cutting tool for business efficiency, marking a subtle shift from years past.
“AI is a topic we all love to hate and hate to love,” said Mark Wagman, managing director of MediaLink and a partner at UTA. “I think that the pendulum has swung a little bit back in a good way towards looking at AI as not ‘replacement’ for people, but more as an enhancement, as a tool to allow them to do cooler, better, bigger things.”
He added that the world of culture, which spans music, TV, film and sports, is difficult for marketers to break into and make a connection with consumers.
“Any help I think marketers can get from those types of tools to help better understand the right points in culture to try to exploit or take advantage of, I think is interesting,” he said.
Ad tech agency Kargo said it uses AI and data insights via its in-house tool, Project KERA, to help its clients get the most bang for their buck.
According to the firm’s chief operating officer Michael Shaughnessy, one challenge brands are facing is cutting through the noise of all the different media outlets trying to reach the consumer.
Using Project Kera, which Shaughnessy called Kargo’s “intelligence layer,” he’s able to show clients how to target an audience across web, connected TV and social by melding AI and creator storytelling.
“The people that will succeed in the future of media will be those that understand how to connect AI with creators, with commerce and premium media. And premium media is evolving just based on where people are spending their time,” Shaughnessy said.
Meanwhile, Beth Sidhu, CEO of Sport Beach, told The Post that fandom and sports have blown up for marketers because it “is the last appointment viewing and uninterruptible by AI.”
She added that “everyone’s a sports marketer now” because of the power of the subject matter.
Sport Beach is returning for its fourth year and will bring athletes such as Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead, Celtics point guard Jaylen Brown, pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi.
This year, the brand will also roll out a real grass surface for turf sports like soccer, football and golf – between panels discussing issues plaguing athletes and marketers.
Brands are flocking to the “breadth, diversity and power” that sports have to “move the culture,” Sidhu said.
Lucas Petry, director of communications and public relations at Clarins USA, echoed the importance of in-person marketing via creator content to amplify a brand’s message.
“Creators are essential partners in translating scientific expertise into authentic stories that resonate with consumers,” he said. “For us, success means combining proven efficacy with cultural relevance to build lasting trust and drive measurable business results.”
The French beauty brand is expanding its presence at the festival for the launch of its cryo-plumping lip oil. It will host VIP nightly tables at the Crane Club, located at the Carlton Hotel’s Ruya restaurant.
Josh Rosenberg, CEO of creative communications firm Day One Agency echoed the importance of real-life ad campaigns, adding that one of his company’s most successful campaigns was all about striking a personal connection.
Day One partnered with Chipotle to create a one-hour buy-one-get-one promotion if the customer showed off their tattoo at the register.
The promo took place in March on Friday the 13th, a popular date to get inked, and it turned out to be one of Chipotle’s best sales days. Rosenberg said.
“We listen a lot to our fandom,” he said.
“They want you to understand them and in this world where they are being fed so much on our never-ending feed, you’re going to stop when you see something that is interesting. Our most successful campaigns do just that – stop you – whether that’s in real life or in your feed.”
