Pats McDonald is Looking For “Link Between Work That Has Humanity At The Heart, And Work That Works”
Pats McDonald, global chief strategy officer at Dentsu Creative, is most looking forward to identifying “what is timelessly brilliant” and strategic thinking that combines “simplicity and elegance” as president of the creative strategy jury at the 2025 Cannes Lions.
“I’m really looking forward to debating what amazing strategy looks like in 2025,” Pats told LBB. “What is timelessly brilliant, and would be great strategy at any point in our history? What is timely and points the way forward for how we navigate today’s media landscape?”
The jury has had a few early meetings ahead of their time together in France, with Pats particularly struck by “how generous and open-minded this team is.”
“We seem to be blessed with very few egos and a real eagerness to debate. It’s also a brilliantly diverse group, which I hope will ensure the full cultural context of every piece of work is really understood in the judging room.”
The category is still relatively young at Cannes, introduced in 2019 to “honour the role of strategic thinking in transforming a brand's identity, market position, or customer perception through innovative and impactful planning.”
As the category grows in influence, Pats said she thinks “creative strategy plays a vital role in making the link between work that has humanity at the heart, and work that works,” with one topic in particular highlighting that link.
“There’s a lot of anxiety around the role of AI in the industry, and lots of conversations around efficiency. It’s important to remember that there’s no greater driver of efficiency and effectiveness than a great strategy, which often starts with a very personal, human observation or a completely unexpected solution to a problem.
“AI is going to be absolutely brilliant at helping more people get to a correct and logical answer faster-the differentiator is going to be people who can get to a creative, lateral answer. That’s going to be incredibly valuable in a world where we can all get to the ‘right’ answer.”
As jury president, Pats is helping shape how the team will approach this year’s entries – although she said the team are “fundamentally all brilliant brains who are there to bring their own perspectives and opinions.”
As for the criteria she’s already spoken to the jury about, Pats refers to a framework she calls the "Four As".
“That starts with knowing the audience, and knowing the algorithm. Knowing the audience meaning real, intimate human understanding. The kind of insight that AI simply can’t deliver right now.
“Knowing the algorithm is about understanding culture and communities, designing ideas to travel through the modern media ecosystem. I’m also interested to see work that connects AI [the third A] and human craft to deliver a level of relevance, personalisation or responsiveness that wouldn’t be possible alone.
“Finally, the fourth A is ambition. Has the work set out to do something really bold and audacious, that sets new standards for what our industry can accomplish?”
As well as the Four As, Pats is also “really hoping to see work that shows the industry how to build scale in new ways.”
“Something I hear a lot from clients is that they 100% agree that brands today will be built through culture, entertainment and community but they don’t have a tried and true playbook to follow in those spaces. It’s not as obvious how you plan those kinds of experiences at global scale, how you build credibility, or how you predict and measure the outcome. So that makes it easier to stick to what you know, even if you know it’s not working the way it used to.”
Pats added she “instinctively loves work that lifts all boats as the saying goes; that benefits the brand and the community around the brand.”
“I loved the Cadbury’s Diwali campaign, for example, that used AI to help small local stores create a personalised ad featuring a Bollywood superstar. Good for the brand, the business and the community. ‘Small Business Saturday’ for American Express is another great example of work that moves all the dials-not just for one business but for every small business.”
Strategy often happens behind the scenes. It’s hard to define straight away what makes a piece of strategic thinking stand out on the global stage, with Pats noting, “the brilliant thing about the creative strategy category is that it is so diverse.”
“A great piece of strategic thinking could be a new way of looking at an audience, an innovative use of data, an intriguing loophole in laws or regulations or a big, enduring brand platform.”
What all great strategy has in common “is absolute simplicity and elegance at the heart.”
“For a piece of strategic thinking to cut through shortlisting, debates in the room, and long days of judging, the jurors have got to have a really simple strategic hook to come back to over and over again.”
Outside the judging room, Pats’ Cannes calendar is packed.
“I’ll be spending lots of time with our clients, sharing insights from the judging process, and some early highlights from our next CMO Survey. I’m also looking forward to catching up with our brilliant strategy teams from around the world, and seeing old friends on the Croisette.
“I always really enjoying watching the Titanium presentations, where agencies have just 10 minutes to make their case to the jury – the sessions are open to all pass holders and a fantastic insight into some of the most exciting work.”
