Media, tech and advertising elite return to Cannes – Business News
The media, tech and advertising elite are steering their mega-yachts towards the French seaside city of Cannes, the place the industry’s greatest names are set to wine, dine and hammer out offers price thousands and thousands.
The rosé and champagne-fueled week-long occasion, often known as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, is back this week for its 73rd yr with over 13,000 attendees from more than 90 nations, together with a heavy-hitting record 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 pageant has developed into the place to be for those who’re in media and advertising.
Cannes Lions is kicking off its 73rd yr with over 13,000 attendees. Erik Messori
“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 mentioned, referring to the city’s dingy, all-night waterhole.
In the years since, Kassan helped grow the pageant past the confines of conference middle the Palais and onto the city’s beachfront, turning into a mega-event that melds creativity, commerce, tech, leisure and business.
The convention’s visitor record displays that evolution. This yr, Cannes Lions will honor Oprah Winfrey, who will ship a keynote speak and settle for a LionHeartwork award for her creativity and philanthropic management, in addition to Eddie Cue, Apple senior vice president of Services and Health, who will settle for the “Entertainment Person of the Year” award.
Headlining audio system embrace actor and producer Alan Cumming, “Saturday Night Live” author and performer Colin Jost, Seth Meyers, the host of NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” in addition to Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun, EBay CEO Jamie Iannone and E.L.F Beauty chairman and CEO Tarang Amin.
But most of the motion will happen exterior of the Palais and spill over to La Croissette, the beachside foremost drag the place firms will maintain talks on the most well liked topics akin to artificial intelligence, sports activities media, commerce media and influencer advertising and marketing.
This yr, Oprah Winfrey will likely be honored with a LionHeartwork award for her creativity and philanthropic management Getty Images
Despite the blended financial outlook, execs are buzzing concerning the emergence of giants like ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and how it’s anticipated to change the advert panorama.
OpenAI’s current projection of $2.5 billion in advert income this yr and $100 billion by 2023, has execs cheering that there could also be a new participant to compete with the juggernaut that’s Google, Meta and TikTok.
“It feels like a tectonic change in the digital landscape,” mentioned Rob Wilk, the chief income 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 reply to ChatGPT, Yahoo Scout, which it’s set to roll out this yr.
Cardi B. acting at Spotify’s live performance at Cannes Lions on June 18, 2025. Getty Images for Spotify
At Cannes Lions, Yahoo is bringing a purple submarine parked on the Croisette. Upon getting into the vessel – which nods to Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and the theme of exploration – friends will get to check out Scout.
It makes use of Yahoo’s knowledge, content material, person insights and deep search historical past, and consists of an AI-powered chatbot for Yahoo Sports referred to as “Ask Kevin O’Connor,” which solutions followers’ NBA Draft questions written by Yahoo senior analyst Kevin O’Connor.
The rollout is an instance of how manufacturers are approaching AI – more as a device to amplify creativity and increase the underside line than a cost-cutting device for business effectivity, marking a refined shift from years previous.
Travis and Jason Kelce at Sport Beach during Lions Cannes Festival in 2024. Erik Messori for NY Post
“AI is a topic we all love to hate and hate to love,” mentioned Mark Wagman, managing director of MediaHyperlink and a companion 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 tradition, which spans music, TV, movie and sports activities, is troublesome for entrepreneurs to break into and make a reference to customers.
“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 mentioned.
Josh Duhamel in dialog on the Wall Street Journal House in 2025. Ella Pellegrini
Ad tech company Kargo mentioned it makes use of AI and knowledge insights by way of its in-house device, Project KERA, to help its purchasers get essentially the most bang for his or her buck.
According to the firm’s chief working officer Michael Shaughnessy, one problem manufacturers are dealing with is chopping by the noise of all of the totally different media shops attempting to attain the patron.
Using Project Kera, which Shaughnessy referred to as Kargo’s “intelligence layer,” he’s in a position to show purchasers how to goal an viewers throughout web, linked 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 mentioned.
Paris Hilton, a perennial festival-goer, is slated to return this yr. Ella Pellegrini
Meanwhile, Beth Sidhu, CEO of Sport Beach, instructed The Post that fandom and sports activities have blown up for entrepreneurs as a result of it “is the last appointment viewing and uninterruptible by AI.”
She added that “everyone’s a sports marketer now” as a result of of the ability of the subject matter.
Sport Beach is returning for its fourth yr and will carry athletes akin to Jacksonville Jaguars defensive finish Arik Armstead, Celtics level guard Jaylen Brown, professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi.
This yr, the model may also roll out a actual grass floor for turf sports activities like soccer, soccer and golf – between panels discussing points plaguing athletes and entrepreneurs.
“Late Night” host Seth Meyers will likely be on the pageant, together with NBC colleagues together with “SNL’s” Colin Jost. Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
Brands are flocking to the “breadth, diversity and power” that sports activities have to “move the culture,” Sidhu mentioned.
Lucas Petry, director of communications and public relations at Clarins USA, echoed the significance of in-person advertising and marketing by way of creator content material to amplify a model’s message.
“Creators are essential partners in translating scientific expertise into authentic stories that resonate with consumers,” he mentioned. “For us, success means combining proven efficacy with cultural relevance to build lasting trust and drive measurable business results.”
Candace Parker, Alex Rodriguez and Scott Galloway talking at Sport Beach final yr. Ella Pellegrini
The French magnificence model is increasing its presence on the pageant for the launch of its cryo-plumping lip oil. It will host VIP nightly tables on the Crane Club, situated on the Carlton Hotel’s Ruya restaurant.
Josh Rosenberg, CEO of inventive communications firm Day One Agency echoed the significance of real-life advert campaigns, including that one of his company’s most profitable campaigns was all about putting a personal connection.
Day One partnered with Chipotle to create a one-hour buy-one-get-one promotion if the shopper confirmed off their tattoo on the register.
The promo befell in March on Friday the thirteenth, a standard date to get inked, and it turned out to be one of Chipotle’s best gross sales days. Rosenberg mentioned.
“We listen a lot to our fandom,” he mentioned.
“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.”
