By R. Larsson, Advertising Week
Another year at Cannes Lions has come to a close, leaving the industry with a clearer picture of where advertising is heading next. While AI once again dominated conversations across the Croisette, this year’s discussions reflected a notable shift in maturity. Leaders were more interested in how AI can deliver measurable outcomes, strengthen creativity, improve collaboration and help build a healthier advertising ecosystem. Alongside technology, topics including retail media, the open web, measurement, sustainability and the enduring importance of human connection all shaped the week’s biggest conversations.
AI enters its next chapter
Conversations around AI were less about what the technology could do in theory and more about how it can solve real business challenges today.
For Luca Filardo, CRO at Adlook, that shift was impossible to ignore. He points that marketers are under increasing pressure to prove performance, with conversations centred on “ROAS, incrementality and ensuring media investment drives measurable business outcomes.” At the same time, he observed that “the hype has given way to agentic application,” as advertisers increasingly prioritise AI that improves targeting, activation and measurement over innovation for innovation’s sake.
Filardo’s comments reflected a broader theme heard throughout the week: AI is no longer being judged by its novelty, but by the commercial value it can deliver. Tal Jacobson, CEO of Perion, similarly argued that the industry’s AI conversations have become noticeably more grounded. Rather than treating AI as the headline, he said, marketers are now looking for technology that helps them “achieve better results, faster, across increasingly fragmented channels like CTV, social and retail media.”
Ian Maxwell, CEO of Converge, observed the same shift. “We’ve moved beyond the AI hype,” he said, with brands increasingly focused on understanding how AI will “solve their challenges” rather than simply hearing about new capabilities.
With conversations around AI maturing, attention also turned to the infrastructure needed to support its next phase. Nick Morgan, Founder & CEO of Vudoo, saw the same evolution. As he put it, “The conversation has shifted beyond AI hype to execution.” That emphasis was echoed by Vinod Kashyap, Chief Product Officer at Digital Envoy, who said many discussions centred on “the foundational infrastructure and rails on which modern campaigns run.” As AI becomes more deeply embedded across advertising, he argued that data quality and integrity are once again becoming strategic priorities.
For Alistair Hill, Co-Founder and CEO of On Device, these changes are already delivering measurable impact. “The impact of AI is real,” he said, with measurement data now training models that make media planning “significantly more effective.” As media owners continue searching for ways to compete with the walled gardens, he believes increasingly “the answer is by using data to train AI models.”
AI is also reshaping agency relationships. Christoph Berg, Founder and CEO of MINT Square, believes brands are reassessing their partner ecosystems as adoption accelerates, increasingly prioritising “expertise, adaptability, and the ability to implement AI in practical, effective ways.” He argues this is creating new opportunities for specialist independent agencies.
Measurement becomes the industry’s common language
While AI dominated discussions, Cannes also reflected a broader shift towards accountability. Across every channel, marketers are looking for clearer evidence that investment is translating into business outcomes, with agentic being seen “as a core driver of digital advertising strategy and not just an efficiency tool,” according to Matt Salmon, VP Advertiser Solutions & AgenticOS, EMEA, PubMatic. “The reality is that the tools are available to achieve more than just efficiency. They can drive real performance towards business outcomes, but only those brave enough to be frontrunners are seeing the benefits,” added Salmon.
Stephen Upstone, CEO and Founder of LoopMe, believes much of that discussion at Cannes centred on changing consumer behaviour. One of the most important conversations, he said, was “where web traffic is actually going.” As generative AI reshapes how consumers discover content, he argues that “open app is capturing it,” creating new opportunities for advertisers, particularly in mobile gaming where audiences are highly engaged.
Megan Bogatzki, Head of Programmatic at Zoom Media, said this year’s festival also highlighted the growing importance of measuring performance across channels as advertisers seek “greater accountability across their media investments”. She saw increasing recognition that the real strength of Programmatic DOOH is revealed “when viewed alongside broader campaign results.”
Measurement also extended beyond campaign performance to the quality of media itself. Adrien Boyer, SVP EMEA at Seedtag, believes “the curation conversation at Cannes was long overdue,” noting that the industry is finally asking tougher questions about supply quality after “too much repackaged inventory has been dressed up as strategy,” reflecting the broader push towards greater accountability across the ecosystem.
Retail media and the open web continue to evolve
Alongside performance, many conversations focused on how technology can create healthier ecosystems for retailers, publishers and advertisers alike.
Retail media remained one of the standout topics throughout the week. Nick Morgan noted that retailers are increasingly questioning “whether a single platform can continue to meet every need”, with modular approaches gathering momentum as the market matures. For him, the long-term winners will be those capable of building trusted ecosystems through partnership rather than scale alone.
The future of the open internet was equally prominent. Keith Arrowsmith, Global Marketing Director at Onetag, described Cannes as “a melting pot of ideas and a useful barometer about where the industry is heading,” and pointed to publishers moving “from simply scale to the value proposition of their inventory,” enabling them to create greater value through technology and data despite market pressures.
Creativity and cultural moments remain core to capturing attention
Although AI featured in almost every conversation, creativity remained firmly at the centre of the industry’s ambitions.
Arrowsmith noted that publishers are exploring richer experiences through “the combination of media and formats, including AR and VR,” recognising that stronger creative engagement ultimately delivers better outcomes for advertisers and audiences alike.
Major cultural moments were also prominent throughout the week. Boyer pointed to the World Cup as a catalyst for richer conversations about audience engagement, with attention shifting away from viewership numbers towards “what sustained shared attention actually does for brands.” Looking ahead, he believes success will come from understanding “not just who audiences are watching, but how they’re feeling when they watch.”
Matt Longley, CEO of Mobsta, believes the industry now has an opportunity to broaden the AI conversation beyond efficiency. While infrastructure improvements are important, he would like to see greater emphasis on how AI can help brands “reach people, inspire people, and create genuine aspiration.”
Rob Blake, MD EMEA at Channel Factory, notes that agencies face increasing commercial pressure and that advertising must remain focused on “outcomes and performance.” At the same time, he said Cannes reinforced the value created when brands and agencies combine technology with “a deeper understanding of culture.” Looking to the World Cup and other global moments, Blake argued that brands that “think beyond borders and engage with cultural moments will win attention.”
Technology works best when it brings people together
Perhaps the strongest conclusion from Cannes Lions 2026 was that, despite rapid technological progress, the industry’s greatest strengths remain deeply human.
Sandra Wagner, CEO and Founder of AuraVeo, believes “the absolute biggest driver of value still remains our human need for connection.” While AI undoubtedly has an important place within media, she argues that the real opportunity lies in “using it to create more” human connection rather than replacing it.
That balance was echoed by Alistair Bastian, CTO, Data and Technology Solutions at WPP. He noted that “technology in isolation rarely changes industries.” Instead, the most valuable discussions focused on how people, systems and organisations can work together to build trust and reduce friction, while recognising that “the best ideas, original thinking, and creativity come from real conversations between people.”
Looking beyond the hype
Taken together, the conversations from Cannes Lions 2026 suggest the industry is entering a more mature chapter. AI remains the defining technology, but the focus has shifted decisively towards practical application, measurable outcomes and stronger collaboration. Whether discussing retail media, publisher value, measurement or creativity, one message consistently emerged throughout the week: innovation delivers its greatest impact when it helps people work better together, creates lasting value for advertisers and publishers, and earns the trust of consumers along the way.
