CANNES, FRANCE - JUNE 22: Arthur Sadoun, Maurice Lévy and Suzanne Vranica speak onstage during the Celebrating Creativity Made in France talk during Day 1 of Cannes Lions 2026 on June 22, 2026 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images for Cannes Lions)Getty Images for Cannes LionsAt Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2026, AI and the creator economy drew most of the heat. Given the week’s record temperatures, that was saying something. From Creator Beach to the Carlton, every conversation seemed to land on the same questions: which AI tools are changing production, who is financing the next creator media company, how much content can be made, and how fast. Streamers were talking formats, platforms, pitching originals, production companies packaging creators, talent agents walking brands through their clients’ next content slate.The deals all point to the same outcome. More content is coming — long form, short form, live stream, vertical dramas, episodic series. Which means audiences have never had more to choose from. Pair that with real economic uncertainty, and people become more selective about where they spend their time and money. Every choice carries more weight.A few blocks away at the Palais, a different conversation was happening. The Cannes Lions awards have always been a celebration of craft and creativity — and a signal of what is breaking through with audiences. This year, that signal was clear: the campaigns that cut through gave audiences a genuine stake in the outcome.The clearest example started with a disappearance.Opening The Plot: The KitKat Heist Wins GoldWhen 12 tons of KitKat bars disappeared before Easter, VML London and Burson turned a supply chain crisis into a collective true crime mystery to find the missing chocolate. KitKat went directly to its fans and asked for help. VML built a digital tracker that let people enter batch codes from their own bars to see if they held part of the missing haul. In a crowded media environment, KitKat opened its story and invited people into the plot.Play Puzzles & Games on ForbesCannes Lions Festival of Creativity award winning work from KitKat. The KitKat Heist took home the PR Grand Prix, Gold and Silver Lions across Media, Social and Creator.Cannes Lions Festival of CreativityThe campaign generated a 31% share of voice across 93 markets and $224 million in earned media in ten days. As the caper went viral, over 115 brands jumped in to create their own riffs on the story. Thanks to the fan base, a verified lead surfaced for the real police investigation. The campaign swept Cannes Lions, winning the PR Grand Prix plus Gold Lions across Media, Social, and Creator.People weren’t just following the mystery. They were helping solve it. Their time, curiosity, and data became the engine of the story.Twitch: Participation As A Core Gaming InfrastructureParticipation as a business principle has been proven longest in gaming, long before social platforms optimized for engagement; games built systems in which players expected their actions to matter.Twitch has built its business around turning watching into doing. Real-time chat, subscriptions, and emotes all exist to make fan contributions visible. Some of its most watched streamers, including Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed, regularly draw audiences in the hundreds of thousands by building shows that respond to viewers in real time.As Chief Product Officer at Twitch, Mike Minton examines how those behaviors translate into product decisions and economic outcomes. His read on what Twitch built applies well beyond gaming. The internet used to be about distribution. Increasingly, it’s about participation.