The New Creative Order
Seven signals from Cannes Lions 2025 that indicate what’s to come
1.
“Good news: AI isn’t going to kill advertising. Bad news: AI isn’t going to save advertising.”
A poignant comment from my friend Tor Myhren, VP of Marketing at Apple, summarizes the state of the industry perfectly.
2.
Charge for compute, not time and materials.
Some service-based companies are changing how they charge their clients. It’s time to rethink your business models, regardless of the role your agency or company plays.
3.
Are CEOs replacing CMOs as the kings and queens of the Croisette?
This year, I noticed more CEOs on stage than in any previous year. It’s a positive development that business leaders are paying more attention to creativity.
Those CEOs were mostly white males, though. I’d like to see greater diversity in the positions or on stage next year and beyond.
4.
Niche but culturally relevant tactic > Big and scalable idea
Some Cannes-awarded work, such as “Gulf of Mexico Bar” by Tecate, Indian Railways’ “Lucky Yatra,” and “Caption With Intention” for the Academy of Motion Pictures, would have been seen as too tactical or functional by the guardians of the Old Creative Order.
In the New Creative Order, relevance matters more than bigness.
5.
“In the future, all ads will be product demos.”
This quote was from my old boss/industry legend Bob Greenberg years ago. Hyperbole? Yes, back then, but this is becoming true more and more.
For instance, the Grand Prix-winning work “Shot on iPhone” is a pure product demo executed with the kind of quality and discipline only Apple can maintain.
6.
Reframe the question from “How do we tell our story?” to “How do we build trust?”
The power of storytelling lies in its ability to move people. The danger is that even if it’s not true, it could move people.
Focus on earning trust through truth. It will pay off in the long run.
7.
There’s still a place for purpose within marketing.
In recent years, “purpose advertising” has gotten a bad rep, such as in this article, and some of which I concur. It was great seeing work like Dove’s 20-year-old “Real Beauty” campaign and L’Oreal’s “The Final Copy of Ilon Specht” recognized.
Purpose, when done right, can be powerful and, equally importantly, enduring.
If all ads are product demos what’s the future of storytelling in ads?
The signals from the noise. Thank you, Rei! Great piece.