Jane Austin: reasons to be cheerful about going to Cannes this year
Civilisation is in flames yet somehow the ad world keeps turning. As you start mentally packing your suitcase for another Cannes Lions, you may well be asking yourself: what’s the point of it all? Will there be enough flight fuel? Is attending this week-long late-stage capitalism jamboree really worth the cost to your bank balance and mental health?
The answer is a resounding yes. I can offer plenty of reasons to put aside any and all concerns about your wellbeing and the future of the planet and get yourself down the Croissette for yet another parade of tech-bro beaches, corporate cabanas and jargon-fuelled panel discussions.
Oprah is at Cannes
Always been a big fan of Oprah but she’s been selling out a bit lately IMHO. After attending Jeff Bezos’ wedding to capitalism’s concubine Laura Sanchez last summer, Oprah got further into bed with the odious tech billionaire recently by moving her podcast to Amazon. This level of hypocrisy is disappointing from a woman who promotes social justice and environmental awareness. But Oprah’s corporate embrace also makes her every ad exec’s wet dream. And the ad industry’s dreams are about to come true, because Oprah’s going to be at Cannes Lions 2026, receiving the Cannes LionHeart award for achieving positive and lasting change. Expect the Oprah queue to stretch right round the Riviera.
Sustainability is making a comeback
After a few years of Cannes pretending sustainability was never really a thing, environmental awareness is back on the agenda. At the Palais this year, Patagonia’s Alex Weller will be giving a talk on the tension between values and scale and Stella McCartney and eBay CEO Jamie Iannone will chat about circular commerce. Does this mean brands will start standing up for sustainability again? Unlikely. But this kind of profile-raising for an issue which was notable by its absence from the conversation at Cannes last year is an encouraging sign.
Brian Cox will explain life, the universe and everything
Now that that a lunar rover is offering brands the chance to advertise their products on the surface of the moon, space is the final frontier for marketing. It seems that nowhere in the universe is safe from the tyranny of tech billionaires and branded content. The upside is that space will be one of the more interesting topics at Cannes this year, with a session featuring Brian Cox (the physicist, not the actor) who will be enlightening us on the mysteries of the universe.
Al might not be the only subject of discussion
Cannes has been obsessing over AI so much lately that even the most tech-forward of delegates must be getting tired of it. So there’s a good chance that this year’s Cannes could be the first in what feels like forever where AI doesn’t dominate every single conversation. Those wishing for a refreshing change of subject might want to check out Polaroid’s session celebrating the creative opportunities offered by analogue.
Get there before the White Lotus fans do
With the next series of The White Lotus set at the Cannes film festival, there will be an even bigger global spotlight on the glamour capital of the Riviera. When the series comes out in 2027, hotel prices in Cannes are expected to rise due to the “White Lotus effect”. So, next year the already eye-watering prices during Cannes Lions week are likely to be jacked up even further. This could be the last year you’ll be able to afford to go the ad festival, so enjoy it while you still can (pun intended).
Lastly, you’ll be so busy you won’t have time to doom scroll Trump.
Jane Austin is the founder and owner of Persuasion Communications.
