A central—and perhaps the most urgent—theme that echoed across the Palais was the reaffirmation of humanity’s role in an AI-driven world.
While artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionise the creative landscape, the enduring power of human insight, emotion, and originality took centre stage.
Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of marketing and the festival’s Creative Marketer of the Year, opened Cannes with a statement that set the tone: “AI is revolutionary. It’s the most exciting, creative tool we’ve seen in our lifetimes.”
Yet, he made a clear distinction: “The human touch is our superpower.”
His message to the industry was: “I've got good news and I've got bad news. The good news is AI is not going to kill advertising. The bad news is that AI is not going to save advertising. We’ve got to save ourselves—and I think it’s by believing in what has always made this industry so special, which is human creativity.”
This emphasis on human-driven storytelling was reflected in the work that received top honours.
None of the Grand Prix or Gold-winning campaigns leaned on AI. Instead, they moved audiences through authentic, emotionally resonant narratives that tackled cultural and social issues with sincerity and depth.
Another dominant trend was the unstoppable momentum of the Creator Economy. From talks on the beach to panels at the Palais, content creators were everywhere—no longer on the fringes, but firmly at the centre of the marketing conversation.
The numbers are telling: revenue from creator-led content is projected to hit $184.9bn in 2025—a 20% jump from 2024—and is expected to soar to $376.6bn by 2030.
Unilever CEO Fernando Fernandes made waves with a striking revelation that 50% of Unilever’s media spend now goes to creators, and influencer use has surged by 800% since 2023.
So why is creator content resonating so strongly?“They talk to us like humans,” says Anastasia Leng of Creative X.
Unlike traditional ads, creator-led campaigns offer relatability, authenticity, and trust—especially among Gen Z audiences.
Despite their aversion to conventional advertising, 60% of Gen Z say they still engage with content from creators, even when they know it’s sponsored.
As Sophia Hernandez of TikTok aptly put it, “In a world where half of people say they don’t like ads, creator content is vital.”
The third key insight came from branding expert Mark Ritson, who challenged marketers’ fixation with constant reinvention.
Backed by data, he argued that consistent advertising outperforms fragmented messaging—delivering twice the profitability.
Echoing this sentiment, Procter & Gamble’s Marc Pritchard reminded the industry of the power of memory and repetition: “Building the memory bank is vital. Consistency helps ideas wear in with consumers—marketers worry too much about wear-out and not enough about wear-in.”
In a world chasing the next big idea, both Ritson and Pritchard made a strong case for disciplined, long-term brand-building.
