After taking the annual trip to the south of France, the GumGum team takes us through their hot takes from La Croisette…

This year’s International Festival of Creativity saw the great and the good of advertising return to the Cote d’Azur – with the narratives focusing on outcome-based approaches, the AI-human hierarchy, and the collision of fandom and culture. Here, execs from mindset advertising company, GumGum, distill the top takeaways.

Energy, buoyancy, and connection

Peter Wallace, General Manager, EMEA & JAPAC

There was a real sense of collaboration in the air at 2026 Cannes. After what has been a tough year for many, the media industry came together in a show of solidarity that sustained even between competitors. With a clear focus on relationship-building, it felt positive for everyone to share their work from local markets on a global stage.

Original, meaningful action was the topic of the day across various panels and debates. More than ever, people focused on the importance of results. Much of this year’s conversation revolved around similar campaign ingredients: agentic AI, the influence of data signals, and the power of shifting the dial through measurable and transparent brand outcomes.

The fact that many in adtech are aligning around similar AI/agentic messaging has implications for brands and agencies, too. It becomes even more vital for prospective clients to dig beneath the hood of various suppliers – and to interrogate fully where their points of difference lie.

Aligning with cultural fandom

Jess Aylett, Head of Sales, UK & International

The topic of fandom was impossible to ignore this year; whether that was how to harness the booming creator sphere or finding a community language around major cultural events. It’s a unique opportunity for brands to notice and lean into fast-moving cultural moments.

During major entertainment or sports stories, e.g., the World Cup, brands aren’t just showing up; they’re finding ways to become part of the experience. Talks at Cannes referenced campaigns such as Stella Artois' recent Wimbledon sponsorships. The beer brand has sought to create a premium, memorable experience for consumers with the launch of a limited-edition strawberries-and-cream flavour. It’s also revived the 2025 design of a can dressed in white (to mirror the players’ dress code) and added a national treasure hunt dimension, with the prize of Wimbledon tickets.

The upshot is that tomorrow’s best advertising will prioritise integration, not interruption. Winning brands will understand culture deeply enough to contribute something relevant, funny or moving; rather than simply demand attention. The challenge is to leverage more than content themes, but the mindset and emotions that emerge around specific cultural moments.

Agentic tech gets real and CTV’s smart consolidation

Adam Schenkel, Chief Operating Officer

AI and agentic capabilities dominated nearly every conversation at Cannes. The discussion has shifted from future potential to practical application, with real adoption across campaign execution, workflow automation, and media operations. Agencies are moving quickly to build agentic operating models for clients, fundamentally changing how planning, activation, optimisation, and measurement will be delivered over the next few years.

At the same time, there was strong validation that advertisers are looking for partners who can combine AI-powered intelligence with premium media signals, rather than relying on identity or automation alone.

In the CTV sphere, the debates at Cannes showed how publishers are becoming far more disciplined in their partnership strategy. The focus has shifted from expanding partner rosters to validating which partners deliver truly incremental demand and measurable value, while actively consolidating relationships that do not.

Human creativity as a competitive advantage

Laura Foster, SVP, Global Marketing 

In a world of AI-generated everything, it was striking to note how quickly the conversation has moved from "will AI replace us?" to "AI is the tool, but humanity is the edge". Every stage had some version of this conversation. Even the companies building their entire businesses around AI are still investing in human capital, because human judgment, taste, creativity, and trust are becoming the real differentiators in a world of AI-generated everything.

The concept of creativity itself also underwent a rebrand. Rather than it being seen as some kind of magical lightning strike, this year’s most influential speakers framed it more as a business system.

The introduction of the Creative Brand Lion this year reflected this shift, celebrating the infrastructure behind creative excellence. The inaugural title was awarded to AB InBev. Global CMO Marcel Marcondes said its creative playbook aimed to help customers "feel, live, and experience" the brand rather than simply "show and tell". 

Increasingly, the industry is rewarding brands that build the culture and processes to make great work happen. Not just once. Not just when the right agency team catches fire. Consistently.