Festival focuses on innovation, creativity and change: welcome to Cannes Lions 2025

AT A TIME when the world needs creativity and inspiration like never before, the 72nd edition of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is stepping up. Across an action-packed week, the iconic event will present delegates with a world-class line-up of global thought leaders, pioneering brands and cultural changemakers.

With more than 150 hours of original content, brands and talent confirmed include Apple, Duolingo, Wicked director Jon M Chu and sporting legend Serena Willams, attending alongside Reckitt. YouTube’s Neal Mohan, Hello Sunshine founder Reese Witherspoon, Grammy-winning musician James Blake, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and social media star Kai Cenat point to the diversity of voices that will be sharing insights.

Unveiling this year’s line-up, Natasha Woodwal, director of content, LIONS, said: “This year’s programme reflects the immense transformation under way in the creative industries. From a record number of content proposals, we’ve curated a dynamic agenda that brings together the sharpest minds, the most pioneering brands and the cultural disruptors shaping our future. Built around five content streams, the programme is designed to help our global community navigate the broad range of topics, skills and trends shaping the future of our industry.”

Bowen Yang

(Clockwise from top left) Bowen Yang, Reese Witherspoon, James Blake, Marina Mansour, Debbie Vandeven and Serena Williams all appearing at the Lions this year.

The five pillars of creativity

The first of the Festival’s five thematic pillars is Innovation Unwrapped, which focuses on the pioneers, technologies and transformations that are shaping tomorrow — including Reckitt and global sports icon and businesswoman Serena Williams in discussion on how businesses, investors and change-makers can lead through fresh ideas, diverse voices and re-imagined systems. In the popular Future Gazers series, experts including Tom Morton, Marina Mansour and Rei Inamoto will predict coming shifts in the creative and business landscapes.

The second of the five Festival tracks, The Creativity Toolbox, examines the craft, processes and techniques behind creative excellence. P&G presents Timeless Creativity, with Marc Pritchard, a talk that will delve into the lessons brands can learn from timeless creative campaigns and the ongoing challenge of building lasting brands. Elsewhere, VML’s seminar, Defying Gravity, will explore the creative narratives that break through. VML chief creative officer, Debbi Vandeven, director Jon M Chu and actor/comedian Bowen Yang will share insights on how to create stories that defy expectations. Another key session from Burlesque The Musical will look at stage stories that ignite engagement, featuring Broadway producers Sue Gilad and Larry Rogowsky.

Creativity is also at the heart of the third Lions track, Creative Impact, co-created with WARC. This sets out to provide the ultimate guide to proving the value and effectiveness of creativity. Highlights include the Creative Marketer of the Year Seminar, with Apple’s Tor Myhren discussing how the company’s strategies continue to set new standards for creativity and brand building. Duolingo’s seminar, The Tech Marketer’s Playbook, showcases how the company has become a beloved social-first brand.

Elsewhere, the Talent and Cultures stream is dedicated to showcasing the people and practices behind thriving creative organisations. The ZBD Talent and The MosaiQs semi- nar will see Laura Winson, Charlotte Marian Pearson, Emma Lines and Natalie-Amber Freegard take to the stage to discuss the inclusion revolution. In GS&P’s talk, Going from Agency Flash in the Pan to Eternal Flame, agency founders Greg Hahn and Jeff Goodby will deliver a candid, no-holds-barred discussion on the highs, lows and sheer chaos of building and sustaining a world-class creative agency.

Also within the Talent and Cultures track, the daily Changemakers series will feature powerful conversations with inspiring people including Pedro Lerma focusing on how they are using their platforms to cham- pion underrepresented voices.

The last of the Festival’s five pillars is Insights and Trends, which focuses on the shifting consumer behaviours, cultural forces and business imper- atives that are influencing creative decision-making. Here delegates can drop in on sessions like F5 Shanghai’s The Globalisation of Chinese Brands, where Adams Fan, Yang Zhang and Renee Huang will explore the opportunities and challenges for Chinese brands. The Quollective will also take to the stage, with speakers Alemu Emuron and Maureen Rutabingwa telling the story of a cult brand that took a two-footed leap into culture. Another key element of this track is the Inside the Jury Room sessions with Jury Presidents including Seiya Matsumiya, Andrea Diquez and Keka Morelle. This insight into the inner workings of Cannes Lions is sup- ported by Tours of the Work.

Festival favourites

Alongside Future Gazers and Changemakers, other returning strands include Secret Speaker and CMOs in the Spotlight, which provides an insight into marketing decision-making at firms including Mars, Amazon, Nestle, American Express, McDonald’s, Philips, Unilever, Renault and Heineken. Other highlights include the return of the Saatchi & Saatchi New Creator Showcase, led this year by Saatchi & Saatchi London chief creative of- ficer Franki Goodwin. Now in its 35th year, Goodwin will look back on the agency’s long love affair with emerging talent introducing the work of 10 new creators.Summing up the breadth of crea- tivity, talent and insights on dis- play,

Simon Cook, LIONS CEO, said: “The 2025 programme will dive deeper than ever before into the strategic, cultural and technological factors influencing creativity at a global scale. Our delegates will hear from a wide spectrum of leaders and specialisms, including CEOs, chief marketing officers, creative leaders, content creators, entertainment and sports icons, producers, directors and even mascots — it’s representative of a multifaceted industry that is using the breadth of creativity to drive progress and business growth.”

Pursuing gender parity

Within the framework of the five streams, Cannes Lions 2025 will explore a myriad of themes that capture the imagination and drive activism among the creative community.

Always front of mind for Cannes Lions, the issue of gender equality continues to be a source of inspiration, debate and action, with the flagship See It Be It programme now embarking on its 11th edition. This year, 20 women and non-binary people have been invited to participate in the four-day event, with Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela represented for the first time. As in previous years, the event includes mentorship opportunities and private masterclasses with industry leaders, as well as backstage access and session invitations tailored to each participant’s career goals.

Laura Winson, Charlotte Marian Pearson and Emma Lines

Since its launch in 2014, See It Be It has brought together over 100 women and non-binary people from 35 markets, with 75% of the programme’s alumni having been promoted and 63% now operat- ing at a creative director level or above.

Frank Starling, chief DEI officer, LIONS, said: “The See It Be It programme was established in response to the industry’s gender imbalance. Despite women representing 55.6% of adland’s workforce, according to the 2024 IPA Agency Census, research from the Creative Equals states that only 24% of women globally are creative directors. As the industry’s gender gap widens, it’s more important than ever that we continue to provide global creatives with the tools to excel in their careers to help bridge this gap.”

Sessions focusing on gender include Joy is Rebellion: Hello Sunshine and Gen Z Rewrite the Narrative. Featuring Reese Witherspoon and Kory Marchisotto, chief marketing officer at e.l.f Beauty, this Wednesday highlight in the Debussy Theatre will explore how Hello Sunshine is on a mission to change the narrative for women. For the first time, Witherspoon will speak about a new initiative and brand being launched by Hello Sunshine.

The session will also ask where young women are finding joy and inspiration — in a world where they don’t feel represented by brands.

The drive to change the narrative on gender is also part of the fabric of the MORE GRLS workshop, which will provide a negotiation playbook for women in creativity. Led by Laura Florence, Larissa Zucatelli and Camila Moletta, the workshop aims to empower women in the industry to advocate for themselves and elevate their careers. Through stories and hands-on strategies, it will help women turn challenges into opportunities and secure the recognition and compensation they deserve.

Embracing diversity and challenging stereotypes

DEI initiatives may be under attack around the world, but the creative community continues to recognise that diversity and inclusion drive better business outcomes. In Neurodivergent Minds: They Don’t Need Advertising – Advertising Needs Them, Havas CEO and chairman Yannick Bolloré explores the benefits of embracing neurodiversity with Michael Barbaro, host of The Daily, New York Times. Taking place on Monday in the Lumière, the speakers will argue that brands risk losing out if they don’t unlock the power of neurodiverse thinking and creativity. To back this case, Bolloré will call on work from Havas’ Neurodiversity Center of Excellence, which offers tools to embed neurodivergent thinking into strategy and innovation.

Another session that explores a similar theme is Chronic Creative Disorder: Imagination as a Neurological Condition, led by Andrey Tyukavkin, chief invention officer and global ECD LePub. Also taking place on Monday, this talk will explore how neurodiversity can unlock more and better ideas in creative businesses.

Cannes Lions will also host several sessions that challenge stereotypes. Long-standing partner SAWA, the Global Cinema Advertising Association, is running a session entitled Change Minds: Shift Global Perspectives Through Big-Screen Storytelling. Here SAWA president and Pearl & Dean CEO Kathryn Jacob and acclaimed filmmaker Gurinder Chadha will explore how cinema can reframe global perspectives on identity, inclusion and inequality.

In a similar vein, Amazon Ads session Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number? Rethinking Generational Marketing will challenge lazy tropes about demographic behaviour. Elliot Pigram, global managing director, Crowd DNA; Isaac Baley, professor of economics, Universitat Pompeu Fabra; and Yaw Owusu, creative consultant Nothin’ But The Music Limited will explore the benefits and limitations of age-based marketing and introduce a new strategy based on shared values, beliefs and attitudes.

The rise of the Creator Economy

Media platforms, brands and creative agencies are all having to adjust to the unstoppable rise of the creator economy, and Cannes Lions is doing its best to articulate what is happening, through innovations such as LIONS Creators. Launched in 2024, the second edition of LIONS Creators provides a dedicated pass, programme and place for creators at Cannes Lions. Interwoven with the main Festival, LIONS Creators provides tools, insights and tips to help firms establish themselves in this fast-growing arena and expand their business.

A stellar line-up of creators is descending on Cannes to provide insights to delegates. In addition to the afore-mentioned Kai Cenat, top names include Amelia Dimoldenberg, Grace Beverley, Bethenny Frankel and Jake Shane.

The impact of digital-first platforms and talent is also evident in the main Cannes Lions programme, with TikTok hosting a session called How Corn Dogs, Cucumbers and Creators Can Change Everything. TikTok global head of business marketing and commercial partnerships Sofia Hernandez will be joined by food critic Keith Lee and content creator Logan Moffitt to discuss the impact of trendsetting content on consumer behaviour — and how brands can leverage this opportunity.

A similar theme will be discussed in another Lions session, You Can’t Fake Brand Love: The Secret to Creator Partnerships That Win. Here Creative Vision founder Jamie Gutfreund and rugby player turned creator Ilona Maher will explore how creator-led brand love can become the foundation for influence that actually works.

Of course, creators need to be measurable if they are to be of interest to brands. In Are Creators Really Effective? WARC Media head of content Alex Brownsell and CreativeX CEO and founder Anastasia Leng will ask ‘does working with creators work, or are marketers being caught up in the hype and wasting precious ad dollars? CreativeX will reveal the findings of new research into what makes an effective influencer marketing campaign, as well as the pitfalls they should look to avoid. Still on the creator economy, one of the most intriguing trends right now is creators becoming entrepreneurs in their own right, building diverse businesses that have the potential to take market share away from legacy brands.

This paradigm shift is the subject of The New C-level: How Creator Entrepreneurism Is Reshaping Business. In what promises to be a fascinating session Raina Penchansky, CEO and co-founder of Digital Brand Architects and UTA Creators co-head, will chat to Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry, hosts of The Colin and Samir Show. The YouTube stars will discuss how they and others are building businesses and part- nering with brands in new ways.

Positivity, wellbeing and the environment

Cannes Lions wouldn’t be Cannes Lions without some effort to promote the intersection between creativity and positive messaging. Positivity is always present in the work and also in several Festival sessions. One specific event to look forward to is Kill ‘Em With Positivity: A Meet-Up with Good- vertising’s Thomas Kolster.

In a world growing angrier and more divided, especially around sustainability, marketing activist Kolster believes the most powerful way to respond isn’t with more noise, but with kindness. Delegates who empathise with this can meet-up with Kolster to explore a different kind of activism — one rooted in positivity, empathy and love.

Elsewhere, wellbeing is at the heart of Impact Innovators: Building a Healthier World, Reck- itt’s session with Serena Williams. Here the tennis legend sits down with Sheila Redzepi, chief communications and corporate affairs officer Reckitt; Catherine Casey Nanda, managing partner Acumen America; and Tania Bryer, CNBC Anchor, to discuss the tragic reality that half of the world’s population still lacks access to basic care. The session will look at how healthcare entrepreneurs are designing life-changing health solutions, rethinking care models and building businesses that create lasting impact. But at the same time, they need funding and support to thrive.

In the meantime, delegates who want to ensure that sustainability stays front of mind can drop into the Lions Sustainability Hub, which is open every day. This is the Festival’s central hub for delegates passionate about building a sustainable future for the industry, where they can meet like-minded individuals and be inspired.

‘Launching the Lions B2B Summit is a natural next step in bringing the global B2B community together in Cannes’ Simon Cook

B2B emerges from the shadows

Finally, 2025 also sees the launch of an inaugural Lions B2B Summit — welcome recognition that B2B marketing abounds with its own unique creativity. Taking place on June 17, the half-day event will bring together B2B marketers, decision-makers and creative leaders for an exclusive day of networking, insights and industry-shaping discussions. Featuring LinkedIn as the headline partner, and Stein IAS as the supporting partner, the Summit will explore discussions on how creativity strengthens brand rep- utation, the role of connections and influence in B2B.

LIONS CEO Simon Cook said: “To give some context to B2B at Cannes Lions, the Creative B2B Lions launched in 2022. The Creative B2B Lions are now entering their fourth year, providing the benchmark for an industry that continues to grow significantly — with worldwide B2B digital ad spend set to nearly triple its pre-pandemic level by 2026. Launching the Lions B2B Summit is a natural next step in bringing the global B2B commu- nity together in Cannes. We’re delighted to have LinkedIn on board as our official Lions B2B Partner for 2025. Since our launch of the B2B Lions, LinkedIn has been a much-valued partner and supporter in championing the work in this area.”

LinkedIn’s chief marketing and strategy officer, Jessica Jensen, will share remarks at the Summit, and other speakers and panellists include: Valerie Beau- champ, vice-president, global head of agency development & marketer education, LinkedIn; Michael Aimette, executive vice-president, chief creative officer, FCB New York; Bridget Evans, global head of business marketing, Spotify; Dr Marcus Collins, clinical assistant professor of marketing, University of Michigan – Stephen M Ross School of Business; Tom Stein, chairman and chief brand officer, Stein IAS; and Jim Lesser, chief brand officer, ServiceNow.