Cannes We Not? (A Festival of Creativity Non-Recap)
Happy Friday, futurists.
We decided to forgo the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to focus on another important event (coughcoughVISIONS SUMMITcoughcough), although, thanks to the online buzz that keeps on buzzing, it feels like we were there.
We’re loving it so much we’re feeling a lot like this meme from The Hustle…
The view from way over here gives us a high-level look at some patterns of commerce and culture emerging from the week. Of note, it has been fascinating to see the festival evolve from a destination designed solely for creatives to an ad-tech-powered frenzy to show how much budget you can drop on a cocktail party. Commerce’s presence was more widespread this year, largely driven by players in the retail media ecosystem and social platforms.
Historically, Cannes has been the event for advertising agencies. Although the Grand Prix Awards still showcase some brands leading the way in creativity and vision, the presence of more tactical components—the ad networks, the measurement tools, and the creative suites—speak to the new era of marketing and advertising: We can’t have creativity without precision, or brand without performance.
However, we’d be remiss without mentioning another major macro trend: with Cannes’ sponsor base expanding, so too is the total addressable market. That means there’s more demand. And that means there’s greater opportunity to monetize. In between the private beach parties, luxury yacht rides, and pool deck panels with canapés, there’s a growing population of passionate professionals who don’t have the capital to attend.
Sure, Cannes has always been known for its wow-factor. Its draw has always been the glitz and glam. But will that need to change, or at the very least evolve, as the ecosystem continues to as well? Zoe Scaman perfectly stated, “more and more of the sharpest, most original thinking in our industry is happening at the edges…But Cannes, for all its brilliance, still reflects the centre.”
As we head into the weekend, our question for you is: Where do you find your passion and inspiration? In the center, or at the edges?
—Alicia
Type image caption here (optional)
Scroll Sense. Reuters Institute’s latest “Digital News Report” confirms what we all have probably predicted for a while: social platforms (54%) have dethroned TV (50%) and news sites/apps (48%) as the top news source for Americans. Insights from 100,000 people across 48 countries were aggregated and analyzed into a 171-page report, distilling the new realities of who we trust to convey the truth about the economy, politics, and current events. Of note, TikTok is the fastest-growing social and video networking platform, and influencers are playing a “significant role in shaping public debates,” according to the study.
Our Take: The study points to a very real and very concerning reality: that culture’s algo-powered flattening isn’t limited to commerce. It’s also driving the world’s stage. Major political players are prioritizing interviews with podcasters and influencers over award-winning journalists, and independent creators are driving political discourse more than once-trusted experts.
While democratizing information and, in turn, debate can lead to healthy, even positive outcomes, the trouble lies in when these algorithms bring users into malicious rabbit holes brimming with misinformation and disinformation. TikTok’s rise as a news source alone should cause alarm, given the murky nature of how certain accounts and creators are getting their information.
Nike and SKIMS Take the Bench. After receiving a strong wave of social media buzz and praise for its new collab with Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS, Nike has announced that the first wave of the collection’s release will be delayed. The partnership was initially announced in February, leaving consumers and industry players waiting with bated breath to see the final product.
The new line, unironically called NikeSKIMS, was initially scheduled to launch this spring in select US retail locations and online, with a broader release planned for 2026. However, a Nike spokesperson told Reuters that both sides are delaying the launch to “get the product right.” The collection will include apparel, footwear, and accessories for women.
Our Take: NikeSKIMS has been touted as one of CEO Elliott Hill’s big projects to revitalize Nike’s relevance, especially among women. Sure, SKIMS has the star power and cult-like customer following to back it. The brand has also made some very smart marketing decisions, such as becoming the official underwear partner of the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball.
Arguably, this move alone shows there’s clear alignment between Nike and how SKIMS is hoping to evolve. Nike is a foundational brand in the world of sports, and its latest “So Win” campaign featured athletic superstars Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, and Sha’Ccarri Richardson—a somewhat obvious effort to strike an emotional chord with female consumers.
But it seemed like after a few weeks of positively-spun think pieces from marketers following the partnership announcement, the news quickly got swept up in Kardashian’s personal controversies surrounding her political affiliations. This delay appears to be the media spark both brands need to get the partnership in front of consumers and shareholders again. But the media headlines and articles are hollow, lacking any sort of depth surrounding the product itself. No mockups, no teasers, no vision. Just the same-old joint logo. For a person whose entire existence has been built around teasing the audience to generate profit-driving excitement (Kardashian), the most prominent noise is crickets chirping. It makes us wonder what is actually happening with this collection?
Nike’s financial performance (and cultural relevance) has been slowly and steadily eroding over the past few years, with On and HOKA gaining market share in sneakers, and with Alo Yoga, Gymshark, and other digital-dominant brands gobbling up more of young consumers’ dollars. Hill noted in the company’s latest earnings call that Nike’s emphasis on sport has led to “progress” against key goals and commitments, but it remains to be seen whether the SKIMS partnership will drive the business results Nike seems to be anticipating.
Not-So-Fast, France. In a nearly unanimous vote, France’s Senate has passed a revised bill targeting fast-fashion companies. If passed, the law could eventually ban advertising from Shein, Temu and other “ultra-fast fashion” players.
However, this is one of the more extreme initiatives within the bill, while the more realistic effort entails financially penalizing classic fast and ultra-fast fashion companies if new environmental criteria are not met. Fines could reach up to 10 euros per item of clothing by 2030, or up to 50% of a product’s price, excluding tax. In this scenario, the “classic” fast-fashion retailers (think Zara and H&M) are at an advantage since they already have some semblance of a sustainability strategy and even eco-conscious lines.
Condiment Capitalism. New York Times bestseller and chef Molly Baz is squeezing her way into physical retail. Ayoh! Foods, Baz’s condiment company, is heading to Whole Foods stores nationwide, offering its entire product set (flavors include Dill Pickle, Hot Giardinayo, and Tango Dijonayo) as well as an umami-rich flavor sold exclusively by the grocery chain. Within its seven-month lifespan, Ayoh! Foods has raised $4.5 million in a seed round led by Imaginary Ventures. “I saw a white space in the marketplace,” Baz said in an interview with Forbes. “I am committed to solving problems in the food industry and delivering deliciousness at all costs.”
Creator Café. Pinterest is partnering with creator and coffee queen Emma Chamberlain on a limited-edition coffee blend, its first venture into co-branded product development. The limited-edition Sea Salt Toffee Blend is available via Chamberlain Coffee’s website in the US, Canada, UK, and Europe, as well as on the brand’s Pinterest page. Fans of Chamberlain (and coffee in general) can visit a dedicated Pinterest board Emma created featuring campaign photoshoot content and shoppable pins for limited-edition merch. Through June 24, Chamberlain will also sell a co-branded coffee drink, called the Salted Sailor, at its cafe in Century City, LA.
Cashing in on Agentic Commerce. Visa is working to make agentic commerce a reality. The company is collaborating with a series of AI chatbot developers, including Anthropic, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Perplexity, to connect their systems to Visa’s payments network. The end goal? To enable consumers to set budget parameters, share their goals, and let the bots do the shopping. Visa Chief Product and Strategy Officer Jack Forestell said this new offering isn’t just important, but “transformational, on the order of magnitude of the advent of eCommerce itself.”
🔮 Agents are emerging as an entirely new commerce participant, which means brands and retailers need to create experiences optimized for an entirely new participant. Now is the time for merchants, like Visa, to design for coexistence. Learn how here.
Robot Romance. If agents are an entirely new species of shopper, then it was only a matter of time before we spoke about interspecies romance like it was a normal Friday. The “romance between a bot and human” storyline is a narrative trope at this point, but a segment from CBS Saturday Morning has brought a lot more depth to the story. Chris Smith’s relationship with his AI girlfriend ‘Sol’ illustrates the depth of connection, belief, and loyalty some people feel for their AI companions. But it’s the other side of the relationship, one that impacts Chris’ wife and two-year-old son, that shows the sad, even ugly, ripple effects of a scenario that’s only going to become more common.
.svg)
