At Advertising Week Europe 2025, most brand sessions centered on scale, spend, and safe bets. Burger King UK, on the other hand, showed up with postpartum hunger, hospital room selfies, and an unapologetically human campaign that sparked a national debate.
At Advertising Week Europe 2025, the question wasn’t whether influencer marketing works—it was whether it’s gotten too powerful. And if you were in the packed audience at this headline session, you know one thing for sure: no one held back.
While many sessions at Advertising Week Europe 2025 buzzed with the usual talk of performance metrics and AI-driven innovation, one quieter, more intimate discussion delivered something rarer: a blueprint for building brands that don’t just include disabled consumers—they center them.
Automation has opened up incredible possibilities for marketing teams. But with great power comes great risk of sounding like every other brand in the feed.
Brand safety isn’t just about protecting your reputation—it’s about empowering your brand to thrive, innovate, and lead with confidence.
By creating connective tissue between message, medium, and moment, we unlock the kind of storytelling that earns attention and action.
Everyone is talking about Gen Z, but most Gen Zers are still teenagers, whereas the entire millennial generation is at or near the peak of their purchasing power.
To really connect with Gen Z, you’ve got to let go of the myths and see us for who we actually are. When you start to see us clearly, you’ll also see success, because messaging that truly resonates will build engagement and win our loyalty.
If that authenticity isn’t there, collaborations can look try-hard and superficial and can end up doing more harm than good.
Suddenly, more of the world wants to laugh. Or so it may seem. After many fallow years, when humour in advertising felt scarce, misplaced, or just absent – it’s slowly, tentatively making a comeback.
Advertising on premium news sites not only aligns with the activity of target consumers, provides better engagement, and provides better brand safety, but it also gives brands the opportunity to support journalism at a very trying time.
Ultimately, ensure you’re providing a sense of thrill and urgency by tapping into the universal desire to feel seen and heard. Start with in-depth social listening to mine for opportunities. It’s not just what consumers are saying but how they’re emoting and expressing, context matters.
Every business struggles at times; you need the courage to learn from your experiences and keep going. And remember, if you get it right, on the rollercoaster that is running your own business, the downs are right before the ups.
There’s no sign that the experiential marketing industry is slowing down, so the future looks bright. Marketers would be wise to get their ducks in a row now to reap the rewards.
Overall, Cannes Lions 2024 highlighted a dynamic interplay between sustainability, AI, media evolution, and creative excellence. The festival served as a platform for industry leaders to discuss and showcase how innovation and responsible practices can drive meaningful change and positive impact in the industry.
Cannes Lions 2024 reflected an industry that has progressed from talk to action when it comes to AI, cookies and commerce media. Elsewhere, chat on the French Riviera turned to the rise of CTV and the need to work harder than ever to gain consumer trust.
The concept of a channel multiplier effect in itself, isn’t a new one. Both client and agency side, we know that different channels can support and enhance the performance of each other.
In this dynamic era of the Experience Economy, where empathy, immersion, and memorable interactions reign supreme, businesses have a unique opportunity to create lasting connections with their customers.
