Marketing & Communications

Cannes Lions Reminded Me That Purpose Can Make Us Laugh, Cry, Hope

The lack of brand response to the US administration’s anti-climate stance wasn’t echoed at Cannes — there was more sustainability programming than ever.

Brand Provided | By Thomas Kolster | Published 5 months ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: Dove

Both the sustainability and advertising movements are in crisis. Most sustainability communication is like cardboard: flat, stiff, technically functional — but no one’s curling up with it for comfort or inspiration. Emotion is MIA; you understand, but do you feel it?

This year, Cannes Lions — the world’s largest advertising festival — reminded me of the power of emotion in storytelling. It’s both a celebration of creativity and, frankly, the therapy session we need to help explore and process emotions — especially when we feel numb, disconnected or overwhelmed.

The festival is also a high-stakes award show, with more than 26,900 entries from 93 countries. Sustainability dominated the most coveted categories: Of the 34 Grand Prix awards handed out this year, 22 had a purpose-related theme. Sustainability is a proven driver of business success, if you dare to apply creativity and a human touch.

Creative, meaningful change

Many of the winning campaigns went beyond raising awareness — they used creativity to solve real problems. I laughed out loud at the New Zealand Herpes Foundation’s campaign, “The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes.” It was funny, yes — but also deeply effective at destigmatization.

French insurer AXA’s “Three Words” initiative added the phrase “and domestic violence” to its home insurance policies in France, enabling emergency relocation and support for victims. Meanwhile, Brazilian beauty brand Natura deployed AI-equipped drones to map tree locations and species across the Amazon — creating what it claims is the largest tree inventory in the forest’s history. The company shares the data with local agro-extractive communities to support sustainable harvesting decisions and create economic opportunities from keeping the trees standing, rather than cutting them down.

And for anyone still doubting the business case for purpose: Watch the emotional, 18-minute documentary exploring L’Oréal’s famous tagline, “Because I’m worth it.” If you have something meaningful to say, people will watch long-form content. They’ll engage.

Bursting the sustainability bubble

The silence we’ve seen from brands in response to the current US administration’s anti-climate stance wasn’t echoed at Cannes. In fact, there was more sustainability programming and conversations than ever.

The UN Global Compact launched a CMO Blueprint for Sustainable Growth. Cannes Lions, along with Act and Goodvertising, introduced the first-ever Lions Sustainability Hub and continued its Open House for Good initiative — offering two hours of free access to the festival to create inclusive conversations and open the door for more diverse voices.

Let’s hope Cannes inspires more brands to lead with values.

Leaders wanted

That said, on the Cannes promenade, the mood was uneasy. From AI to climate change, conversations — on stage and over rosé — ranged from anxious to blindly optimistic. My concern started early, during Apple VP Tor Myhren’s keynote, where he made a case for “a human touch” and human superiority in creativity. But when meaningful change isn’t happening, we need to ask: Who benefits from the status quo?

Clearly, artificial intelligence is set to radically transform the ad industry; tech has already taken over much of Cannes. The consequences for our colleagues will be real, unless we act. In Hollywood, screenwriters and actors organized and took a stand; in adland, we’ve mostly let the tech train run unchecked. But Grand Prix winner Dove is one brand using AI’s powers for good — training Pinterest’s algorithms to learn and amplify images of feminine beauty aligned with the brand’s pioneering “Real Beauty” criteria over the unachievable, AI-augmented versions of beauty permeating search feeds.

We’re living in a sustainability desert, despite the solutions

When it comes to misinformation, climate and digital safety, we’re stuck in a loop — like goldfish, repeating the same conversations. Why waste energy debating greenwashing when the core issue is a lack of real action?

Most people live in a sustainability desert, with little access to or information about genuinely sustainable products. They’re left choosing between slightly less harmful options — many still dependent on fossil fuels.

Thanks to market dominance — from distribution to media — big business continues to prop up “less bad” products rather than investing in the radical solutions we urgently need. Yet across almost every category, better alternatives exist that could help drive the changes necessary to avert catastrophic climate change. The clock is ticking — so, why are corporations still holding back?

From passengers to drivers of change

Our industry is a people industry. No tool, framework or tech will drive the change we need in adland — people do. So, let’s stop sitting in the passenger seat, watching the crash unfold.

It’s time to grab the wheel — for the sake of our colleagues, our industry and our license to operate in society.

Ready to lead?

Thomas Kolster

Founder / Author / Speaker
Goodvertising Agency

Thomas Kolster is an internationally recognised marketing & sustainability expert, author and keynote speaker, and founder of the global Goodvertising movement that’s inspired a shift in advertising for the better.

Tags:

Apple