For the past four years, 23red, part of Capgemini, has hosted an annual Cannes Unwrapped event for friends and clients of the agency, bringing back both a deep dive on the winning work and some wider observations from the fringe and beyond. This year, though, we addressed a few elephants in the room alongside the Lions. The festival itself was the usual mix of brilliant global creativity and wider debate on the state of our industry, but post-Cannes things have really heated up.

The Lions had barely wrapped before scrutiny began. Questions were raised around AI-enhanced footage and the accuracy of some results. In response, Cannes has taken steps to address these concerns, including the introduction of a Global Integrity Standard. While these developments are encouraging, they also highlight the importance of maintaining trust in our industry. At the heart of our work is a commitment to creating authentic impact for brands and causes and that must remain our focus.

Yet, despite the drama, Cannes remains an essential haute couture of creative trends – so here are three that caught our attention.

1. From influencers to co-creators

According to WPP, this year, creator-generated content is predicted to generate nearly $185 billion in advertising revenue worldwide, surpassing traditional media for the first time. 

Brands need to understand that creators already own the cultural conversation and if they want to join in, that requires letting go of tight control.

Some of the most compelling work, social and otherwise, reflected this shift and Vaseline Verified for Unilever was a standout example — a brand reclaiming control of its own story in the mis and disinformation age. A masterclass in working with creators to not only add value to their content, but also reinforce positive brand attributes, it was a worthy winner of the Grand Prix for Social and Creator.

2. Solutions over signalling

As a purpose driven behaviour change agency, we were pleasantly surprised to see more work that delivered tangible social impact through problem-solving, not just signalling.

And AXA France did something incredibly impactful, simply by adding three words to their home insurance contracts “…and domestic violence.” By creating a new confidential, legal trigger that immediately connected victims to support services and prompting its competitors to follow suit, this innovation earned praise as a blueprint for purpose-driven design.

3. The power of human-first experiences

No matter how much AI dominates the conversation, creativity’s secret weapon remains emotional authenticity – the new currency of connection. Forget what brands say, people remember how they made them feel.

And nothing wove brand and emotion together quite like Film Grand Prix winner The Final Copy of Ilon Specht for L’Oreal. An intimate 17-minute documentary about the copywriter who coined “Because I’m Worth It.” A four-word feminist manifesto masquerading as an advertising slogan. It was a profoundly human story about legacy and empowerment.

Panel reflections: growth, tech and bravery

To discuss these trends further and look beyond the awards at how brands really measure the impact of the work they do, our CEO Jane Asscher, then hosted a panel discussion featuring Tammy Hourigan, Vice President of Global Marketing Services at Unilever; Ceri Rose, Director of Strategy, Marketing and Communications at the Open University and Bhavesh Unadkat, Head of  Brand, Content and Marketing Services at frog, part of Capgemini.

Tammy reminded us that awards are great, but growth is the ultimate barometer. Unilever uses something called a UBS (Unmissable Brand Superiority) score to measure whether creativity converts into engagement and conversion, “making brands desirable at scale.”

Ceri added the vital dimension of wider social impact beyond revenue, highlighting campaigns where creativity delivered a social and a business impact, like DyslexicU – the world’s first dyslexic university.

On technology, the theme was clear: AI has moved beyond hype, but it’s a tool, not a replacement. Creativity must remain human-led, with tech amplifying human creativity, but not replacing it. Humanity was a key buzzword emerging from Cannes this year.

We finished with practical advice. Tammy shared Unilever’s SASSY framework — a toolkit for expressing brand desirability and cultural relevance through Science, Aesthetics, Sensorials, Shared by Others, and Young Spirited.

Ceri urged us to heed Sir John Hegarty: zoom out from optimisation and back ideas others might kill.

Bhavesh reminded the room that carving out time to reflect and innovate is critical. Creativity can’t thrive on autopilot.

Tammy’s final rallying cry to marketers was simple: ‘embrace bravery’. If your creativity doesn’t unsettle you even a little, it’s probably too safe. The best ideas appeal to our emotions and cut through the noise.

Looking ahead

Cannes Lions 2025 was a reminder of what makes our industry both thrilling and challenging. The world is changing fast, so we need to keep up, but the human connection in everything we do remains our creative superpower. The machines haven’t won just yet.