July 2, 2025
Media executives arriving in Cannes for the 1997 industry summit had a lot to celebrate. Internet advertising was about to pass a billion dollar run-rate and the whispers coming from techie parties was that something called “search” would re-organise the internet around trust and relevance. 28 years later, Cannes felt like a very different place.
“You only have to look at the headlines,” says Jasmin Kaur, Global Managing Partner at Havas Media. “Layoffs at major publishers, the merger of IPG and Omnicom, and the rise of generative AI mean we need to recalibrate the current media model or risk becoming obsolete.”
To avoid an advertising apocalypse, WMG brought some of the media’s leading minds together in the aftermath of Cannes Lions to discuss the industry’s existential threats.
- How is AI shaping the online media landscape?
“One of the biggest questions at Cannes was how we tell what’s true online,” says Sean Adams, Chief Marketing Officer at Brand Metrics.
When media executives asked the same question 28 years ago, the answer came from two Californian technologists who were developing a system of ranking web-pages by how many times it was cited by a credible source. Today, the answer is less clear. Google Search is giving-way to Generative AI models such as ChatGPT which pull information from across the internet, while Social Media algorithms prioritise engagement over credibility.
“This was the other side of AI that people were talking about at Cannes,” explains Kaur. “How do I do my SEO optimization with AI? And how do I remain vigilant about the credibility of AI-generated content.” At the same time these conversations were being had, OpenAI published a podcast in which their CEO, Sam Altman, admitted to being shocked by how many people trusted ChatGPT given its propensity for hallucination.
The idea of trust in AI wasn’t new to Cannes, but the conversation had moved on. “People who were once saying ‘we could do this’ are now saying ‘we are doing this,” says Adams. The speed of implementation has often come at the expense of transparency, however. A Wall Street Journal report published in the week leading into Cannes revealed that organic traffic to news sites had dropped significantly since the introduction of Google’s Search AI, which bypasses paid links and retrieves information from the next available source.
“This creates an even greater need for trusted editorial environments,” points out Tamara McMillen, The Economist’s Chief Revenue Officer, pointing out that audiences will increasingly come to rely on brands to curate high quality information for them.
- Is “brand purpose” dead?
Far from it. If there was one thing the panel all agreed it was that the breakdown of trust online had given brands new ways to articulate their core purpose. “Dove provided an incredible example of this,” said Beatrice Boue, Global Head of Media at De Beers Group. The beauty brand’s Grand Prix-winning campaign challenged AI’s definition of beauty. Partnering with Pinterest, Dove urged users to post images of “real beauty”, generating enough engagement to shift the platform’s algorithm. “The message stays true to their core values, stays true to the customers, and tackles the issues with AI head on,” added Ms Boue.
Another demonstration of authentic brand purpose was AXA’s ‘Three Words’ campaign, which reframed insurance as a relationship built on empathy and clarity. Together with Publicis, AXA added three words to its home insurance policies—“and domestic violence”—transforming them into a safety net for survivors in France. Victims could now access immediate relocation, legal advice, and psychological support through a new, dedicated helpline.
3. Has advertising left its Mad Men era?
Amidst the extravagance and existential angst surrounding Cannes, there were reasons to be hopeful. The industry has taken significant steps away from the “sex sells” ethos of noughties advertising, and inclusive representation is increasing. “I went to the Unstereotype Alliance panels on inclusion and stereotypes, which were brilliant,” said Ms Boue. “This was incredibly empowering because you got to meet plenty of other women in the industry, as well as looking at it from the female point of view.”
Yet Cannes still has a lot of work to do. Reports of abusive behaviour have emerged on social media and an online petition calling for organisers to stamp out sexual harassment has already amassed over 500 signatures. While this might suggest not much has changed in the last 28 years, the reality is quite the opposite. Unacceptable behaviour is no-longer a grey area for brands, it’s an existential threat to their reputation. Research published in Harvard Business Review found that a single sexual harassment claim can be enough to dramatically shape public perception of a company. This is not something brands can ignore.
4. What will the media industry look like in 28 years’ time?
When Jesper Kärrbrink, the chief executive of Swedish Media Group Bonnier was asked this question 28 years ago, his instinct was not to focus on technological change but how humans would adapt. “When everyone starts using the Web, that will generate a different kind of content, traffic, and advertising,” he said. “That is when people will turn to the net for things like finding a good restaurant or buying a car.”
Discerning patterns of human behaviour will always be a critical marketing function, and Cannes is still a forum for this. “I bumped into a bunch of people I hadn’t seen in over a decade and it was a chance to swap ideas and talk about what they were seeing in their market,” explains Adams.
Advertiser’s instincts to gossip hasn’t changed. But the mood has. In 1997, marketers left Cannes asking how the internet would shape advertising. This year, they left asking how advertising will survive the internet it created.