So… the whole advertising industry is in turmoil following Cannes Lions 2025 and the awarded campaigns blamed for using AI and fake data to amplify results in their case studies. Brazilian agency DM9 retracted three awarded campaigns due to issues regarding the legitimacy of the results presented, and a few other leading agencies found it necessary to reexamine some of their case studies.
The first comprehension from all the fuss is that AI has not only elevated the work on creative ideas, it has also elevated the work on their case studies… to a level where reality can be manipulated. What a shocker…!
Even before all the AI drama, for years there’s been chatter about the validity of results presented in case studies, and the existence of ‘ghost’ campaigns produced on a small scale for the sole purpose of winning awards.
For years a large portion of awards are given to ideas addressing social and environmental issues, and not hardcore product/service issues relevant to the run-of-the-mill agency work. Brilliant campaigns such as “Cheetos Other Hand” , addressing a product attribute, are not exactly representative of the work which wins in most categories.
For years a few awarded campaigns look and feel a bit too similar to work we know from the past. For example this year… “Daisy vs Scammers” by O2 immediately reminded me of “Re:scam” by Netsafe from 2018. Maybe it’s just me…
For years we’ve been hearing about the politics and the ‘regional collaborations’ which impact who wins.
But perhaps… the real issue, the big question, is what should Cannes Lions really aim to celebrate and represent?
Is it exceptional creative campaigns? Or is it exceptional creative thinking?
Because they are not the same. Far from it.
Creative campaigns require… real campaigns with real market results.
Creative thinking requires… disruptive original ideas which real thinkers were able to manufacture from their amazing minds.
Celebrating remarkable creative thinkers, which are knee deep in Sisyphean tasks and rejection and stressful deadlines most of the time, is a very valuable endeavor. It can provide fuel which drives creativity and vitality. I am a firm believer that what creative thinkers in advertising should enjoy foremost is the thinking, not necessarily the outcome. If you get a rush from that magical moment when a special idea pops up in your head, that should be plenty of fuel to start with. But… the power of approval and recognition cannot be replaced. And… yes… awards are a great way to produce that.
Celebrating creative excellence which addresses important social and environmental issues is also a very valuable endeavor. But… is it OK if it overshadows and outplays ideas created for tasks more representative of what teams deal with every week? Those client briefs with a technical product attribute or a new service to explain.
Perhaps the answer should be… why can’t Cannes Lions be all of that?
For example, by introducing a model which calculates a ratio between the types of briefs and tasks which can win. Not just types of outcomes and mediums. Increasing the space for winners addressing more routine work.
Or for example, by introducing an award for exceptional creative thinking on ideas a client didn’t sign off on but did approve as an entry for a festival.
And going back to the AI conundrum…
Why do we even still need agencies to present results in case studies? Or need to trust results shown in case studies? Isn’t it possible at this point in time to create an AI algorithm which measures and reports authentic results based on a variety of preset criteria points?
So that results are measured independently and separately. It can also help juries detect similarities between new submissions and past winners.
If a campaign’s results don’t reach a specific threshold, it doesn’t reach the jury.
If a campaign seems too similar to awarded work from the past, it doesn’t reach the jury.
Perhaps the best way to solve the AI challenge is to use AI..
In the meanwhile, a small tip from yours truly. When it comes to Cannes Lions… no matter what the festival aims to represent, it’s still a haven for brilliant thinking and thinkers. So… try to identify the thinking paths which sparked creative ideas you see and appreciate. There are many recurring thinking patterns embedded in awarded ideas from Cannes Lions and other festivals around the world. All you have to do is look for them. And smile like a little child when you find them.
