Agency Leaders Weigh in on Major Themes and Ideas from Cannes Lions 2025 -

It’s a long game at Cannes Lions. From preparing advertising and marketing programs for long-term success in the digital era to building out experiential lounges that allow audiences to explore products and services in a low-pressure, no-rush environment, festival attendees are known for soaking in content and experiences in and around la Croisette.

For agency leaders, it’s a stopping point for some of their key clients, a critical networking landscape, and a sparkling space to explore and get inspired. As we rounded out the brand experiences at the festival this year, we also tapped a few folks on the ground and post-event for their take on the major themes and happenings from the festival.

What’s the talk of Cannes this year?

“We’re past AI panic and on to practical frameworks, learning all of the potential ways in which generative tools will enhance human creativity—not replace it. Creators are steering the future of branded entertainment. Individuals with built-in audiences are shaping brand narratives in place of studios. And in terms of culture, Antibes is the new Cannes: We celebrated the next gen of Lions on Sunday, with Adam Faze’s Gymnasium; Kargo welcomed Cannes’ heavy hitters to Belle Rive on Monday; and Hotel Du Cap hosted 3CV, iHeart, UTA and Medialink parties.” –Heather Feit, EVP, Day One Agency

“AI continues to be the hottest topic of the year, but the conversation has shifted from potential to tangible use cases—how agencies are putting AI to work, and more importantly, how they’re protecting the integrity of human creativity while doing it.” –Kerry Tucker, Co-President, VIRTUE Worldwide

“Everyone seemed obsessed with the bite-sized activations, from Canva’s eye-catching tote bags to Pinterest’s riso-printing… Sadly, now we are all back, the buzz has shifted from the best party in town no one could get in (hello, Spotify), to fallout when the awards-rigging scandal broke. Yes, creative people are supposed to break the rules, but I always thought this was a metaphorical expression only.” –Pepe Velasco, Creative Director, DesignScene

“AI was absolutely the talk of Cannes this year. The conversation around AI shifted from being about a glossy new conceptual tool, to a more infrastructure-based discussion helping to speed up workflows, personalization, and scale storytelling. The conversation circled around how AI is the new backbone for creatives. The other main conversation point that I heard was centered around authenticity within content and storytelling… Many brand leaders spoke about truth as an essential brand currency. We saw this manifest as origin stories, brand transparency narratives, and nostalgia-influenced content and events.” –Justin Lefkovitch, Founder/CEO, Mirrored Media

What’s changed about Cannes and what hasn’t?

“The Carlton is still the late-night place to be (and to see the festival’s best-in-class creatives)! What has changed is the growing presence of creators and next-gen talent in attendance.” –Heather Feit, EVP, Day One Agency

“What’s changed: There are so many more events than in years past. It’s exciting the see the Croisette bustling, but you have to be judicious with your time. Unchanged: It’s SO HOT.” –Kerry Tucker, Co-President, VIRTUE Worldwide

**One really good experiential idea you saw.**

“Pinterest remains one of the best. Their beach is colorful, interactive, engaging and entirely built upon their user data. It’s a singular opportunity to discover, decide, and create across beauty, fashion, food and travel. Attendees even get real tattoos!” –Heather Feit, EVP, Day One Agency

“Pinterest does an incredible job of bringing its brand to life on the beach each year and truly demonstrating its value as a direct line into what consumers want. This year, there were live makeover stations, a tattoo parlor and even a hat customization workshop, all highlighting the latest trends.” –Kerry Tucker, Co-President, VIRTUE Worldwide

“Pinterest, absolutely nailed it. Their DIY patisserie was clever and on-brand. I answered a few questions using these chunky physical dials and levers (satisfyingly analog), and out came a bespoke dessert made just for you. It was a perfect real-world metaphor for how Pinterest helps you curate your life, only this time, in pastry form. Oh, and Amazon’s coffee fountain? Dangerous. Cold brew on tap in 30-degree heat? That’s how you lose a team member to over-caffeination. I loved it! On our end, I have to shout out the T-Mobile Maison Magenta Aura Photography activation, brought to life by our DesignScene team. It was playful, stylish and completely in sync with their “Meet Every Moment” message. A lovely way for guests to “meet themselves,” quite literally, through aura photography.” –Pepe Velasco, Creative Director, DesignScene

“Most official and unofficial Cannes events follow a rhythm that’s packed into daytime and nighttime programming. Late afternoons are often dark in most spaces following panels and before the parties start. To make the most of this opportunity, we produced a sunset session event for Discord, capitalizing on a time slot where we wouldn’t be competing with other major events. Making its first-ever appearance at Cannes Lions, Discord hosted an exclusive event at Influential Beach featuring nine-time Grammy Award-winning artist and producer, DJ Pee .Wee, aka Anderson .Paak, set against the beautiful backdrop of the sun setting on the beach.” –Justin Lefkovitch, Founder/CEO, Mirrored Media

As an agency leader how are you thinking about creativity this year, in business and the work?

“It’s all about connecting with the consumer, wherever they may be. Championing storytelling amidst changing mediums and exploring how to reach the next generation. Creative has to begin with a meaningful insight and connect to culture in order to win.” –Heather Feit, EVP, Day One Agency

“Creativity in the business and the work has to be accomplished by harnessing the power of AI tools and other emerging technologies. At VIRTUE, we’re exploring how AI can unlock new possibilities, but we’re equally focused on the cultural context. The work that resonates most is the work that’s not just clever, but connected.” –Kerry Tucker, Co-President, VIRTUE Worldwide

“I often think about creativity like gardening. It takes patience, intention and care. And right now, our garden is being invaded by a fast-growing new species: AI. It’s not going away, and frankly, it’s quite impressive. Some say it’s the perfect plant: blooms on demand, waters itself and even generates its own sunlight. But as someone who’s built a life in this garden, I’m not ready to hand over the shears just yet. The challenge now is making space for this new species while still nurturing the human side of creativity, the side that surprises, stumbles and adapts.” –Pepe Velasco, Creative Director, DesignScene

“…I see us continuing to use creativity as a strategy, and not just aesthetic—using creativity as the why and how to solve a problem in a culture-relevant way. We have seen a lot of success in creating authentic, organic experiences and campaigns for young audiences, including Gen Alpha. As we continue to serve that demo, we will continue to think about creativity that helps us connect with their values, communities, and remain culturally relevant based on trends. Ultimately, we’re not just focused on using creativity to make things look good, we’re designing measurable moments and campaigns that are strategic and tell deeper stories that matter.” –Justin Lefkovitch, Founder/CEO, Mirrored Media