The news: Cannes Lions 2025 will kick into full swing on June 16, and a wave of media companies and platforms are using the festival to cement their roles at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and culture.

• Spotify has returned to the Croisette with an audio-first activation that merges live performances and on-stage panels from artists like Cardi B and Charlie Puth with experiential moments like playlist cover art stations.
• Canva’s cabana will host intimate leadership discussions with top CMOs from Mastercard, Mattel, NBCUniversal, and Disney to discuss how design, culture, and commerce converge.
• Google TV is anchoring a brunch and executive roundtable focused on the evolution of TV content, with Warner Bros. Discovery, Tubi, and other streamers set to speak.
• Uber Advertising is focusing on sports marketing as a relationship-building tool—highlighted by appearances from Olympian Jordan Chiles and NBA CMO Tammy Henault.
• Variety is also bringing its Strictly Business podcast to the water, recording live from a yacht with executives from Deloitte and AWS to explore topics like media measurement, audience modeling, and brand-fan connectivity.
• Influential, now part of Publicis Groupe, is leaning into its creator economy credentials with its biggest Cannes presence to date, featuring panels with over 50 CMOs. Wednesday will spotlight the “Changemakers Challenge” in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Why it matters: Cannes Lions has evolved into an experience economy showcase where publishers, platforms, and marketers pilot activations that blur the line between networking, media innovation, and entertainment. The stakes are no longer just about awards—they’re about influence.

• The participation of brands like Google, Disney, Uber, Mastercard, and Canva demonstrates that Cannes is growing beyond advertising insiders toward full-spectrum brand engagement, from media planning to social impact.
• Cannes’ many changes like a focus on reality TV and influencers show that marketers have a widening field of cultural shifts and media channels to keep track of.
• Everyone wants to provide a platform to convene Hollywood talent and C-suite executives in the same room—something increasingly necessary as content, commerce, and culture merge.

Our take: This year’s Cannes is less about who bought the biggest yacht and more about who’s owning the conversation—and generating leads. According to B2B marketers, in-person events are the most effective way to drive leads.

As Cannes continues to function as a laboratory for what's next in advertising and content, brands that show up with substance—not just spectacle—are likely to walk away with more than photos on the Croisette. They’ll leave with partnerships, positioning, and playbooks for the year ahead.