Cannes Lions 2025: Navigating AI, Sustainability, and Creator Economy on the Croisette

As the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity returns this June, the global ad industry once again descends on the Croisette - armed with SPF, high hopes, and a packed schedule of panels, parties, and beachside brainstorms. But beyond the rosé and beachfront mixers lies something deeper: a collective drive to futureproof the Adtech industry. For Adtech leaders, that means showing up with intention - and a point of view. From the role of AI in creative development to the industry’s response to climate accountability and the evolution of the creator economy, this year’s trends signal not just where the industry is - but where it’s headed. 

Here’s what to watch - and how Adtech companies can prepare. 

Artificial Intelligence:  beyond the buzz

AI is no longer a shiny, new toy - it feels like everyone has at least dipped their toes into ChatGPT or Midjourney. But at Cannes 2025, the conversation has matured: less hype, more use cases. It’s about how AI can drive better business outcomes - more efficient workflows, more adaptive creative, and smarter media buying - while dialing back the creepiness. 

LinkedIn is putting this into practice at its Croisette studio, where an AI-powered activation helps attendees discover their content creator persona, blending generative tech with real-world identity and content strategy. It’s experiential, but rooted in platform data. 

Kantar, meanwhile, is hosting sessions focused on AI’s transformative effect on teams and creative workflows. Their message is clear: AI isn’t just a tool for personalization - it’s a partner in decision-making. 

Mark Dunn, COO of Prodigy, advertising's first spending data platform, provides his opinion on AI's role in marketing decisionmaking, "AI brings tremendous value across the marketing ecosystem, especially throughout the content creation process. Beyond generative AI, agentic AI can be leveraged to provide deep insights in seconds, empowering marketers to make better decisions, more quickly."Advertising’s First Spending Data Platform

For Adtech companies, the spotlight is on implementation. Cannes isn’t asking if you use AI - it’s asking what you’ve done with it lately. Are your algorithms generating results? Is your data actionable? How is it delivering smarter, faster, and more reliable outcomes?

Sustainability: from purpose to practice 

Sustainability has moved past platitudes. Now, it’s about measurable impact. While brands have long paid lip service to purpose, consumers - and regulators - are demanding real action. This year’s programming at Cannes signals the shift from inspiration to execution. 

 VML is showcasing some of its sustainability-led campaigns such as “#UnplasticIndia,” which uses striking visuals to depict the harmful impact of single-use plastics on marine life, aiming to drive behavioral change in plastic consumption. It’s not just an awareness play - it’s a call to action. 

Across the festival, sustainability is taking center stage:

• Workshops around how advertising can phase out fossil fuels

• Meet-ups around ​the power of positive storytelling to bring fresh energy into the sustainability space

• Sessions on using the industry's creative, financial and community power to tackle climate change

• And, of course, the Sustainable Development Goals Lions, which highlight campaigns that directly contribute to global sustainability benchmarks 

"It has never been more important for brands to walk the walk when it comes to environmental sustainability, " said Brian Murphy, Founder of Alpine Project. "This also goes for the companies in their supply chains, including agencies, ad tech platforms and publishers. The good news, progress is being made and much of it will be shared and discussed at this year’s Cannes Lions."

Adtech can no longer sit on the sidelines. From energy-efficient ad serving to sustainable inventory sourcing and carbon-neutral campaign tracking, companies need to back their sustainability promises with metrics, partnerships, and product innovation. 

The creator economy: redefining engagement 

The rebrand of the Social & Influencer Lions to the Social & Creator Lions tells you everything you need to know: the creator economy isn’t just growing - it’s redefining how influence is earned and how engagement is measured. This year, the Croisette is buzzing with creator-first activations and programming. 

Pinterest is returning with The Manifestival, a tactile, creator-led space that includes personalized style readings, custom-made treats and even a tattoo parlor. It’s a masterclass in blending physical interaction with platform stickiness. 

Adweek and Nielsen are co-hosting sessions that delve into the data behind creator effectiveness - bridging qualitative influence with quantifiable outcomes. 

Digital Voices is launching the Global Influencer Council, a collective aimed at setting standards in ethical, scalable influencer marketing, as well as hosting sessions on hyper-localized influencer campaigns and pitting influencers against creative directors to tackle a social-first brief. 

For Adtech companies, the challenge - and opportunity - is to transition from influencer marketing as a one-off tactic to creator partnerships as a core media strategy. That means building infrastructure that supports diverse creator networks, real-time measurement, and contextual targeting that respects both audience and creator integrity. 

Pinterest's "The Manifestival" activation at Cannes

Final Thoughts: what to bring to Cannes 

If you’re heading to Cannes Lions 2025, the best thing you can bring (besides a comfortable pair of shoes) is a strategy. A presence alone isn’t enough. The companies that will win - on stage and behind the scenes - are those who arrive with a clear, compelling point of view. 

Here’s your checklist: 

1. A POV on AI: What’s your practical application? How are you improving media outcomes, reducing waste, or streamlining production? Bonus points if you’ve got results to show for it. 

2. A measurable sustainability story: This isn’t the year for vague pledges. Bring the data - especially Scope 3 emissions - and demonstrate how you’re tracking, reducing, and communicating your environmental impact. 

3. A real creator strategy: Not just how you buy influencer media - but how you co-create, amplify, and attribute it. Think long-term partnerships, inclusive networks, and tools that help creators thrive. 

Cannes Lions 2025 is more than a celebration - it’s a proving ground. For Adtech companies, the message is clear: show up smart, be part of the big conversations, and bring the receipts.