Agency reporters Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin break down the key topics, trends and questions to watch at this year&#x27;s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. From how industry mergers including Omnicom-IPG will shift agency priorities to the rise of independent agencies, they describe what factors are impacting the awards, events and conversations on the ground this year. Plus, they discuss why the presence of social media creators is on the rise, how sports marketing is showing up and the top questions they&#x27;re seeking answers to at Cannes. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week&#x27;s episode: ~Everything to know about Cannes Lions 2026 ~Cannes Lions 2026 schedule ~The Cannes Lions creator playbook ~Enter Ad Age&#x27;s 40 Under 40 by July 23 ~Listen to Ad Age&#x27;s Marketer&#x27;s Brief podcast

Cannes Lions pre-brief: indies and creators surge plus key topics, with Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin

Ad Age Insider

# Full Transcript

**Podcast:** Ad Age Insider

## Transcript

Greetings, insiders. Today is June 19th. This week, everything you need to know before landing in France for the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity. From the major trends, news and deals that have changed the entire makeup of the festival, to our top questions for the week's biggest players. This is Ad Age Insider, taking you behind the scenes of the industry's biggest stories with the reporters who wrote them. I'm your host, Parker Heron.

Make sure to hit follow wherever you're listening right now, so that you're never behind on industry news. So, you may be hopping on a flight to Cannes right now, or maybe you're observing from home. Either way, there's a lot to know about one of advertising's biggest gatherings happening next week. Since last year, there have been mega-mergers, AI platforms have launched ad products, major new business pitches are occurring, and the makeup of those attending the festival itself is changing as well. There's a lot to know.

So, I have Ad Age's agency reporting dream team on today, senior reporter Brian Bonilla and reporter Ewan Larkin, to talk me through it all, including the major questions they'll be snooping around the crossette to answer next week. So, let's get into it.

Hey, Brian and Ewan, thank you so much for hopping on the pod today, as I know you're busy prepping for your international travels. Hey, Parker, how's it going? I'm good. Ewan, how are you? I'm doing well. My suitcase is lying on the floor as we speak, so I'm ready to go. Amazing. I am so excited to chat with you guys about what we can expect to be happening on the ground in Cannes this year, what we can be on the lookout for from you guys.

I wanted to know, though, before we get started, how many times each of you have been to Cannes, and without spoiling too much of our convo, what you would say the vibe around town is for this year's festival? Brian, maybe you can kick us off. No, look, I think this is my fourth Cannes in a row, I think, fourth or fifth. It's crazy to think about that.

When I first went, I think you were there, Parker. I had no idea the gravity of the festival, but I think this year, the feeling is Cannes has officially made the leap from a creative conference to a business conference. And, you know, I just was talking to a few executives about that today, and that is the ultimate feeling.

You know, I think it's kind of been, you know, the inside joke for a few years, which is like, oh, creativity needs to matter. And, like, it does matter, but it's no longer the reason that a lot of people are going to Cannes this year. Yeah, I'm not quite the veteran that Brian is. This is my second year. Last year was my first. And that was really interesting, because I think the shift towards it being a business conference was much more pronounced last year. Like, you could kind of finally feel that everybody was embracing that aspect of the festival.

A...

Cannes Lions pre-brief: indies and creators surge plus key topics, with Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin

Transcript

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Cannes Lions pre-brief: indies and creators surge plus key topics, with Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are findingedge in conversations you're not hearing.

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.