Attending the Cannes Lions Festival was an amazing opportunity to witness the best of the creative world. Located in the French Riviera, the festival showcases top-tier innovation, design, and advertising from across the globe. The array of creative work on display was extremely impressive, demonstrating how creativity extends beyond entertainment to make significant social impacts, including life-saving public health campaigns and powerful social justice initiatives. An incredible amount of thought had gone into the work, the on-site activations, the panels and talks, and into the actual festival space itself.
One of the festival’s highlights was the chance to connect with a diverse range of individuals and witness people so passionate about their work and industry. From designers in Argentina to innovators in Tokyo – I really met a varied bunch! Conversations with professionals from various backgrounds provided genuine insights into the global creative industry, and this exchange of ideas and experiences emphasized the collective passion driving creativity worldwide. Another crucial element of the Cannes Lions Festival is its esteemed judging panel, composed of some of the best minds in the industry. These talented individuals bring their vast experience and insight to evaluate the work submitted, ensuring that the awards recognize true excellence. Their involvement adds a layer of prestige and credibility to the festival, highlighting the importance of thoughtful and skilled evaluation in celebrating such achievements.
The festival also featured several noteworthy initiatives aimed at promoting diversity, accessibility and support within the industry. Workshops and panels focused on creating more inclusive environments were both informative and promising. Efforts to offer young people and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds the opportunity to learn and attend the festival underscored a commitment to fostering a diverse future for the creative industry and it will be interesting to see where this fares in years to come. Strong accessibility features were consistently highlighted and spaces like a designated quiet area, creche, and elected space and contacts for those who may need extra support, demonstrates how the team went above and beyond to make the event inclusive for a range of attendees.
However, alongside these celebrations of creativity and innovation, there were important issues I think are worth addressing. The stark contrast between the festival’s grandeur and the financial realities faced by many creatives is something I’ve been reading about. Despite the festival’s opulence, many in the industry, particularly junior creatives, continue to be underpaid. Entry-level positions often come with low salaries and limited job security, presenting significant challenges for those starting their careers and who are putting in extensive hours. For many, attending Cannes Lions can feel like a distant dream. In this current cost-of-living crisis, I wasn’t surprised to read that many juniors felt that a festival as expensive and as large-scale as Cannes Lions was frustrating to witness from the outside, when expenses can be paid for their senior team members to attend but pay rises cannot be dished out and cuts are being made.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) remain areas where the industry must make further progress and many feel that this has been sidelined slightly as a whole. While the festival highlights diverse voices and initiatives, underrepresentation of minority groups in many agencies, especially in senior roles, persists. Genuine inclusivity requires continuous effort to ensure that everyone feels valued and has equal opportunities for advancement. I couldn’t help but notice that agency leaders receiving awards on stage did not reflect the community.
The gender pay gap is another pressing concern within the creative industry. Women often earn less than their male counterparts despite having similar qualifications and experience. This issue extends beyond pay, affecting career progression and representation in leadership positions. Balancing work and personal life also remains a challenge, particularly for women with families, impacting their career growth. However, it was great to see many spaces that were designated to champion women and gender equality and some interesting talks that offered a real sense of community and left many women who attended feeling heard and understood.
Sustainability was also a prominent theme at the festival, with numerous panels and keynotes dedicated to the topic. However, this sometimes highlighted a disconnect between discussions and actions, for example the amount of free merchandise handed out consistently felt a bit wasteful. Big agencies that still support and work for fossil fuel clients were also celebrated for their achievements, with no real acknowledgement that a few of these businesses generate a lot of revenue from ‘greenwashing’. Aligning words with actions is essential for the industry to maintain credibility in its commitment to sustainability.
Another consideration is the sheer cost of entering work into the festival, making it a playground primarily for agencies with substantial budgets. This financial barrier limits the participation of smaller agencies and independent creatives, restricting the diversity of voices and ideas represented on the stage.
Overall, the Cannes Lions Festival is an amazing whirlwind of creativity, with immense thought and time invested into it and plenty to do. Winning a Lion is still incredibly sought after and a massive honour, reflected by the incredible energy at the award shows. Despite certain challenges or observations that I feel could be addressed moving forwards, the festival remains a testament to the power and impact of creativity in our world.
