Multi-hyphenate creators and influencers got top billing at Cannes-adjacent events too, including at Spotify, Amazon and Meta’s beachfront venues. Elsewhere, TikTok was a flagship sponsor of the Cannes festival, hosting exclusive talks and parties with creator royalty at its TikTok Gardens space.
CMOs on the ground in 2023 told ADWEEK creators had taken up more time in their schedules than previous years. Tamryn Kerr, co-founder and chief creative officer at agency Hijinks, thinks this is an astute move from Cannes Lions organizers.
“Right now, no group is creating and driving culture more than creators, so this feels like a smart way to engage and highlight them,” she said, pointing out that creators were moving beyond social platforms and into TV and cinema.
“Just look at [Chicken Shop Date] YouTube star Amelia Dimoldenberg getting chosen as an ambassador for the Oscars, or The Sidemen getting their own Netflix documentary. They’re creating culture in ways that agencies often talk about but rarely do. My only hope is that Lions Creators are integrated into the festival so that there’s a chance for agencies to learn from them and vice versa.”
Cook revealed there would still be creator content at the original festival this June, with a full day of it slated for all attendees on the Terrace Stage.
“We recognize that the creator economy is a rapidly growing and increasingly important part of the marketing mix, so it’s important this is open to the entire Cannes Lions community—whatever their sector and whatever stage they are on in their creative journey—to learn and understand both the challenges and opportunities.”
Equal opportunities for delegates
Criticism have been leveraged at Cannes Lions in recent years over the increasing costs for brands and agencies to attend, enter awards, cut deals and shine on the main stage or Croisette.
Before execs even book a flight, it can cost in excess of $1 million for a large global agency network to send a team of over 100 people to the event and submit a significant number of work entries.
Some critics might balk at the addition of another Cannes-adjacent event, but Cook said the festival is committed to providing greater access to Cannes Lions and addressing the different needs and circumstances of the 15,000 delegates who attend from more than 90 counties.