Cannes Lions 2025: Where AI Meets Creativity
Executive Briefing: For CMOs, Chief Creative Officers
I was grateful to attend Cannes Lions 2025 and experience firsthand the magnitude of change underway in the world of creativity and brand-building. This year didn’t just spotlight bold campaigns or shiny activations—it exposed a fundamental transition in how imagination, storytelling, and value creation operate in an AI-powered world.
Across every panel, activation, and Grand Prix moment, one thing was clear:
Embracing AI in creativity isn’t optional. But how we integrate it will define whether we scale connection—or dilute meaning.
This moment requires more than new tools. It demands new organizational thinking, new talent design, and executive courage to build brands that are as dynamic as the culture they speak to.
Core Question Cannes Asked (and Answered):
How do we embrace AI’s scale without sacrificing creativity’s soul?
Across the Croisette, one idea became clear:
AI isn’t the threat—it’s the test. The brands that won in 2025 didn’t just use AI—they used it to make humanity more visible, more accessible, and more creatively bold.
This isn’t about tools. It’s about redefining imagination at scale.
Three Strategic Themes for Creative Leaders
1. AI as Amplifier, Not Artist
Adobe’s Cannes showcase—powered by Firefly—showed how AI can remove friction from creativity, not creativity itself. Over 25B assets have been created via Firefly, helping creatives go from prompt to production instantly.
Natura’s “Amazon Greenventory” mapped 30,000+ trees using drones + AI, combining purpose, performance, and beauty.
Quote: “AI is your intern, not your ECD.” – Nick Law, Global Design, Accenture Song
Leadership takeaway:
AI isn’t replacing imagination. It’s reducing friction. Train creative teams to direct, not defer to, machines.
2. Emotion Still Wins
Viatris’s AI-free Viagra campaign used long-exposure photography to tell a story about intimacy. Wordless, powerful, unforgettable.
KitKat’s “Phone Break” was one visual, no tagline. It stopped juries—and audiences—in their tracks.
Quote: “What moved us most this year was work that didn’t just say something clever—it made you feel something true.” – Franklin Williams, Pharma Jury President
Leadership takeaway:
AI can scale content. But only humans can scale connection.
The Creative-Data Continuum Is Collapsing
Adobe, Amazon, TikTok, Mercado Libre all proved that commerce, performance, and personalization start with creative architecture.
“Call of Discounts” (Mercado Libre) gamified commerce; “Caption with Intention” (Oscars) elevated accessibility into emotion.
Quote: “Customer obsession starts with knowing what matters emotionally—not just algorithmically.” – Andy Jassy, CEO, Amazon
Leadership takeaway:
Creative and data must now move as one. ROI isn’t Return on Investment—it’s Return on Imagination.
Key Innovations to Watch
Action Plan for CMOs & Chief Creative Officers
1. Audit your creative stack for AI-readiness:
Are your teams prompt-fluent?
Do you have brand-safe prompt libraries?
Is your LLM-trained content aligned with brand tone and visual equity?
2. Reimagine the creative-production cycle:
Shift from batch content → live iteration loops
Blend in-house + AI tools for performance at scale
3. Build Creative x Data Pods:
Align creative leads with performance analysts
Review insights as creative fuel, not just reporting lag
4. Train for Taste + Technology:
Upskill teams on how to prompt, iterate, and measure creative impact
Balance AI throughput with emotional depth
5. Redefine creative success metrics:
C-Suite & Board Reflections
“Creativity isn’t in crisis—it’s in transition.” – Simon Cook, CEO, Cannes Lions
Is your CMO equipped to lead creative AI orchestration—not just agency oversight?
Does your brand protect voice, tone, and ethics inside generative systems?
Are you measuring what matters—emotion, empathy, and imagination at scale?
Board-Level Takeaway
Creativity, in the AI era, is not what you make—it's how you scale what moves people.
The best work at Cannes didn’t just entertain or perform. It built trust, challenged norms, and inspired belief. AI helped bring the vision to life—but humans set the vision.
📩 Coming Next:
"The Marketing Team of the Future: Prompt Writers, Cultural Architects, and Model Trainers"
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— Ekta
Human. With AI Superpowers.