A Prediction for the Cannes Festival of Creativity 2024

AI? Awesome. But what did you make with it?: The 2024 festival will likely showcase an unprecedented number of campaigns and projects leveraging artificial intelligence. But what will take home the hardware? Our bet is that the industry will continue to award entries where personalized advertising taps sophisticated data-driven insights to inform the work, but struggle to find work in which AI impacts ideation. As the integration of AI into creative processes continues to evolve, our bets are that AI-infused production and distribution will dominate more entries in 2025, but for now, breakthrough ideas will be what inspires hearts and minds – and humans should sweep that.

Immersive Experiences that Drive Results will Win: We expect to see cutting-edge campaigns that use AR, VR, and MR to create engaging, interactive, and memorable experiences for audiences. Last year, a few standouts proved that if done well, immersive tech and smart automation are effective. HungerStation featured new tech that employs eye-tracking analysis to make food-ordering decisions by determining which images resonate with consumers’ subconscious cravings. The innovative use of technology, partnered with seamless mobile experiences, resulted in a Grand Prix Creative Commerce winner for the brand. We could spend all day debating scale versus spectacle, but this is Cannes and it’s about rewarding creativity in all forms, for all objectives.

Revival of Storytelling and Human Connection: In response to AI and automation in marketing, there will be a renewed emphasis on authentic storytelling and fostering genuine human connections. The festival will celebrate campaigns that prioritize emotional resonance, real-life narratives, and human-centric approaches. Brands that effectively communicate their values and connect with consumers on a personal level, especially through compelling, authentic stories, are expected to stand out and resonate deeply with audiences. After all, the tools change but the objective is to use the power of storytelling to get people to feel a thing, do a thing, buy a thing, love a thing – that never changes.

Social Impact Will Take Centerstage: As global awareness and concern for social issues continue to rise, the Cannes Festival of Creativity 2024 will probably highlight campaigns that emphasize sustainability and social impact. Brands that demonstrate a commitment to environmental responsibility, diversity and inclusion, and positive societal change are likely to receive significant attention and accolades. We live in a global majority. That means we need to shift our mindsets to one where we're designing for whole communities that are majority stakeholders in all the creativity, content, and experiences our industry produces and pushes to market.

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