Cannes Lions Conversations: What Will Dominate the Croisette in 2025?
As Cannes Lions 2025 approaches, anticipation is building across the creative and ad tech industries. The GingerMay team has been attending Cannes Lions for more than a decade, and over the years, we’ve witnessed how conversations on the Croisette set the tone for the next wave of innovation and trends in advertising.
With that in mind, we’ve pulled together some of the trending topics we expect to be big talking points this year – and included some thoughts from a few industry experts.
AI means business
Last year, AI was a huge buzzword on the Croisette and we expect to see this again this year. The conversation will have matured; there will be less focus on what it is and how it can transform the advertising industry, and more around using it responsibly and the applications already making waves.
Generative AI and predictive analytics are already central to ideation, campaign management, and media buying, and the evolution of their impact will be a hot topic. With perceptions of AI shifting at pace, we will also see conversations around companies’ new approaches to the technology.
“In the past couple of years, we’ve seen many companies bolt ‘AI’ onto existing products—more of a marketing play than true innovation,” explains Davide Rosamilia, VP of Product at ID5. “But that’s changing. With real investment flowing into foundational development, we’re entering a phase where AI is powering genuinely new products, not just dressing up old ones. This evolution will be a major talking point at Cannes, where the focus is shifting from AI-washing to AI-built.”
The proof is in the performance
Maximising impact is a fast-growing trend, and as a result, we can expect a stronger emphasis on performance overall at Cannes this year. As brands recognise creators as central to growth strategies, partnerships that deliver measurable performance will take the stage. And with data no longer simply a tool for targeting, we expect the Croisette to be a-buzz with how data and creativity work together to deliver compelling narratives and campaigns that resonate.
As legacy channels decline, digital needs to work harder than ever before to achieve measurable results.
The ascent of commerce innovation
Retail media has been a huge topic with explosive growth, and has paved the way for the convergence of commerce, content, and data. Plus, with Google’s recent announcement around shopping capabilities in its AI Mode, we anticipate that shoppable experiences and commerce media capabilities will feature high on the agenda at Cannes this year.
“I expect shoppable creativity to be high on the agenda,” shares Sarah Lawson Johnston, Managing Director, EMEA at Vudoo. “The intersection between creative work and conversion is no longer niche, so we can expect to hear about campaigns that deliver both emotional resonance and measurable sales.”
With a matter of days to go until the industry descends on Cannes Lions, one thing is clear: the intersection of creativity, technology, and accountability will define the conversations that matter. Whether you’re there to drive the trends, learn, network, or do it all, 2025’s festival won’t disappoint in inspiring and shaping the future of advertising.
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