Brand Experience Takes Centre Stage at Cannes

Those of us who focus on creating live experiences may be quite willful when it comes to wanting experiential to have a seat at marketing’s top table. And for one week every summer, we seem to be able to plunge into a world where the live experience roars loudly and that space is Cannes Lions.

Last year marked my first time on the Croisette and I was amazed at the sheer vastness of it all – the scale of the activations and that’s before we even start to talk about the budgets behind them. Levelling sand, installing huge screens, securing enviable talent, staffing up to welcome a discerning crowd and all the food, drink and swag to keep them smiling across four intense days – none of this comes cheap. 

And when you’ve spent millions on your presence at what is essentially an industry conference – albeit a pretty one – how do you measure the return? It was a thought at the forefront of my mind last week as I returned to a bustling Croisette, this time with a team to deliver a number of activations for global clients. 

It comes down to which audience you’re going for – across the week there seems to be two fairly distinct groups – from the high-net worth, CMOs and senior business leaders experiencing a very exclusive Cannes, often with villa and yacht gatherings, through to the wider audience hitting up the beach activations representing a broad mix of creatives.

And those large-scale beach experiences have really got a slick formula to delight – Pinterest’s colourful presence is something of a beach pinboard, returning each year and pinning the latest trends (no ink for me this year, just a beaded bracelet as frankly if it’s good enough for Travis Kelce then.. )

Similarly, TikTok returned to its spot in the garden of The Carlton and once again delighted as the ultimate swag stop – but this time asked its visitors to earn their merch, with a tour across the experience which gently introduced new aspects of TikTok for Business for a brand audience. 

At Cannes, the content and experiences with the brand activations are now just as important as those happening inside The Palais – just take a look at everyone’s top takeouts on LinkedIn and all of them will mention an activation – experiential is right at the forefront of it all. It’s almost become a part of the week’s bragging rights – have you been down to Amazon Port yet? Did you see Ronaldo (OG) at Fifa Plage and when are you going to Es Devlin’s Reels cinema at Meta Beach?  

When you’re blessed with an audience eager to experience it all, then the quest to show up differently is one that brands can embrace. We all flock to Cannes to celebrate the very best in global creativity, and yet many of the activations have very light touch points to the main festival itself. It would be interesting to see a brand make a tangible link between the creativity of its beach activation and the award-winning work being celebrated at the Palais. 

And when it comes to the coveted evening parties, why not open out to your key customers – not just from a business perspective – why not reward the mega fans with access? This year, Netflix threw its doors open on the final day to badge holders – but some of the hottest parties in town would do well to keep back a select number of tickets to reward their consumers – letting in your loyal fan base during a week that the global creative community gathers is a sure win.  

When you’ve got a mass of creatives from around the world showing up and eager for experiences, there’s so many opportunities for brands to show up and stand out. Our Cannes 2025 plans are already in the offing...but first for something closer to home with less beachfront and decidedly less rosé - SXSW London we’re ready for you.