Views from the Croisette

This was my first time at Cannes Lions, and I must admit I was not sure what to expect. Having seen previous beach activations online, I had some idea of what went on but once I arrived on La Croisette, I was just blown away by the sheer scale of it all. It reminded me a little of Glastonbury: until you have been you don’t quite grasp the vastness of it all. There is so much you want to see that you manage to do 20,000 steps a day in the sunshine, surviving on minimal food and a fair amount of rosé (or cider at Glastonbury, which itself felt quite Mediterranean this year).  

It's much busier than I thought but after speaking to various veterans, it seems Cannes is back bigger and better post-pandemic. For the creative crowds too, the appetite for IRL events is getting bigger and bigger each year since the world changed as we knew it. The desire for something tangible rather than just on-screen is thrilling, and it’s producing real creativity.   

The big tech activations are all next to each other on the beach which makes them simple to access, though some were easier than others. Meta and Pinterest welcomed everyone and encouraged guests to get involved with the brand through various activities, as well as being open most of the day. Spotify and Google took a more exclusive approach, with invite-only access making them hot tickets in town and leaving those whose names were not on the list with a touch of FOMO. 

The ones not on the beach became real destination activations. The Netflix rooftop really nailed it, with incredible views of La Croisette and showcasing a space that had never been used before. The giant N on the skyline established an iconic and playful way finder for guests and created a smart branding tool for the entertainment giant. 

Snapchat’s Disney anniversary had families on holiday queueing for it rather than just adland, which was nice to see and showed its universal appeal. Meanwhile TikTok's Carlton Hotel garden activation really embodied the brand, with spaces to learn more about its capabilities and a very popular Frosé Soiree closing each afternoon. 

With free swag and customisation being at the core of most brand experiences at Cannes, Wieden+Kennedy's pop-up was no exception – and drew hordes of creatives along to personalise their official Cannes tees with cheeky slogans that poked fun at the industry itself. 

The beach activation that stood out for me was Sport Beach by Stagwell, which really lived up to its message of doing Cannes differently. Tapping into fandom, the space pushed its ‘play’ message, with a pickleball pitch for guests to try out this incredibly fast-growing sport, a track club and an exciting programme of athlete talks. 

The bar has been set for brands looking to activate along the Croisette and beyond next year. And with the all the talk of AI this year at Cannes, it will be interesting to see if this manifests itself in the big beach activations for 2024, although sunshine and technology don’t always mix so well…