Cannes Lions moved from anxiety to action in 2026. Hear how AI, creator strategies and gaming ad formats evolved—and what the shifts mean for marketers.

After my first day at Cannes Lions, two things stood out immediately: the festival feels busier than it did a year ago, and the mood feels more optimistic.

Cannes search panic, decoded: it was never about search,

Marketing and ad execs from brands including Netflix, Lego and EA spoke on Day 1 of Variety in the C-Suite in collaboration with Canva at Cannes Lions.

At Cannes Lions, new AI tools, a focus on cultural collaborations and strategies for further engaging with the creator economy are at the center of the conversation.

At a festival where one company’s absence from a patch of sand can be read a dozen different ways, creators are giving Cannes Lions a different kind of energy.

The crosscurrents of discussion at Cannes Lions were hot topics for leaders during Day 2 of Variety in the C-Suite in collaboration with Canva.

The sheer magnitude of brands on the Croisette during the marketer fest brought a slew of unexpected collaborations and a feeling that money ran freely these few days.

AI’s rapid expansion is reshaping how brands balance personalization and broad reach, creating new challenges and opportunities for marketing relevance.

Cannes Lions moved from anxiety to action in 2026. Hear how AI, creator strategies and gaming ad formats evolved—and what the shifts mean for marketers.

Marketers at Cannes Lions discuss their expanding list of responsibilities, AI’s threat to creativity and the importance of having a CMO on the C-suite