Cannes Lions: 4 of the biggest advertising trends to watch in 2025

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is typically a jubilant weeklong celebration of all things marketing and advertising. And while this year will still be that, a cloud will be looming over the festivities.

It comes down to two words you’re probably tired of hearing: economic uncertainty.

Still, the show must go on, and the uncertainty could present opportunity for brands to stand out from the pack — a perfect backdrop to advertising’s biggest week.

“In such turbulent times, the natural instinct might be to batten down the hatches and slash costs,” says Antonis Kocheilas, global chief transformation officer at Ogilvy. “However, for strong brands, this is a moment to demonstrate their true power.”

“These brands possess an inherent ability to signify quality and value that transcends mere price points, making them more resilient and, dare we say, unsinkable in the face of the tariff storm.”

On that note, there is the usual jam-packed program of events, discussions and awards that give insight into what to expect from this year’s festival. From balancing human creativity with AI to the rise of the creator economy, here are four of the biggest topics and trends to look for if you’re frolicking along the Croisette.

1. AI with a human touch

AI will obviously be on everyone’s mind. With the rise of AI chatbots, festivalgoers will likely be buzzing about their impact on search and so many other aspects of the advertising industry.

But this being a festival of creativity, marketers are aiming to find the human spirit in all the AI hype. Looking at the schedule, you’ll see events like:

• “The Human Touch: Creativity Can’t Be Automated”
• “More Humanized Growth in the Era of AI”
• “Get Sh-t Done Live: Where Humans and AI Collide”

“What I’m most excited to see at Cannes this year are the ideas that let you feel the human insight at the core and that then use technology to take it somewhere truly extraordinary,” says Debbi Vandeven, global chief creative officer at VML.

“As creatives and leaders in this industry, we have a duty to ask ourselves: Does this technology help people connect? Does it solve real problems? That’s our filter. In the end, it matters most if it’s serving people in meaningful ways.”

2. The creator economy breaks through

The creator economy is taking on greater significance at Cannes, so much so that the Social and Influencer Lions awards are getting a new name: Social and Creator Lions.

Creators are expected to earn $15 billion in the U.S. this year just from social media, according to eMarketer. They’re also expanding into new channels like podcasts, for instance, where creator revenue is projected to grow more than 23% this year.

So it can’t come as a huge shock that the festival program spotlights creators with events like “The 2025 Influencer Pricing Report” and “The Rise of the Professional Creator.”

3. B2B strikes back

The festival is updating its B2B creative awards this year, as submissions must clarify whether they are a traditional B2B campaign, a business partnership model or hybrid efforts intended to attract consumers as a way to engage business customers.

The changes, along with several events during the festival, reflect the growing complexity of the B2B space. Festivalgoers will find events like:

• “How Relationships and Recommendations Make B2B Products More Buyable”
• “Why Building Influence Drives Growth for B2B Brands”

According to Salesforce’s 2024 State of Marketing Report, B2B marketers grew their advertising priorities; ad spend grew 3 percentage points from 2022 to 2024, “reflecting the fierce competition for brand awareness.”

4. Women’s sports stay strong

Last year, Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment hosted the Women’s Sports House for the first time. The space invited festivalgoers to learn more about the booming women’s sports market and its opportunities for marketers.

This year, Deep Blue is back to keep the conversation rolling with the Women’s Sports Yacht Club, which will feature a lineup of speakers and iHeart podcast recordings.

“The industry is showing no signs of slowing down, and we believe it’s important to continue to convene key stakeholders around the business of women’s sports specifically to focus the conversation, share tangible insights and foster business opportunities to sustain and support the continued upward trajectory of the industry,” Laura Correnti, founder and CEO of Deep Blue, tells The Current.

Ad spend on women’s sports increased by 139% in 2024, according to Edo, and game broadcasts grew by 37%.

The momentum is expected to continue this year. Women’s sports could account for 20% of all sports coverage, according to Wasserman’s The Collective, up from less than 6% in 2019. Revenue generated by women’s sports — including sponsorships and merchandise — could surge by 25%, according to Deloitte.

“With the emergence of new leagues and women’s sports-specific content, non-endemic brands coming online and fans ramping up interest and consumption, demand is meeting supply in new, innovative ways,” Correnti says. “The barriers aren’t just breaking down; they’re being busted wide open.”