Pitches, Panels and Parties That Resonated Most

The standout winners at the recent Cannes Lions festival were, without a doubt, the ice cream sellers.

In the hot climate of southern France, over 13,000 attendees of the Cannes Lions event moved briskly along the Croisette in Cannes, attending numerous meetings, panels, and pitches. Ice cream carts and kiosks, offering a variety of frozen delights, enjoyed brisk sales throughout the week. These sweet indulgences likely contributed to the overall atmosphere of optimism and anticipation among marketing, advertising, data, and technology professionals gathering at a time of significant change across almost all business sectors.

The Cannes Lions festival offers media and entertainment professionals a revealing glimpse into how technology and digital changes are reshaping various industries. Simultaneously, the art of persuasion has become more closely linked with media, largely due to the powerful impact of creators. In today’s social media-driven world, brands with large consumer bases must continually narrate their stories to remain visible in social feeds, highlighting the essential role of creators.

The rapid rise of AI, the growth of the attention economy, and its effects on traditional TV viewership have made Cannes Lions a platform for discussing substantial topics. Since the 2025 festival, there has been a noticeable change in how these disruptions are approached. CMOs arrived with specific examples of how AI, social media, creators, and other innovations have driven growth and transformation. A fitting tagline for Cannes Lions 2026 might be: “It’s Time to Slay Your Fears, Because the AI-Powered Revolution is Here.”

Gabrielle Wesley, the chief marketing officer for Mars Wrigley North America, captured this sentiment during a discussion at the Variety In the C-Suite event held at the Canva Creative Cabana on the beach.

“A century ago, radio was the sole medium capturing attention, followed by TV. Today, we have numerous ways to engage with consumers. Consumers have become more discerning and demanding,” Wesley noted. “They seek engagement, not passive communication. It’s akin to a relationship—you must continually converse, share new experiences, and reveal different aspects of yourself. I take this responsibility seriously, fostering a two-way relationship with consumers rather than just delivering messages.”

Below are additional insights from a non-stop week at Cannes Lions:

Big Media Courts Creators for Content and Distribution Deals

The trend is unmistakable: major media entities, including Amazon, Fox, Tubi, and Netflix, are actively pursuing content creators for partnerships. These companies are eager to leverage the popularity of personalities thriving on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

The approach is not to convert creators into TV personalities with exclusive shows but to support them in their digital environments. This involves enhancing their revenue streams through platforms like YouTube, live events, endorsements, and product launches.

Fox Entertainment’s CEO, Rob Wade, launched Fox Creator Studios this year, inspired by Gordon Ramsay’s success in generating commerce through social media. Similarly, Amazon established its Amazon Creator Services unit last year, seeing potential in this space.

“We saw how our content could promote and expand business opportunities. Suddenly, everything aligned—content, businesses surrounding it—and while bridging the gap between these worlds is challenging, the time felt right,” Wade shared with Variety.

During the festival, Fox’s Tubi announced a partnership with Amazon’s Fire TV, making Tubi’s creator content easily accessible and searchable on the platform.

“Essentially, it’s about delivering the content customers desire and providing creators with another platform to showcase their work,” explained Charlotte Maines, VP of devices content and advertising for Amazon.

Tubi, Fox’s ad-supported streaming service reaching over 100 million users, has become a lucrative space for creators. Tubi does not demand exclusivity, prioritizing accessibility and user-centric experiences instead.

“Distribution growth parallels the internet’s rise, emphasizing access without barriers or paywalls, prioritizing users. I expect creativity to flourish in deals, platforms, and creator initiatives, becoming more sophisticated and accessible, allowing for diverse voices and meeting our diverse users’ needs,” stated Rachel Berk, senior VP of platform partnerships for Tubi and Fox.

What Is Barbie Doing in Coachella?

Mattel orchestrated a Barbie activation at this year’s Coachella music festival in Indio, California. Roberto Stanichi, Mattel’s chief global brand officer, revealed that Barbie emerged as the festival’s most talked-about brand. “You might wonder, ‘What is Barbie doing at Coachella?’” he remarked during the Variety in the C-Suite in collaboration with Canva beachfront speaker series. At Coachella, “the Gen Z audience was profoundly impacted by Barbie’s presence,” Stanichi added.

The queue for the Barbie activation stretched to three and a half hours at one point. “Why does this resonate so deeply with that audience? It was surprising,” Stanichi said. Contributing to Barbie’s Gen Z appeal was Greta Gerwig’s 2023 “Barbie” blockbuster, which grossed $1.45 billion globally at the box office. (Plans for a sequel remain unspecified.)

The Coachella event is just the latest chapter in Barbie’s ongoing evolution. Stanichi pointed out that Barbie’s appearance has changed approximately every decade. Managing this iconic brand requires balancing authenticity with pushing boundaries to achieve genuine innovation.

Making (Personal Care) Brands Part of Your (Netflix) World

Unilever, a leading consumer products company, recently collaborated with Netflix’s “Bridgerton” to release a limited-edition range of Dove products inspired by the show. Speaking at the Variety in the C-Suite in collaboration with Canva, Netflix advertising chief Amy Reinhard noted the partnership led to a nearly 60% increase in new Dove shoppers. Leandro Barreto, CMO of Unilever, emphasized that this initiative yielded greater benefits than traditional product placement in a TV show. “When you think about culture, it’s hard to ignore Netflix, as it’s truly the cultural epicenter. It’s not only about content; it’s about creating worlds,” he said. “Being part of that cultural movement becomes almost inevitable.”

The Tennis Racket Is Not the Tennis Player

While generative AI is sometimes perceived as a job-threatening technology, Ruba Borno of Amazon Web Services (AWS) offered a different viewpoint. During a special Cannes Lions edition of Variety’s “Strictly Business” podcast, presented by AWS & Deloitte, Borno compared AI advancements to innovations in sports technology. When tennis players transitioned from wooden to titanium rackets, their performance improved significantly. “You don’t say the tennis racket is the player,” she noted. “It doesn’t replace the human; it enhances their abilities. If you’re not using these new tools, you can’t compete anymore… It sets a new standard.”

The Savviest Stars Come Out at Cannes Lions

The rise of the creator economy has enabled fan-engaged celebrities to build substantial brands, businesses, and fanbases. Their fame is the foundation of these ventures. Notable figures like Oprah Winfrey, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Paris Hilton, Shaquille O’Neal, Mel Robbins, Ludacris, NBA stars Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, designers Stella McCartney and Rachel Zoe, among others, shared their insights with leading marketing, advertising, and media executives at Cannes Lions. Essentially, they were fishing where the fish are.

“What a wonderful time to be in entertainment, as ideas are your currency,” Chopra Jonas remarked to a Cannes Lions audience at the Palais des festivals on June 24.

The Joy of a Good Party, or Two

The week of intense networking and discussions culminated joyfully on Thursday night with a Pride celebration at the Canva Creative Cabana on the beach. Paris DJ Dorion energized the dance floor with a diverse mix of tunes spanning generations. The Teletubbies made a surprise appearance, creating a vibrant spectacle that delighted the exhausted Cannes Lions attendees, who danced freely under the cooling mist of powerful fans.

On Wednesday night, Alan Cumming took on the role of DJ as NBCUniversal hosted a late-night party celebrating its late-night franchises. Cumming got the crowd moving with a series of dance hits, and NBC further charmed the audience by introducing Seth Meyers and Colin Jost for a brief interaction.

“We are going to be the hosts of Bravo’s ‘Winter House,’ “ Meyers joked, referencing the buzz around the latest season of Bravo’s “Summer House.” The partygoers gravitated towards one of the show’s main figures, Lindsay Hubbard, who was present.

On Tuesday, Ludacris had the crowd raising their hands in the air on the picturesque outdoor deck of the Hotel du Cap in Antibes, near Cannes, as the featured performer at UTA and DoorDash Ads’ Executive Soiree. Meanwhile, Amazon Ads entertained guests with English indie pop stars The xx at its spacious Amazon Port venue. As expected, the Spotify Beach installation was a hit with two nights of performances from marquee artists such as Raye and Mumford & Sons.

(Elsa Keslassy contributed to this report.)