{"id":4395231,"date":"2025-06-25T15:14:49","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T13:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deptagency.com\/insight\/cannes-2025-hot-takes-from-the-shade-of-the-dept-secret-garden\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T16:40:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T14:40:50","slug":"cannes-2025-hot-takes-from-the-shade-of-the-dept-secret-garden","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.deptagency.com\/en-in\/insight\/cannes-2025-hot-takes-from-the-shade-of-the-dept-secret-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannes 2025: 6 hot takes from the shade of the DEPT\u00ae Secret Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/mask><\/g><\/svg>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tInsights\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\tCannes 2025: 6 hot takes from the shade of the DEPT\u00ae Secret Garden<\/h1>
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\n\t\tMarjan Straathof\t\t
\n\t\tGlobal SVP of Marketing\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tDate\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tJune 25, 2025\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\tCannes Lions is always a spectacle.<\/p>\n\tBut this year, the real action wasn\u2019t on the main stage. It happened in hushed conversations, impromptu brainstorms, and low-lit corners, often in our own DEPT\u00ae Secret Garden.

Away from the sun-drenched Palais stages and the ros\u00e9-fuelled networking, a clear message came through: Enterprise marketing is being dismantled and rebuilt. Fuelled by tech, reshaped by AI, and forced to adapt to a volatile media ecosystem.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t
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<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\tA creative reckoning is here<\/h2>\n\tFor decades, Cannes was synonymous with a singular vision of creativity: The Big Idea. But the vision of the storytelling masterpiece has evolved.\u00a0

This year confirmed that marketing excellence now lives at the intersection of what, where, and how, <\/em>a belief that we at DEPT\u00ae have long championed. In other words, it\u2019s no longer solely about pure creativity, but now equally encompasses media, technology, and AI.\u00a0

A creative idea is only as good as its ability to reach audiences and scale intelligently, and Cannes 2025 reflected that. Big tech dominated panels, attendees gravitated towards intimate discussions, and Shantanu Narayen was awarded the Creative Champion of the Year Award<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\tThe more brands use GenAI content, the more leverage content creators have\u00a0<\/h2>\n\tIt might sound counterintuitive, but as DEPT\u00ae SVP of Growth Asher Wren put it: “The rise of influencers and creators is symbiotic with AI. The more GenAI \u2018stuff\u2019 there is that folks can see is robot-made, the greater the need for humanity and human-led content in our feeds.”\u00a0

As (fast, efficient, but often generic) GenAI content becomes more popular and normalised, the human touch becomes exponentially more valuable. Authenticity, unique voice, and genuine connection aren\u2019t skills AI can replicate (at least yet). In a world filled with algorithmically generated noise, the ability of a human creator to build trust is more powerful than ever.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n
\n\t\u201c<\/span>\n\tThe rise of influencers and creators is symbiotic with AI. The more GenAI \u2018stuff\u2019 there is that folks can see is robot-made, the greater the need for humanity and human-led content in our feeds.<\/p>\t
\n\t\u201d<\/span>\n\n\tAsher Wren, SVP of Growth at DEPT\u00ae<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\t\n\tBrands and agencies are viewing creators less as megaphones and increasingly as strategic partners and originators of ideas. In this new model, creators aren’t just the messengers; they are the media. And platforms are adapting, too.

YouTube launched Open Call<\/a>, which allows brands to post briefs to 3+ million creators to pitch ideas, while TikTok expanded its Symphony suite of generative AI tools<\/a> to help creators and agencies crank out native ads faster.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\tThe fully automated advertising future is here, even if Meta tries to calm executives<\/h2>\n\tLLM ads incoming: Meta arrived at Cannes with a full-throated AI story, openly touting a fully automated advertising future.\u00a0

While Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s vision<\/a> of small advertisers simply inputting “objective and bank account, no creative or targeting needed” might have caused nightmares, the reality is that AI is now undeniably at the core of Meta’s (and soon, everyone’s) ad business<\/a>.\u00a0

Brands must move beyond theoretical discussions to actively strategising how to harness these automated engines for optimal performance, while simultaneously ensuring their core brand narrative doesn’t get lost in the automation. This demands a proactive re-architecture of media strategy, not just a passive acceptance.

As Isabel Perry, DEPT\u00ae Global SVP Emerging Tech, noted: \u201cIt opens the door for hyper-relevance, but it also introduces real complexity for brand safety teams. Who\u2019s approving what, when a model is serving 1,000 versions a second?\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\tWith AI, anyone can be a [fill in the blank]<\/span><\/h2>\n\tAt Cannes, we learned that Qualcomm’s AI writing assistant saves them 2,400 hours a month<\/a>, and Havas committed \u20ac400 million to “AI teammates” without eliminating human jobs<\/a>.\u00a0

But beyond team augmentation, AI is a disruptor of traditional team structures.\u00a0

As our Global CEO, Dimi Albers, said, \u201cCMOs are investing in tech, proof of concepts, and upskilling, but their teams are often structured like it\u2019s 2015. What they\u2019re underestimating is the opportunity for true team transformation. They need AI-native marketers. Think architects, artists, even comedians, who think in prompts and operate without traditional marketing baggage.\u201d

While the exact best way to build these teams hasn’t been perfected, leaders should consider how to nurture young talent who live at the crossroads of culture and tech.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n
\n\t\u201c<\/span>\n\tThey need AI-native marketers. Think architects, artists, even comedians, who think in prompts and operate without traditional marketing baggage.<\/p>\t
\n\t\u201d<\/span>\n\n\tDimi Albers, CEO at DEPT\u00ae<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\tBold creativity, not just speed, wins the AI race<\/h2>\n\tAI tools like Firefly and Pencil are making production faster, and it\u2019s easy to focus on automation for speed. But Cannes reminded us that the real edge won’t come from automating faster; it’ll come from those who rethink the why<\/em>.\u00a0

Jon Judah, SVP of technology at DEPT\u00ae, said, \u201cThis is reminiscent of the mobile app boom years ago. The winners weren’t those who raced to build, but those who used mobile to solve real problems and stand out (like Uber). Brands that invest in better creative strategy and take risks with more provocative storytelling will continue to win, as they always have.\u201d\u00a0

As Sir John Hegarty<\/a> captured in his keynote, “Giants can’t dance. Impact comes from being bold, not just optimised for global scalability.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTranscript\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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