Cannes Lions 2026: AI Heats Up, Creativity Got More Practical, and Relationships Continue to WIN

Yes, AI was everywhere. But unlike previous years, the conversation wasn't about experimenting with generative AI or chasing the latest tools. It was about applying AI to solve real business problems, improve customer experiences, and create measurable value.

Across the Croisette, from the Shelly Palmer Innovation Series Breakfast and Amazon Port to Inkwell Beach, ADWEEK House, and countless conversations with creatives, marketers, technologists, and creators a common theme emerged:

The future belongs to organizations that combine creativity, technology, and human expertise. And while creatives feel the loss of a festival that once centered on their work what we find is a poppy field of opportunities for all parties willing to hold hands and jump on the bandwagon.

AI is Becoming Infrastructure, Not the Story

Some of the most insightful discussions came from leaders at Taco Bell, Uber, U.S. Bank, Adobe, OpenAI, and Amazon.

The question is no longer, "How do we use AI?" It's, "Where does AI actually create value?"

Adobe shared how Nestlé used AI to refresh KitKat creative while maintaining brand consistency. Disney discussed investing in proprietary knowledge graphs and models around its intellectual property, reinforcing that unique assets and not just access to AI, will become the competitive advantage.

Amazon demonstrated this evolution firsthand through its "You're a Visionary" activation, where a business idea could move from concept to a launch-ready plan in just minutes using agentic AI. It wasn't simply a technology demo, it showed how AI can compress workflows that once took weeks.

Meanwhile, OpenAI highlighted that roughly 20% of user queries now have commercial intent, signaling another shift in how consumers discover products and brands.

AI has officially moved from experimentation to business strategy.

Creativity Still Starts with People

One of my favorite stops during the week was Inkwell Beach, whose programming continues to ensure underrepresented voices have a meaningful place at Cannes.

A message from Adrianne Smith stayed with me throughout the week: stay close to who you are. When something is part of your DNA, external forces, trends, or changing political climates become much harder to shake YOU.

In an industry constantly chasing what's next, authenticity remains one of the few sustainable competitive advantages.

That lesson applies just as much to brands as it does to individuals.

The Best Meetings Weren't Always on the Calendar

Some of the most valuable moments happened between sessions.

Whether reconnecting with longtime colleagues, meeting new founders, speaking with agency leaders, interviewing with So Stereo and Amazon, or connecting with marketers at the Carlton or Ad Age Lawn Party thanks to Viasat Ads, Cannes reinforced something that often gets overlooked.

Relationships remain the industry's greatest currency.

Technology may accelerate how we work but trust still drives how business gets done.

Three Takeaways for Marketers:

1. Start with the business problem, not the AI tool.

Don't ask where AI fits into your marketing plan. Ask where it can create measurable business value. The organizations making the biggest strides are aligning AI with customer experience, operations, revenue growth, and decision-making and not simply content production.

2. Your proprietary advantage matters more than ever.

Everyone has access to increasingly powerful AI models. What they don't have is your customer knowledge, first-party data, intellectual property, organizational expertise, and brand story. Those assets will become the foundation for long-term competitive advantage.

3. Invest in people as much as technology.

The companies that will benefit most from AI aren't necessarily those spending the most on software. They're the ones investing in education, cross-functional collaboration, and helping employees understand how AI enhances—not replaces—their expertise. As conversations throughout Cannes made clear, human judgment remains the differentiator.

Looking Ahead

Cannes Lions has always been a celebration of creativity, but 2026 made something clear: creativity alone is no longer enough.

The next generation of marketing leaders will need to understand technology, business strategy, customer behavior, and organizational transformation just as well as storytelling.

For me, the week was filled with inspiring conversations, new relationships, familiar faces, and a reminder of why this industry continues to evolve at such an incredible pace.

The Biggest Takeaway?

The future of marketing won't be built by AI alone. It will be built by people who know how to combine creativity, technology, and business strategy to solve meaningful problems.