IAPI and Enterprise Ireland Lead Prominent Irish Delegation to Cannes Lions Festival

This week, from June 17th to 21st, over 140 Irish delegates will attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity at the Palais in Cannes. As the world's largest gathering for the advertising and creative communications industry, the festival provides a significant platform to showcase Ireland’s vibrant commercial creative sector.

The Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI) and Enterprise Ireland will host the inaugural ‘Irish Lunch,’ a key event aimed at highlighting Ireland's creative prowess to a global audience. More than 80 guests, including senior marketers from international brands such as Coca-Cola, Diageo, Paddy Power, Allianz, and Kellanova, will attend. They will be joined by leading figures from Ireland’s top advertising, social, and creative agencies, including THINKHOUSE, Publicis Dublin, Droga5 Dublin, Goosebump, The Tenth Man, Bonfire, and Bloom among others.

Charley Stoney, CEO of IAPI said, “Ireland’s commercial creative sector has been crafting campaigns for some of the most iconic global brands for years.  With the support of Enterprise Ireland, we’re now in a position to shout about it.  The Cannes Lions Festival offers an unparalleled international stage for the inaugural Irish Lunch, which will showcase Ireland’s creative talent and connect our leading agencies with global brand leaders.”

Conor O’Donovan, head of marketing & commercial creative sector, Enterprise Ireland, said; “We are actively supporting the industry under the Irish Government’s Roadmap for the Digital Creative Industries to internationalise and grow creative services companies which contribute over €1.2bn to the Irish economy annually. The Cannes Lions Festival is an important platform to engage global decision-makers, partners, and customers in support of our ambition to grow this sector internationally.”

Toby Southgate, Global CEO of international advertising Forsman & Bodenfors, which acquired the Irish advertising agency In the Company of Huskies in 2023 will deliver the keynote address at the Irish Lunch. 

Toby Southgate, global CEO of Forsman & Bodenfors said, “We care about Ireland because we care about ideas and storytelling. It’ll never go out of fashion, and whatever “trends” dominate headlines, there’s power in that definition of core creativity. Ireland has a history of amazing storytellers and they do it as well as anyone. Any agency network with ambition should want a geographical presence in Dublin: it’s a springboard to the world’s second-largest market and offers access to some of the world’s fastest-growing companies.”

Throughout the festival, a strong Irish presence will be evident, with notable speakers including writer/producer/actor Sharon Horgan, disability activist Sinéad Burke, Diageo’s global director for Beer, Baileys, and Smirnoff Grainne Wafer and Jen Speirs, chief creative officer from Droga5 Dublin. Additionally, Charley Stoney, CEO of IAPI, will host the Festival’s Forum stage for two days. 

Only two days into the Festival, there have already been big international wins for Ireland. With Publicis Dublin, THINKHOUSE, and Heineken shortlisted 16 times for their recent Pub Museums campaign and so far, winning two Silver Lions and one Gold Lions across the Ambient & Experience and Culture & Context categories with more wins expected throughout the week. There has also been a Silver Lion for Diageo with prominent Irish brand Baileys and their Sound Scales campaign.