As the global advertising elite converge on La Croisette for Cannes Lions 2025, a powerful set of themes is rising to the surface—many of them centered around artificial intelligence, but increasingly tempered by the enduring importance of creativity, context, sustainability, and ethical impact.
The question on everyone’s lips? Not whether AI matters—but how it’s being deployed to drive meaningful, measurable, and mindful outcomes.
AI Moves From Trend to Infrastructure
“AI will be at the heart of these conversations,” says Anna Forbes, Regional Vice President of Northern Europe at DoubleVerify. “With the scale and analysis needed to measure, optimise, and attribute, AI is helping to simplify the customer journey and drive brand-specific outcomes. In particular, tools like custom bidding AI are becoming essential to media effectiveness today… it’s becoming a strategic necessity for those looking to turn data into meaningful outcomes.”
Ben Wiener, Global Head of Cognizant Moment, agrees that Cannes will see a shift in AI dialogue—from creative novelty to strategic distribution. “Consumers are making buying decisions using AI. Brand loyalty will no longer hinge on logos or ads, but on structured data and AI-friendly metadata… Brands that lead will treat AI not as a disruption but as a distribution channel.”
In audio, the creative leap powered by AI is already taking hold. “AI is no longer an experimental layer,” says Elie Kauffmann, Head of Sales for EMEA at Audion, “it’s becoming a powerful, operational engine of hyper-personalised storytelling. Formats that combine storytelling and measurable outcomes will become increasingly integral to effective campaigns.”
Performance and Creativity Are No Longer Opposites
“We’ve entered a new performance era,” explains Adam Smart, Director of Product Gaming at AppsFlyer. “Emotionally intelligent, data-informed creative is no longer optional—it is the core strategy. AI enables us to measure and iterate with scientific precision, but it doesn’t replace instinct.”
Dominic Dunne, Commercial Director, Programmatic & LaunchPAD, Europe at Bauer Media Outdoor UK, notes a similar fusion happening in the OOH space: “We’re seeing a step-change in how technology is transforming DOOH—from dynamic creative and real-time personalisation to integration into the programmatic ecosystem. Cannes will spotlight how brands can harness this renewed canvas.”
This hybrid approach is echoed in the retail media space. “Retail media continues to dominate the conversation,” says Amir Rasekh, Managing Director at Nectar360. “But now it’s about long-term growth, creative effectiveness, and the role AI can play in making retail media more accessible, efficient, and impactful.”
Creativity Redefined—By Emotion, Not Just Execution
“Cannes-goers should appreciate that good creative needs to be designed for engagement,” says Paul Wright, Head of EMEA Sales at Uber Advertising. “We’ve seen this with our own Journey Ads running in the Uber rides app in Cannes—people comment on them and remember them because they capture attention in the moment.”
Liam, Creative Director at Aura Print, puts it succinctly: “The biggest creative winners at Cannes Lions 2025 won’t just be beautiful. They’ll also be brave, behavioral, and backed by purpose. Creativity is not just aesthetics—it’s emotional intelligence in motion.”
Tom Baker, Chief Creative Officer at &above, adds: “Those who will lead the charge are those who stop seeing AI as a gimmick and treat it as a creative partner. AI extends creativity—not replaces it.”
Ted Kohnen, CEO and Founder at Park & Battery, points to a new agency model emerging. “The line between brand and creator voice is blurring. It’s no longer about gimmicky AI but about practical infrastructure—systems that personalise in real time while amplifying human-led storytelling.”
Context, Consent and Cultural Relevance Rise
As digital targeting becomes more sophisticated, the value of relevance—earned, not assumed—is top of mind. Tilman Harmeling, Senior Expert, Privacy at Usercentrics, says: “Consent should be earned. When brands prioritise consent and transparency, they create context-oriented experiences that resonate authentically.”
Graham Field, Chief Revenue Officer at Outra, adds: “At this year’s Cannes Lions, one theme will rise above the noise: the power of when. The real edge comes from knowing when someone is ready to act… This is the future of effective, responsible marketing.”
Simon Thorne, Managing Director, EMEA at Innovid, underlines the creative implications: “Reach and frequency aren’t enough. We need real-time data to deliver personalised messaging that resonates across fragmented environments. AI can’t come at the cost of originality.”
Rebuilding Trust in AI’s Wake
Despite the hype, there’s caution too. MJ Behrman, Global Head of Marketing & Media at Designit, warns: “AI’s carbon footprint is a pressing issue. We need measurable reductions in the environmental impact of entire tech stacks—not just isolated campaign wins.”
Bryan Scott, Chief Marketing Officer at Ozone, calls for ethical clarity: “What’s really important is ensuring we harness AI’s power in the right way. I’m keen to hear beyond the hype—how brands are ensuring responsible deployment and avoiding the erosion of creativity.”
Edik Mitelman, SVP & GM of AppsFlyer, sees Cannes as a reflection of broader industry evolution: “Brands are increasingly collaborating with creators as strategic partners. Agencies are embracing AI not just for output, but for better relationships. Creativity, sustainability, DE&I—these will define standout campaigns.”
What Will Win at Cannes Lions 2025?
In a year where the lines between technology, humanity, and purpose continue to blur, the winning work will be that which brings it all together: AI-fuelled, emotionally resonant, and ethically rooted.
As Tim Collier, Head of UK & Northern Europe at Scope3, puts it: “Let’s shift the dialogue from the tech itself to the value it creates—used responsibly, sustainably, and creatively.”Because in 2025, creativity isn’t competing with performance or AI. It is performance. And Cannes will be where that truth takes center stage.
The convergence of tech and brands 