What Cannes 2026 means for your strategy.

Our media team just got back from Cannes, and we asked them to help us separate the real signals from the award-show hype. This week, we're covering what's worth acting on, from AI's new role as a media channel to why most "consistent" creative campaigns never actually get consistent. 

—Elena

90% of campaigns get abandoned before they ever wear in. 

Cannes added a new Creative Brand Lion this year to honor long-running campaigns. Out of 73 entries, judges only recognized two winners, proof that most brands talk about consistency far more than they practice it. 

 

What Cannes got right (and wrong) about effectiveness. 

 

Is Cannes still just a creative awards show?

Not anymore. Real business now happens in beach cabanas and private meetings, not on the main stage. Our team barely had time to breathe between decision-maker meetings.

 

Is AI just another marketing tool now?

Not entirely. OpenAI bought beach space at Cannes this year, signaling they want to be seen as a legitimate media channel that companies advertise through.

 

Should marketers chase sports and creator budgets?

Not exclusively. Sports and creator content drive engagement, but they mostly harvest demand that brand advertising already created. Use them to convert people who are interested, and let brand channels do the work of growing the audience in the first place.

 

Did the awards finally reward consistency?

Somewhat. The new Creative Brand Lion honored long-running campaigns, but only two winners emerged from 73 entries. Most brands preach consistency and abandon their campaigns before those campaigns get the chance to work.

 

What's the one thing to remember from Cannes?

Treat the festival as a signal. Use the event to pressure-test what you already believe instead of building your whole plan around the trends that pop up.

 

Listen in on our discussion.

 

"What Ritson and Sharp Got Right and Wrong at Cannes" 

Andrew Tindall recaps a rare joint conversation between Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp at Cannes this year. It's a useful gut check on where marketing effectiveness thinking agrees and where real debate still exists. 

Read the article.

 

Selling without the spectacle. 

"A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself." 

— Rosser Reeves, author of Reality in Advertising 

This newsletter comes from the hosts of The Marketing Architects, a research-first show answering your biggest marketing questions. Find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.