Creators take over Cannes Lions, advertising's biggest bash

Creators are set to dominate this year’s Cannes Lions festival as an estimated 13,000-plus attendees head to the Côte d'Azur. A list compiled by a coalition of marketing firms expects more than 250 creators to attend, including Alex Cooper, Emily Sundberg, Cindy Chen, Josh Richards, Golloria, Keith Lee, Eleanor Neale, Colin & Samir, and David Dobrik, all seeking brand deals, paid speaking gigs, and content opportunities.

The shift reflects how marketers are responding to more fragmented audiences: broadcast advertising is losing reach, and brands are increasingly treating creators as a primary channel. The share of established US companies investing in influencer marketing has climbed to 88.7%, with brand spending forecast at $12.42 billion this year.

Michelle Crossan-Matos prefers the term "creator commerce" to capture creators’ influence on products and marketing, and Bain partner Shweta Bhardwaj says creator strategy is now central to CMOs' playbooks. Creators are playing active roles on the program.

France, Côte d'Azur

cannes lions, creators, influencer marketing, creator commerce, brand deals, creator strategy, cmos, creator economy, david dobrik, alex cooper