Written by Annette Male, CEO UK&I

Cannes Lions is exhausting, enchanting – and exactly what the industry needs

After four days of back-to-back sessions, quick-change outfits between client meetings, and more “just a still water, thanks” than I care to admit - I’m home from Cannes Lions 2025. 

Was it exhausting? Absolutely. 
Was it glamorous? Only until your third sprint between beach houses in 33-degree heat. 
Was it worth it? Every second. 

Behind the yacht parties and palm trees lies the real power of Cannes: conversation. This year, those conversations were sharp, strategic, and hopeful. We tackled AI head-on, talked about the role and importance of culture in commerce and content, and reframed the role of media. 

And, in between all that, I squeezed in some of the best Coke Zero-fuelled debates I've had all year: from the Meta Friends and Family dinner at Zuma, to dentsu’s own packed schedule at the Beach House, to late-night Spotify conversations about creative equity and ownership. 

Media as the modern growth engine

One thing was clear across every session and catch-up: media is no longer the delivery mechanism; it’s the growth engine. 

From my early-morning strategy roundtable with MiQ and Campaign, to conversations with Google and Microsoft, the energy centred on transformation: how media is becoming more addressable, more intelligent, and more connected to creativity than ever before. The urgency to automate is growing fast, raising important questions about how agency models evolve and where we choose to invest to stay ahead. 

Media today is where business growth really gets built. It’s predictive, not just reactive. It’s precision-driven, not just planned. And it’s powered by data that unlocks faster decisions and richer customer outcomes. 

At dentsu, we talk about media as a flywheel. Cannes proved it’s not just a metaphor; it’s a mindset shift. Every signal we capture informs every step we take. When media, creative, and experience come together, the flywheel spins faster – and growth follows. 

AI: a moment of hype meets a need for discipline 

AI was still everywhere this year, and rightly so. But what I valued most were the grounded, honest conversations about how to use it well. At the MiQ x dentsu panel session I took part in (publicised in Campaign) I raised that nearly half of brands still lack the accessibility or tools to make it truly useful, highlighting a fragmented data landscape across organisations. 

Great AI outcomes don’t start with technology; they start with clear intent. The smartest brands in Cannes weren’t asking “What can this model do?” but rather “What do I need to learn faster, act on sooner, or resolve more ethically?” That’s where the power lies. 

Whether it’s media planning, content production, or real-time optimisation, the opportunity is real. But as I said on stage: no model can fix a fuzzy question or a broken data foundation. AI success starts with strategic clarity – and ends with business value. 

From panels to parties: the hot topics driving change 

Cannes wouldn’t be Cannes without a bit of celebrity buzz, though in my case, I usually need someone to whisper who I’ve just walked past. I’m far more interested in the big ideas than the big names, and this year delivered plenty worth paying attention to.  

Here’s what dominated my week: 

• The new rules of attention – From our catch-ups with Spotify to insights shared at the Netflix Rooftop, everyone’s trying to decode the fractured attention span. The winners? Brands who deliver creative with precision, not just scale. 
• Creator economy evolution – It’s clear the creator space is maturing. Brands are moving from sponsorship to true co-creation. Authenticity and equity are the new baseline. 
• The power of culture in transformation – The highlight of my week was the fireside chat I joined with Jordan Peters (Senior Director of Marketing Partnerships EMEA, Netflix) and Jim Squires (EVP Business Marketing & Growth, Reddit), where we explored how brands tackle the challenge of social relevance to stand out while staying meaningful. The same powerful reminder – that transformation is driven as much by people, values and culture as by tech – came through in conversations I had with clients, Sky Media’s CEO Dana Strong, and partners like Microsoft, Salesforce and Adobe. Culture truly sits at the centre of every smart, future-facing strategy. 

These weren’t one-off conversations; they echoed across every room, dinner, and beach house. 

Cannes-life lessons: tired feet, full brain 

Now for the personal bit. If you’ve seen the photos, you’d think Cannes is one long, elegant celebration. And yes: some moments are. 

But I’ll remember: 

• That moment I dashed straight from our UK&I QBR into LinkedIn’s B2B lunch and had to swap business strategy for tuna tartare in 30 seconds flat. 
• The team pride I felt at our dentsu Beach House opening, watching our work, our talent, and our impact shine. 
• The Wednesday night decompression on the dentsu pier – where we caught a surprise performance from Cardi B next door at Spotify, shared the drone show with clients and partners, and managed to slow down for just a minute (with photos to prove it). 
• The early morning walks to breakfast meetings, where time with our incredible clients and partners before the day’s chaos kicked in reminded me how valuable those face-to-face discussions still are. 

These moments remind you: Cannes is tiring, but it’s a privilege. And more than anything, it’s where bold ideas and lasting partnerships begin. 

What we do next is what matters most 

We don’t go to Cannes for the sun (by the sound of it, we could have had plenty of it in the UK this week). We go to see what’s next – and to build it together. 

• For clients: Let’s harness media as your growth flywheel, planning with precision, activating with creativity, and measuring what truly moves your business. 
• For teams: Let’s lead with AI discipline, purpose-driven creativity, and a culture of integration. 
• For the industry: Let’s take Cannes beyond the beach: delivering impact not just at the Palais, but everywhere people experience our brands. 

Cannes may be over for another year, but the ambition, alignment, and momentum we’ve built? That’s just getting started. 

Want to go deeper? 

We’re curating the boldest ideas, sharpest debates, and must-see work from the week in our upcoming Cannes Rewind report. Pre-subscribe here to get it first and stay ahead of what’s shaping the future of media, creativity, CX, and technology.  

And if you’d like to see how we’re turning Cannes conversations into transformation at home? Let’s talk.