Cannes Lions 2025 marked a crucial moment of introspection for our industry, as we navigate the need for transformation.
The standout work went beyond superficiality or grandeur, instead showcasing personal, generous, and culturally-relevant qualities.
We observed these themes resonating across categories and regions, providing essential takeaways for our collective growth:
1. Culture Is the Work, Not a Backdrop
Successful ideas weren’t imposed on cultures, they emerged from them. The most impactful campaigns avoided oversimplifying local complexities, instead embracing language, humor, traditions, and community experiences. This approach demonstrated that genuine relevance requires deep listening and meaningful collaboration.
2. Compassion for the Next Generation of Creatives
Cannes Lions 2025 reminded us of our collective responsibility to support the next generation of creatives, who are entering an industry with unprecedented challenges.
As leaders, peers and collaborators, we must provide them with the mentorship, patience and encouragement that once helped us thrive. Investing in their growth is vital to our industry's future.
3. Brand Experience Means Every Touchpoint Counts
This year's top work demonstrated exceptional brand experiences, consistently delivering on their promise through meticulous attention to detail. From streamlined logistics to memorable in-store interactions and impactful campaigns, brands cohesively conveyed humanity, care, and reliability throughout the customer journey.
4. Bravery Still Wins
Cannes 2025 taught us that safe work is forgettable work.
To stand out, clients and agencies must tackle tough social issues, break taboos, and challenge their own rules. This year's most impactful ideas addressed difficult topics, defied social norms, and trusted audiences to think critically. Effective creativity wasn't about playing it safe, but about being relevant and authentic.
5. Creativity needs culture—and culture needs care
Perhaps the most important lesson wasn’t on stage but in conversation: our industry is full of talent who feel like they don’t belong. Imposter syndrome, burnout, the fear of speaking up, these challenges are real, especially for young creatives. We were reminded that investing in culture isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s essential. The best work came from teams who felt safe enough to take risks and tell the truth.
6. Experience is everything, and emotion drives it
One of the strongest signals was a renewed focus on experience design that puts emotion first. Brands that aligned promises with real-world moments built trust and memorability. Even logistical details like delivery experiences or sampling moments, became opportunities for connection when approached with empathy.
7. Consistency Without Complacency
In a fragmented media world, the best brands proved that consistency doesn’t mean repeating yourself. It meant knowing what to make, why, and for whom.
It meant knowing what you stand for and expressing it in ways that stay fresh. The work we saw rewarded clarity of thought while allowing space to evolve and experiment.
Storytelling, empathy, cultural understanding, and care for creative people are what set truly effective work apart.
That’s the reminder we’re carrying forward. Creativity is not just about making things look good. It’s about making them mean something. And that work begins with us.