→ We're done with the AI and the fake; we become more intentional, and from time to time, we escape

→ More than ever, we want the real and authentic, with meaning

→ It needs to feel seamless and effortless, thanks to modern technology

This post breaks down the key trends and what they mean for you. I’ve included all sources at the end, give credit where it’s due, and check out the originals for all details.

The trend for 2026: ‘Unshittification’, intentionality, and escapism

Building on 2025’s ‘being human’ momentum, we continue. For 2026, it's the ‘unshittification’. We're done. We're fed up with the AI-generated and automated fakeness. We're numbed by the algorithm fixing that results in more of the same content. We're tired of the fast-paced microtrends. 

More than ever, we move toward ‘intentional’. We want to escape the fake and polished, and go ‘back’ to the ‘old school’ real, authentic, personal attention, human connection, and meaning. 

Yet, all needs to feel seamless and effortless, thanks to modern technology. 

This is brand marketing at its best. And it's powered by the bold, simple ideas that truly stand out. Just show up, consistently, frequently, and with a long-term mindset. 

For marketing and content strategists, this isn’t just inspiration; it’s the new standard. And the bar is not just raised, but redefined.

What you need to know:

1. Social tiredness: brands need to behave like creators
2. Brand building is (again) the most important: long-term consistency
3. In the age of technology, it’s creativity and trust that set you apart
4. Great ideas are singular (as in ‘simple’)
5. Wear out of website content by AI search, zero-click content, and social search
6. The gap is growing fast: traditional and tech-driven marketing

Let’s dive in.

What's happening right here and now

1. Social tiredness: brands need to behave like creators

There’s a huge wearout of being social on social. This is what you need to know:

• Lower engagement. We’re tired of commenting, liking, and sharing. We’re not tired of (brand) content, though. Actually, 71% of TikTokers want brands to be on TikTok, and on Instagram, only 15% of the feed is from friends.  
  
  We view the content in a glance of 1.3 seconds. If we like what we see, we spend a bit more time, but after a few seconds, we’re off to the next, without leaving a visible sign of engagement. However, we do trigger the algorithm to show more of this type of content.
   
• Algorithm fixing. We get bored really fast. The algorithm feeds us more of the same, and we create content that fits what the algorithm wants to push. Within a short time, we hit overload, bored with the format, tired of the trend, and just like that, we move on to the next content micro trend.
   
• Social channels become publication channels. Nowadays, social is like watching TV with a chat function. TikTok (and Instagram) are about consuming content, it's about entertainment, it's not about connecting with your friends and family. And it's about content that's really entertaining, and that teaches you something. 

What to do: behave like a creator

Brands need to behave like creators, producing content that adds value. Because people want to be entertained, inspired, and informed, they don't want ads. 

Rule of thumb: the more professionally pixel-perfect polished your content is, the more it appears like an ad. Not to say you shouldn't produce high-quality content, I'm saying that not every piece of content has to be 100% perfect. A little real, raw, unpolished, unedited edge gives personality. Just like creators do. 

There's a huge difference between creating an ad and creating content for entertainment. As soon as content starts to smell like commerce, people tune out. Nobody wants to be marketed to. And it's good to realize that 61% of consumers trust creator content, while 38% trust brand content. (Cannes Lions). So if you behave more like a creator, you'll also gain more trust. 

Example: ‘Vaseline Verified’ 

Vaseline becomes the voice of reason in a world of viral beauty hacks. They add value by verifying and debunking myths in UGC, making the brand a cheeky authority. (case description)

2. Brand building is (again) the most important: long-term consistency

As said, people want content, not ads. That means for brands, a shift from performance focus to brand building. Being there, consistently. It is not the one-off big, bold campaigns that make an impact. It's the always-on content that ‘feeds’ the consumer by giving value in the form of entertainment, inspiration, or education. 

Brands (still) need to build trust and credibility. And that pays off, seeing the Cannes Lions this year:

• ‘Dove Real Beauty,' how a soap brand created a global self-esteem movement for 20 years
   
• ‘L’Oreal', the final copy of Ilon Specht was a feminist breakthrough (1971)

What to do: 60-40 rule

The 60-40 rule still holds: balance your budget with 60% for brand building and 40% for performance marketing.

In this brand building, it’s about consistency. Showing up and doing that frequently, and recognizably. Not a short and fast campaign, but year after year. 

It’s also about the long-term trust and reciprocation, not immediately wanting to close a sale, but to really help your customer, even if that means they don’t buy directly from you. After all, only 5% of (B2B) customers are ready to buy, and the best metric of success is retention: customers who repeat the purchase.

But consistency without meaning is just noise

No need to tell you that you need a bigger idea, a structure, and a storyline. Right? 

Posting for the sake of posting is not how to build your brand. My advice in a nutshell: stick to a maximum of 3 topics per (half) year, don't spread yourself too thin, and try to tick all the content marketing and customer journey boxes in one go. Better whole ass one thing than half ass everything – especially if you're tight on budget. 

Did you know you have to repeat yourself at least 7 times to make your message stick? 

B2B is finally catching up

The new kid on the block: B2B. It looks like B2B is becoming sexy and the new playground for marketers. And I get it. Where B2B was still rather traditional, now it’s time to apply lessons from B2C to B2B. Don't think that because you're in B2B, the basic rules of attraction suddenly don’t apply.

Ultimately, we communicate with humans, and in B2B, this interaction is even more personal than in B2C, as the buying journey is longer, more intense, and more personalized.

→ B2B Cannes Lions winner shows how it's done: GoDaddy AI software to launch your website and socials

Example: ‘Dove Real Beauty,' how a soap brand created a global self-esteem movement for 20 years

It began in 2004 with a bold insight: only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. Dove challenged the industry’s narrow ideals by celebrating confidence over perfection, sparking one of the first viral marketing movements.

Reaching millions of young people. Dove didn’t stop at ads; it backed real change, supporting laws like the Crown Act against hair discrimination, and fighting toxic beauty standards on social media. (case description)

3. In the age of technology, it’s creativity and trust that set you apart

We’ve moved past the novelty of AI hype. We still use it, of course, but AI is no longer a differentiator. It’s a commodity. Now, creating content has never been easier, but the result often feels like more of the same. And that's not how you build your brand. 

What to do: ‘involve the crazy ones’

It’s not the tech that sets you apart, it’s the creativity behind it. The curious, messy, and dirty mind that makes unexpected connections and challenges the status quo and how things have always been done. 

What really matters is the human marketer who's guiding the technology to create content that makes your brand stand out.

With the side note that being different and innovative isn’t always about technology; it’s also about looking at things differently.

Trust and ethics as a brand advantage

Marketing now holds even more real power over data and personalization. What starts with persuasion and service can quickly slide into online manipulation or exclusion. Not because anyone plans it, but because we’re moving fast with high workloads, chasing conversions, and using AI and IT tools we don’t fully understand.

That’s the real risk: it happens quietly. Invisibly. And once the damage is done, it’s already too late. How to bake ethics into your marketing strategy and work processes 

Example: Penny locks in price stability in times of inflation

During a period of steep inflation, Penny offered long-term price stability on everyday essentials by locking prices permanently by printing them directly on the packaging. ‘If you print it on the package, you can’t change it.’

This is creative thinking and innovation by design, not by technology. (case description)

More things that matter

4. Great ideas are singular (as in ‘simple’)

As I already said, we're tired. There’s so much going on. In tech and AI, efficiency pressure at the office and home, social pressure, spiking inflation, and geopolitical factors.

We want simple. Nothing complicated that requires headspace and mental effort. The simpler your idea, the more it resonates. 

What to do: go deep on tech, but make it look simple

The trick is to develop it as advanced, tech-supported, data-driven, well-researched, and executed to the highest level of excellence. If you don't do the tech part, you'll miss out, as the UX and CX expectations are high. You just have to make it look very simple, intuitive, and easy to use. 

Rule of thumb: we love simple and easy. At first glance, no-click, no-effort. 

5. Wear out of website content by AI search, zero-click content, and social search

Thanks to AI search and zero-click content, website traffic drops. At the same time, social search becomes the second search engine. Eating away more of your precious traffic.

It's a rollercoaster. What to do?

What to do: I don't know

I don’t have an answer to these developments. All I'm doing now is keeping my pace and peace, continuing to produce high-quality content, and having faith in the future. 

While my web traffic has dropped by more than 30%, my social engagement is at an all-time low, but my newsletter subscribers are growing faster than ever. Apparently, I must be doing something right.

Truly good content is always worth it and will get noticed. Only now, it might take longer and won’t always be measurable. But just because you can’t measure it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t resonate and convert.

6. The gap is growing fast: traditional and tech-driven marketing

This one really blows my mind. I just don’t get it. With all the incredible new technology out there, I’m amazed at how little of it is truly integrated into marketing teams. It’s not a lack of enthusiasm or openness; those are there. It’s rooted in a strange kind of hesitation from leadership. A reluctance to really commit. Is it fear? Budget? Or something else entirely?

Yes, we experiment with AI, we try out ChatGPT, and give CoPilot a nudge. But that’s usually where it stops. A few marketing teams have built their own GPTs, but most are one-off projects. What’s missing is real integration. A rethink of processes and workflows, with AI placed at the core from the start.

Furthermore, the ease of doing research with AI has made everyone feel like an expert. But many lack the context or experience to interpret what they find or to challenge the answers AI gives them.

For me, the person behind the prompt makes all the difference. I take the output seriously only if I trust the person who did the research, someone who put in the thought, context, and effort. I’ll always value that over someone who just runs a prompt and presents the result as is.

What to do: you already know

Embrace AI. Get professional help. Stop experimenting, now is the time for integration and rethinking your processes and ways of working. 

The first agencies are already falling over because of AI. Businesses are next. If you don’t adapt, your competitors, or agile startups, will. And it’s not just lost revenue or market share at stake. You’ll lose talent too, because no one wants to work in a company where AI isn’t part of the way things are done.

Frequently asked questions about marketing and content trends

• What are the marketing and content trends for 2026?
  
  In a nutshell: First, content that's fast and efficient is produced with help from AI, but is crafted by humans. Reflecting the brand's values and point of view. 
  
  Second, focus on brand building over performance content. The brand behind the product matters. And brand content that's produced as if the brand is a creator is far more appreciated by customers than sales-driven performance content. 
  
  Third, it's the creativity that sets you apart, not the tech you're using. 

• Why do the Cannes Lions cases matter for marketing? 
  
  The work that wins awards is the work that stands out, surprising, forward-thinking, and proven to be effective. By studying this kind of work, you can see what resonates. 
  
  Just like in fashion, what you see on the runway from luxury brands shows up in stores not long after.

• What if I don't follow marketing and content trends?
  
  Honestly, in the short term, nothing much will change. (Probably you're already behind your competitors.) 
  
  However, in the long term, you'll notice. Not investing in marketing and failing to keep up with what customers appreciate is the nail in your coffin. 
  
  This also goes for B2B; don't think that because you're in B2B, the basic rules of attraction suddenly don’t apply.

• What's the One Thing to do for marketing and content for 2026?
  
  Besides all the trends, tech, and AI options, I highly recommend that you focus on your ethical standpoint and operational guidance for the marketing team. 
  
  With hyper-personalization and targeting enabling marketing-to-one, the lines quietly and unintentionally get crossed. And you don't notice until it's too late. To obsess on the transparency and privacy of data usage and get rigorous bias testing in place. 

Wrapping it up: Unshittification in 2026

The trends from 2025 continue in 2026. It’s just more integrated. 

What you need to know:

1. Social tiredness: brands need to behave like creators
2. Brand building is (again) the most important: long-term consistency
3. In the age of technology, it’s creativity and trust that set you apart
4. Great ideas are singular (as in ‘simple’)
5. Wear out of website content by AI search, zero-click content, and social search
6. The gap is growing fast: traditional and tech-driven marketing

What you need to do: try hard and harder. Play the marketing and content game by the rules, or miss out. Bring in the professionals, hire the expensive senior to guide the cheaper juniors. And use AI wisely, integrated, not experimented. 

In 2026, there's no such thing as being mediocre. 

Not only do your SEO and SEA drops due to AI search and zero-click content. Additionally, the algorithms will hide your content if it doesn't resonate, even if you promote it with paid advertising budgets. What's left is email marketing, but if you don't nail the web and social content, there's a small chance that you'll excel in email content. 

If you don't, your competitors will. 

The choice is yours. 

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Sources and credit

Credit to all below for feeding me with their insights. Confession, I ‘borrowed’ the term ‘unshittification’ from a WARC deck; it captured what’s happening perfectly. For transparency, I used AI to summarize the Cannes case videos and added my own perspectives and key takeaways.

Ogilvy, ‘Vive la Créativité’

The Drum, Cannes Lions 2025: View all the Grand Prix-winning ads 

WARC, Creative Impact unpacked 

WARC feed 

WARC, Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions 2025

WARC, Creative Impact Unpacked: What we learned at Cannes Lions 2025

WARC, How to achieve the multiplier effect in China 

WARC Consumer Trends 2025: Five shifts shaping consumer spending

Kantar, Cannes in a can: Refresh yourself with the top 5 takeaways from Cannes 2025 

Ipsos @Cannes  2025

Nielsen, Conversations from Cannes

Cannes Lions

Cannes Lions, Need-to-know numbers 

Cannes Lions, the official Cannes Lions wrap-up 2025

Love The Work 

Love the work, Winners and Shortlists 

Adweek, The Cannes Lions 2025 Controversies Casting a Shadow Over Big Awards  

The New Yorker: Are You Experiencing Posting Ennui? 

The New Yorker: Why posting on social media has become something of the past

Pinterest Summer 2025 Trends

Tracksuit, The Emotion Effect

Tracksuit, Make Waves in the Sea of Sameness

Tracksuit, From Awareness to Effectiveness

Tracksuit, Track the Field Report

The Philosophy of Online Manipulation

When Good Algorithms Go Sexist: Why and How to Advance AI Gender Equity 

Evaluating Gender Bias in Large Language Models in Long-term Care,

Stuff About Advertising

Uncensored CMO

Callum McCahon

Eugbrandstat 

Jarned Carneson 

Paul Evans 

Disclaimer

I update and edit this page frequently with fresh insights. First publication June 2025, update in August, and added the importance of ethics in September. 

→ After digging through 50+ case studies, 25+ blogs and whitepapers, and just as many content by creators and publishers on socials, podcasts, and webinars, I pulled together what I think are the best cases from Cannes 2025, and give context on what that means for 2026. 

Actually, there are 15 cases in random order, not 10. I just couldn't choose. Check the last paragraph for all credits. 

Trend for 2026: ‘Unshittification’, intentionality, and escapism

Riding the ‘being human’ wave from 2025, we're still moving forward. It’s just more integrated, less showy. 

Now adding the ‘unshittification’. We're done. We're fed up with the AI-generated and automated fakeness. We're numbed by the algorithm fixing that results in more of the same content. We're tired of the fast-paced microtrends. 

→ We're done with the AI and the fake. More than ever, we move toward ‘intentional’. We want to escape the fake and polished, and go ‘back’ to the ‘old school’ real, authentic, personal attention, human connection, and meaning. Which all does feel seamless and effortless, thanks to modern technology. 

This puts more weight on brand identity over pure performance, and on the power of bold, simple ideas that truly stand out. Show up, consistently, frequently, and with a long-term mindset. Not just a one-off.

For marketing and content strategists, this isn’t just inspiration; it’s the new standard. And the bar is not just raised, but redefined.

→ All marketing and content trends for 2026 explained

1. ‘AXA, Three Words’ turns home insurance into a lifeline for domestic-violence survivors

→ How 3 words change a boring insurer from a commodity to a lifesaver

Through its “THREE WORDS” campaign, AXA France added a no-cost emergency relocation guarantee to every home-insurance policy. Any woman at risk, whether named on the contract or not, can be moved to safe housing immediately, eliminating the paperwork and financial hurdles.

Because home insurance is mandatory in France and AXA is the market leader, the benefit reaches households nationwide. Survivor testimonies show the policy’s power to provide safety and a fresh start. Celebrated at Cannes Lions 2025 for its social impact, the initiative redefines what insurance can—and should do, positioning AXA as a genuine ally against domestic violence.

2. ‘Caption with intention’ reinvents captions as a powerful storytelling tool

→ Using design and animation to bring words to life 

This caption with intention, by the Chicago Deaf Society, is finally putting deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers at the center of the experience.

For the first time in 50+ years, captions get a meaningful upgrade. This design system adds emotion, tone, and timing through dynamic animations, varied text weights and sizes, and color-coded speaker cues. It makes dialogue easier to follow and brings the feel of a scene, not just the words, to life.

With over 430 million people depending on captions, this isn’t just innovation. It’s inclusion by design.

3. ‘Tenessee sounds sites’ where artists bring alt txt to life

→ Accessibility meets sensibility 

Tennessee songwriters collaborated with blind communities to craft authentic, lyrical descriptions for hundreds of Tennessee images, redefining travel accessibility. Providing descriptive lyrics instead of standard alt-text. Better image descriptions for better experiences. 

Experience it yourself on tnvacation.com

This won a Bronze Lion in the category of copywriting. 

4. ‘Pedigree Camarelo’ turns the most common mutt into the most adopted breed 

→ Using DNA data for good and changing perceptions, as well as long-term brand building and consistency

By giving Caramelos official pedigree certificates based on DNA, Pedigree turned overlooked mutts into national icons. The campaign began when a celebrity’s Caramelo was rejected from a dog show, sparking public debate. And even updated their packaging to feature one. With influencer support, media buzz, and official recognition, Caramelos has become a celebrated symbol of inclusion.

And Pedigree is consistent in showing up in this domain, the ‘Selfie Stix’ won a Lion in 2017, and last year's Adoptable, using AI to make dogs more adoptable. 

5. ‘Amazon Greenventory’ blends AI, drones, and community to turn deforestation into regeneration

→ Using data for good; win for the forest, win for the locals, win for the brand

Faced with severe biome loss, Natura developed a smart mapping system that identifies tree species and sustainable harvesting zones across the Amazon. 

What once took years of manual research can now be achieved in just months, thanks to the use of drones and AI, which unlock precision at scale. The data is handed to local communities, empowering them to earn long-term income without harming the forest. 

Natura guarantees to buy everything they harvest, creating a closed-loop model where community growth fuels forest renewal and product innovation. A partnership to turn deforestation into regeneration—economically and ecologically.

6. ‘Dove Real Beauty,' how a soap brand created a global self-esteem movement for 20 years

→ Brand building is a long-term game that pays off if done consistently

It began in 2004 with a bold insight: only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. Dove challenged the industry’s narrow ideals by celebrating confidence over perfection, sparking one of the first viral marketing movements.

Through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the brand became the world’s largest provider of self-esteem education, reaching millions of young people. Dove didn’t stop at ads; it backed real change, supporting laws like the Crown Act against hair discrimination, and fighting toxic beauty standards on social media.

This long-term commitment reshaped public perception, turning Dove into a $7.5 billion brand and one of the world’s most influential platforms for body confidence and inclusive beauty.

7. Dove, ‘Real beauty redefined for the AI era’

→ Using content to influence what AI labels as beauty, Dove keeps showing up, frequently and consistently over 20 years

Dove defends real beauty in a digital age. As AI-generated influencers flood social feeds, Dove raises a red flag: these figures may look real, but they’re entirely artificial, and they’re reshaping how people see themselves. One in three individuals would change their appearance, even knowing the images they’re chasing aren’t real.

Building on its 20-year mission to redefine beauty, Dove’s latest campaign challenges the next frontier of unrealistic standards. The rise of AI adds complexity, but the brand stays grounded in its core belief: authentic beauty matters more than ever.

In this campaign, Dove goes one step further, not just speaking to people, but to the algorithms themselves. By intentionally feeding more diverse and realistic beauty representations into the system, the brand aims to influence how AI and algorithms define beauty, ultimately shaping what shows up in the feed.

8. ‘L’Oreal', the final copy of Ilon Specht was a feminist breakthrough (1971)

→ Long-term brand building, four words that challenged the status quo of the beauty industry

Ilon Specht’s "Because I’m worth it" wasn’t just a slogan; it was a feminist breakthrough.

In a male-dominated advertising world of the 1970s, Ilon Specht, a young female copywriter, challenged the status quo by crafting four words that gave women agency in beauty decisions. ‘Because I’m worth it’ became a quiet but powerful act of rebellion: beauty no longer for male approval, but for self-affirmation.

This short documentary retraces how her frustration with misogynistic norms led to a line that empowered millions of women to own their choices. Despite resistance, like an agency insisting on a male voiceover, the slogan stood strong, rewriting the rules of how women were spoken to in media.

More than 50 years later, Specht’s words still echo as a timeless feminist message, proving that authenticity and self-worth aren’t trends, they’re movements.

9. ‘Sounds Right’ turned nature into a Spotify artist, with a long-term payment stream

→ Using data and payment systems to generate income for nature

Launched on Earth Day, this bold campaign gave Mother Nature an official Spotify artist profile, allowing anyone to support biodiversity simply by streaming. Every time you listen to natural soundscapes or music featuring nature sounds, royalties are funneled directly into conservation efforts through a UN-backed advisory board.  Listening turns into long-term conservation funding.

→ feat. NATURE (Spotify playlist)

Top artists credited Nature as a co-creator, integrating environmental recordings into their music. With over 150 million streams and 14 million listeners, Nature quickly entered Spotify’s top 1% most-played artists.

Crucially, this model created a sustainable, ongoing payment stream for global biodiversity projects, offering a fresh path for environmental funding that scales with culture, not charity. A great collaboration between the Museum for the United Nations and Spotify. 

10. ‘Penny’ price packaging locks in the price in times of inflation

→ Creative thinking and innovation by design, not by technology

During a period of steep inflation, Penny offered long-term price stability on everyday essentials by locking prices permanently by printing them directly on the packaging. ‘If you print it on the package, you can’t change it.’

This is a bold act of transparency. Turning groceries into trust markers, helping shoppers plan and budget with confidence, and reinforcing Penny’s image as a reliable, people-first retailer.

11. ‘Lucky Yatra’ turned train tickets into lottery tickets

→ Creative thinking and flipping perspectives 

Indian Railways turned a frustrating economic problem into a culturally resonant opportunity, transforming each valid train ticket into a lottery ticket, incentivizing honest fare purchase. It wasn’t just a campaign, it was a behavioral nudge built on local insights. It reframed compliance as reward, not punishment.

Nearly 40% of the 24 million daily passengers were riding without paying, and enforcement alone wasn’t working. So instead of cracking down, they tapped into something deeply rooted in Indian society: the love of lotteries.

India has a $33 billion lottery market. For many, playing the lottery is a daily ritual offering hope, excitement, and the chance of life-changing wins, often for just a few rupees. By transforming each valid train ticket into a lottery entry, Indian Railways flipped the script:

• Ticket evasion became a missed opportunity.
• Buying a ticket now came with emotional and financial upside.
• And every ride felt like a chance to win, literally.

The execution was smart, too. Daily and weekly cash draws using ticket serial numbers. No added cost or extra steps for passengers. And targeted launch at 24 high-traffic stations, maximizing impact

The Lucky Yatra campaign was questioned for running too briefly, but Cannes Lions checked it and confirmed it was real. 

12. ‘Bad Bunny’ merges tech, music, and national pride into one unforgettable digital experience

→ Combining data and technology with creative brilliance to counter an insult

‘Floating garbage’ was the insult. What followed was one of the most powerful cultural comebacks ever staged. When a U.S. nitwit labeled Puerto Rico as “an island of garbage,” Bad Bunny and his team flipped the narrative, using music, maps, and tech to turn it into a celebration.

At the heart of the campaign was geo-coordinated storytelling. They mapped over 100 real locations across Puerto Rico, beaches, streets, plazas, and iconic local spots. Each song is linked to a place, each place redefined by its sound. Each is a piece of Puerto Rican identity. These precise coordinates were integrated with:

Google Maps. Users could enter a set of GPS coordinates and be dropped into a physical location across Puerto Rico, not to view it through the eyes of disaster or poverty, but through art, pride, and music. The pins weren’t just markers; they became cultural anchors.

Spotify Integration. Each location unlocked a custom track by Bad Bunny, accessible only through that geo-tag. By moving digitally across the map, fans pieced together an album—part music, part manifesto. The island became a living playlist.

The result was more than a tribute. It was a statement. Not just creative brilliance, it's how it merged tech, music, and national pride into one unforgettable digital experience.

13. ‘Vaseline Verified’ becomes the voice of reason in a world of viral beauty hacks

→ Adding value by verifying and debunking myths in UGC makes the brand a cheeky authority

In a landscape dominated by TikTok trends, Vaseline takes a bold stance, putting internet beauty hacks to the test. By scientifically verifying (or debunking) popular DIY skincare tricks, the brand positions itself as a credible, no-nonsense skincare authority.

“Vaseline hunted down viral DIY skincare hacks on TikTok/Instagram, enlisted 450+ creators to recreate them, ran each tip through an on-camera lab test that either stamped it with a blue-tick Vaseline Verified badge or debunked it, then boosted the verified clips - complete with swipe-to-shop links - driving 63.3 million interactions and turning the brand into skincare’s trust referee.” (quote Callum McCahon)

"5 reasons why Vaseline Verified is modern brand building at its best

1. It’s democratised distinctiveness. Community made. Brand owned.
   They observed how the community interacts with the brand, handed over the keys, but without sacrificing brand codes. In fact, they’ve strengthened them.
2. It deals with the duality of UGC
   UGC is great for reach, risky for messaging. The brand becomes an arbiter of trust. By verifying the genuine hacks, the brand instantly discredits the dodgy ones.
3. It’s delivered at genuine scale. Earned + Owned + Paid integration. 450+ creators. Media spend behind it for visibility beyond existing audiences. 63.3 million interactions. Organic alone won’t cut it.
4. It’s a platform with stretch. Social-first platforms don’t have fixed boundaries. They evolve as momentum builds, creating real longevity for the brand.
5. It combines brand and product: mixing brand building and sales activation on social with shoppable tags—a shift that challenges the old belief that you can't do both in one piece of content. Drove a 43% increase in eCommerce sales. Social commerce = brand + product in one."
   (Credits Callum McCahon)
    

Partnering with content creators, Vaseline evaluates everything from beard care routines to band-aid beauty hacks. Safe ones earn the official “Verified by Vaseline” status, along with a playful trophy box, while dangerous ideas are publicly “unverified.”

The campaign cleverly showcases Vaseline’s versatility, from protecting lips and cuticles to even healing a dog’s dry nose. In doing so, the brand doesn’t just correct misinformation—it reinforces its role as a trusted, science-backed staple in daily care routines.

14. ‘B2B; Act like you know’ by GoDaddy

→ There's absolutely no legit reason B2B should be boring

A campaign with actor Walton Goggins used humor and AI to launch a real sunglasses brand, showing how anyone, regardless of experience, can confidently start a business with GoDaddy Arrow. The campaign blended entertainment with product utility, earning billions of media impressions and demonstrating the power of merging story, personality, and tech utility.

At its core was GoDaddy Arrow, an AI tool that helped create a real sunglasses business, logo, website, and all. What started as a playful Super Bowl ad turned into a functioning company, blurring the lines between ad fiction and real-world action. While walking the talk, launching a business on national TV.

15. IKEA ‘Hidden tags’ tackled the myth that IKEA furniture is disposable

→ Data on the product labels tell the true story

By encouraging people to check the hidden manufacturing tags on their furniture, the brand proved many pieces were older and more durable than expected. One customer even found a piece from 1969. 

Thousands of old tags inspired millions with proof of Ikea's long-lasting quality. The second-hand market also uses these tags to show value, reinforcing the message. With gift card prizes and widespread participation, the campaign successfully shifted perceptions: Ikea furniture can stand the test of time.

Sources and transparency on AI usage

Credit to all below for feeding me with their insights. Confession, I ‘borrowed’ the term ‘unshittification’ from a WARC deck; it captured what’s happening perfectly. For transparency, I used AI to summarize the case videos and added my own perspectives and key takeaways.

Ogilvy, ‘Vive la Créativité’

The Drum, Cannes Lions 2025: View all the Grand Prix-winning ads 

WARC, Creative Impact unpacked 

WARC feed 

WARC, Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions 2025

WARC, Creative Impact Unpacked: What we learned at Cannes Lions 2025

Kantar, Cannes in a can: Refresh yourself with the top 5 takeaways from Cannes 2025 

Ipsos @Cannes  2025

Nielsen, Conversations from Cannes

Cannes Lions

Cannes Lions, Need-to-know numbers 

Cannes Lions, The official Cannes Lions wrap-up 2025 

Love The Work 

Love the work, Winners and Shortlists 

Adweek, The Cannes Lions 2025 Controversies Casting a Shadow Over Big Awards  

Stuff About Advertising

Callum McCahon

Eugbrandstat 

Jarned Carneson 

Paul Evans 

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Let’s start with why it matters to know what’s next this early. That's easy. You move slow at the corporate level, and the adjustment pace is generally, well… a bit low — no offense meaning. 

So, the sooner you know, the faster you can start acting. 

This is what you need to know to prepare for 2025.

1. We’re getting tired of the crappy content flood on socials. As a result, we spend less time and engage less on social and seek more niche and personal channels.
    
2. All you can do as a brand is upgrade your quality. Great content is not about you; it’s (still) about your audience. That becomes even more important to get reach; paid doesn't guarantee that anymore. 
    
3. As a counterbalance against AI, we value human connection more than ever. And that shows in the ads to get awarded in the industry.
    
4. Next to that, we finally dare again to stand up and speak out. On ethics and what matters to us. And we become more playful with logos and products. We break the unwritten rules.
    
5. Lastly, we embrace data and AI in a different way. Not only for production, also as a direction and a reflection.

Bear with me as this will be a rather long read; you can skip and skim to the most relevant paragraphs; there is no need to read from beginning to end. I’ll try to keep it as short as possible.

1. Social media tiredness causes algorithms to change, and the rise of niche channels

In the Netherlands, about 40% of the population is getting social tired and thinks about cutting down social time and engagement [Newcom, 2024]. Of course, take this with a grain of salt; ‘saying’ and ‘doing’ are still two different things. Yet it’s an indication there’s a change coming.

→ Social is not dead, but it is changing. 

2024, Social analytics and the numbers

• Time spent on social: Globally, there is a -2.7% or - 4 minutes of daily time spent on social, now at 2h23min. Disclaimer: this is a global number; in the Netherlands, the usage of social is actually + 1 minute per day at 1h30, despite their intention of cutting down on time and engagement I mentioned above [SmartInsights] [NewCom on Frankwatching] [Datareportal][Meltwater]. 
   
• Popularity in numbers: Facebook is still the biggest in numbers among Millennials, GenX, and even older people, but that's changing very fast. Instagram is now second, YouTube third, and TikTok is fourth. For Gen Z, Instagram is first. [GWI] 
   
• Popularity in usage and time on the channel: For popularity, Instagram is the global number one, WhatsApp is second, Facebook is third, WeChat is fourth, and TikTok is fifth. For time spent per day, TikTok is at the top, with over 1 hour daily. [Datareportal]

And I get it. With the vast amount of shitty content, it’s overwhelming and just a bit too much. Brands, publishers, creators, influencers, you and me, we all use AI to create even more content,  that doesn’t help either.

This results in two things,

• Social channels adjust their algorithms: hello there, LinkedIn and Instagram copying TikTok
• The rise of niche channels: hello Telegram, Discord, Reddit, Signal, Twitch, Threads, BeReal, Mastodon, Tumblr, and more

Let’s dive into some details per channel.

First, why algorithms continuously change

This is how the business case of a social channel works. Yes, it's about generating revenue with paid ads, but the bread and butter are still the users who are on the platform. 

→ Socials earn money when users watch the (paid) content in between the (organic) content. 

→ Users only like to watch content that adds value and fulfills their need for entertainment, inspiration, or education. 

→ So, if the user does not like the content, the user will leave the social channel. 

→ Therefore, serving the best, most liked content is in the social channel’s interest. As a result, shitty content gets declined, whether it’s paid or organic.

TikTok drives these changes even further

TikTok. I know this is not the most obvious channel for business, yet its brilliant algorithm influences all other channels. The biggest difference is that TikTok’s ‘for you’ homepage serves content based on your engagement behavior, not on who you follow or like.

Back in the day, socials used to serve you a mix of who you followed and what they thought you’d like. Now, thanks to TikTok, it’s based on what you like, measured in what you watch in milliseconds and your engagement. And the algorithm reacts fast; on TikTok, you can change what algorithm serves you in as little as 10 minutes.

Instagram and others

The other social channels copy this. Everyone looks at each other and 'borrows' what works, from super short-form video to reels, swipes, and sequential content.

But what works today will be different tomorrow, so I don’t even try to describe what changed. We know one thing for sure, it keeps on changing, there's never a dull moment.

LinkedIn is usually late to the game and the last to follow, which isn’t bad due to its more business-paced nature.

LinkedIn's changes

Everyone sees a drop, some even up to 90%, in reach and engagement on LinkedIn over the last year. It’s not you or your content; it’s the algorithm that changed, and you'll need to adapt accordingly. 

Now, LinkedIn favors the real connected and active users over the daily one-way content pushers.

For the business pages, the news is even worse. The organic business page content fills just 1.5% of the user’s timeline. Pay to play, or use your employees and ambassadors to spread your content for you.

Check my monthly LinkedIn algorithm secrets update for the latest updates and how to's. 

The rise of niche channels

With more AI comes more overwhelming automated and generated content in the feed. As a result, we prefer (human) (real) (authentic) (not paid) (not commercialized) (no brand) content.

Not surprising that the smaller and niche channels keep growing. It's there where people find their communities and why they ditch the bigger socials.

What can you do with these niche channels as a brand? My advice for now is to leave it alone. Please. You don’t need to push your ads on every channel. Wait until the market balances out. 

And in the meantime, you focus on upgrading your other social content and improving the quality so it resonates more with your audience.

Conclusion and my advice

The quality of your content has never been more important. Work with the algorithm by focusing on how your content adds value to your audience: no ads, no promotions, no highlighting, features, or product launches.

Focus on entertainment, inspiration, or education.

This applies to organic and paid content, which I explain in the next paragraph.

2. Paid is no guarantee for reach anymore

As mentioned above, social channels want users to stay on their channel. Users stay on the channel if its content adds value; if there’s too much crappy content and one-way ads, they’ll leave. The social channels don't want content that doesn’t resonate with the users. Not even if you pay. After all, if your paid content doesn’t resonate, the channel doesn’t serve it out of fear of losing users.

In other words explained, social channels want to keep users hooked. To do that, the content has to deliver value. If users are bombarded with junk and too many ads, they’ll walk away. There’s no space for content that doesn’t hit the mark—not even if you pay. If your paid content doesn’t resonate, the platform won’t push it because they can’t afford to lose their users.

→ In short: paid is no guarantee for reach anymore

This means, as a brand, you need to focus on the user and not on you. 

For some marketers, this is a given; for the majority, they still see social as a derivation of a campaign. And that’s just not how it works. 

Your campaign needs to have a social-first mindset with engagement and working with the algorithm at its core. This means social is integrated from the very first brief and beginning, not as a channel but as a way of thinking.

The algorithm selects your audience, not you

Another thing you can do is rely on the algorithm to serve the content to the audiences that engage with you. It's turned around; it’s not you who defines the audience in the campaign setup; it’s the algorithm that serves your content to those who value it.

You optimize your assets to the user, and you don’t ‘buy’ the user anymore. 

Explained by example: if you’re an electric car brand, you create social content that resonates with the 25-35-year-old male living in a city with 2 children and 1 dog, who cares about the environment and might be in the market for a new electric car. You select a very broad audience in your campaign, and the algorithm will serve it to those who are most likely to like and engage with it. If you did an excellent job with your quality, that will be that 25-35-year-old male. 

By the way, high quality doesn’t mean pixel-perfect productions. Actually, the less authentic, raw, personal, and a bit edgy your content is, the more it will resonate as people are a bit tired of the overly polished posts.

→ What to do? 

Optimize your content for your audience's needs. And vamp up the quality. 

How to improve your quality

Improving your quality is easier said than done. There’s so much to tell; I don't know where to start... For now, my advice is to improve your content strategy and your briefing skills as a first step. After all, shit in is shit out. 

• A content strategy should be a deviation of your brand strategy, not your marketing strategy. As your content is more than marketing. 
   
• Your brief should be focused on how content adds value to your business. A good brief is a short one-page document describing your problem, not the solution.

I work for clients and agencies, and time after time I’m surprised by the subpar level of briefs from client to agency and agency not pushing back hard enough.

Below, you find my honest take on the industry, agency side, client side, and freelancer side. 

Who and whom to work with

For content strategy, I am not biased at all; it’s me who can help you. For an agency, there are so many great and less great ones out there, DM me for advice. As always, the quality of an agency rises and falls with the people who work there. 

The same applies to working with freelancers; there are the good, the bad, and the ugly ones.  

Now we understand the two major changes, let’s get into the creative part and rely on what was awarded at the Cannes Lions 2024. 

There are 3 main trends: human as a counterbalance for the AI, standing up and speaking out, and data combined with AI. 

→ Here, you can view all my favorite Cannes cases. Just sit, click, watch, and be inspired. 

3. Human, humanize, humanity

This is where things get really great! This is all based on what’s hot and not in Cannes Lions 2024. For the first time in many years, I’m blown away by the creativity that surprises, enlightens, and is daringly bold. Yes!

And it makes total sense. 

The more AI, the more we value human contact—real, authentic, personal. It’s for a reason that personal selling outperforms automation with forms, and flows. I prefer a personal email or call any time over being marketed to, no matter how personalized you make it for me with AI and CRM systems.

So, what we see in Cannes is that the great winners put 1 human upfront and honor them.

• JCDecaux gives a stage to abuela Marina Pietro in the Madrid metro to prove that out-of-home still works like magic. With the just-and-only posters, she went from a few followers to 10K+. 
   
• Allgemeiner Frankfurter Zeitung honors cultural icons, Oscar Winners, sports heroes, and Margot Friedlander, the 102-year-old last Holocaust survivor, in its Brilliant Minds campaign to celebrate its 100th edition and address the concerning political changes in the world around us.
   
• Johnny Walker honors the forgotten female founder Alaída Cosa of Bossa Nova, gives her a stage with modern technology, and buys a fat, big paid spread in the newspaper to give her the credit she deserves. 

This is about connection, not emotion

Please notice that this ‘human’ is not about emotion; it's about connection. And from the connection, inform and educate. Quote from WARC.

• "Informative and educational creative strategies have overtaken emotional strategies
  The last five years have seen the proportion of informative or educational strategies overtake that of emotional strategies. The dominance of purpose-led marketing over the same period may be a contributing factor.
   
• Awareness, sales growth and brand building are the dominant objectives
  Used by over half of the top 100 campaigns in 2024, these are the top objectives across all campaigns on WARC, but sales growth over-indexes against the norm in these very effective cases by nine percentage points."

4. Stand up, speak out, dare to be bold

This is what I love about brands nowadays. They are not afraid to address what matters and dare to be different. Not only on ethical topics, also in playing and having fun with their brand and logo.

Here are the Cannes Lions cases that inspire to do good and have fun. 

On ethics

• The Down Syndrome Association in Argentina uses data to tackle and debunk absurd political promises. As an alternative realistic and impactful promise, they propose a new law that no longer obliges people with Down syndrome to renew their disability certificate every year. And they succeed with 100% of the votes. 
   
• Dove stays true to their claim and turns their backs on using the ‘Bold Glamour’ filter in TikTok to stand up against the unrealistic, humanly impossible beauty standards on social.
   
• KPN in the Netherlands addresses the devastating consequences of forwarding very personal pictures and content to others. Think before you share what others sent you in private. It’s not about the sexting; it’s about the unsolicited forwarding of it to others and the huge impact that it has on girls’ lives. 
   
• AXA changes 3 little words in their terms and conditions in 3.5 million contracts in France with retroactive effect to enable women to escape domestic violence at home by giving them time and a safe place to stay to find a long-term solution. They provide emergency relocation when a home becomes inhabitable in the event of fire or flood, and domestic violence.

Play with your logo, and have fun with your brand and products

• Coca-Cola does what every brand despises: altering its logo. They play with the logo to promote recycling in a typical Coca-Cola way. Twisting and turning their logo in the ‘Recycle me’ campaign and in the ‘Thanks to Cola-creating’ where they turn self made Coca-Cola logos into cans and ads. 
   
• Heineken is doing the same to celebrate its 150th anniversary. ‘Heineken is the most misspelled beer brand in the world.’ Why not put those names on bottles and cans?
   
• Or Heinz, who celebrates fraud instead of hiding it. ‘Even when it isn’t Heinz, it has to be Heinz’. 
   
• And IKEA displays naughty furry pets and the IKEA products they demolished, broke, or just simply destroyed. ‘Don’t’ worry; you can afford it.’ 

5. Data and AI

By now, we all use data and AI, but this is at a different level.

But first, what's happening in 2024

AI adoption in marketing is 74% in 2023, and will be a must-have by 2030. 68% of marketers already see the benefits, with AI taking over routine tasks and freeing up space for more creative, strategic work. 57% of marketers feel pressured to keep up or risk falling behind. 

Content creation is getting a boost, with the realization that the human touch is still key.  

In summary, AI drives real productivity gains and sharper data insights, making marketing smarter and more effective. [Hubspot AI trend report 2024]

Embrace AI to do good – read, and learn

Now, in (almost) real-time, we can use data, from aggregation to analysis, and feed that back into the campaign. That’s something different and gives us and society a mirror of what’s going on.

• For AI, it’s the next step in creativity and using it for good. Pedigree ‘Adoptable’ is doing an excellent job in turning a scruffy picture of a shelter dog into advertisement-worthy images, including videos to get them adopted. Besides, this is perfectly in line with their love for our furry friends and playing with doggy face filters in ‘Stix’ (2018)
   
• This is mind-blowing. Usually, when women enter a company's board, the stock price drops (…). However, data, facts, and figures show that revenue grows when women enter the board, and the value rises in the long term. Pink Chip, ‘Invest in proof, not bias.’ 
   
• And more data for good. Mastercard's ‘Room for Everyone’ uses purchase data to prove that stores next to each other strengthen the business for both. Debunking the myth and aversion by Polish entrepreneurs for having a Ukrainian shop next door.  

Wrapping it up for 2025

This is what you need to know.

• We’re getting tired of the crappy content flood on socials. As a result, we spend less time and engage less, and seek more niche and personal channels.
• All you can do as a brand is upgrade your quality. Great content is not about you; it’s (still) about your audience. That becomes even more important to get reach, paid doesn't guarantee that anymore. 
• As a counterbalance against AI, we value human connection more than ever. And that shows in the ads to get awarded in the industry.
• Next to that, we finally dare again to stand up and speak out. On ethics and what matters to us. And we become more playful with logos and products. We break the unwritten rules.
• Lastly, we embrace data and AI in a different way. Not only for production, also as a direction and a reflection.

About me

A little bit more about me as I have a feeling to share some background information and credits with you – why what I see and think matters and why I humbly think that I have a point. 

I'm a content strategist with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology who fell in love with technology, creativity, and data. I have been around in the industry for 25+ years—yes, I started at a young age—and have worked for over 50+ top-notch brands and agencies. 

I've seen quite a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more. Now, I share all this with you to nudge and inspire everyone working in marketing, communication, and corporate to do an even better job. Let's be honest; there's already too much crappy content out there; no need to contribute to that, right?

Please check the sources before jumping to conclusions. Credit where credit is due: thanks to my coworkers from Dentsu Creative in Amsterdam, who helped me kickstart the overarching trends. I did the rest of the research and analysis myself. If I missed anything or made a mistake, please let me know. I'm only human, and hiccups happen. 

Sources and credits

• Dentsu Creative Amsterdam 
• NewCom Social Media Onderzoek 2024
• WPP Cannes Lions 2024
• Rockcontent Cannes Lions 2024
• LinkedIn algorithm secrets (monthly updated)
• LinkedIn algorithm secrets archive
• GWI usage of social media 2024
• Smart Insights global social media statistics 2024
• Social media data report 2024 (Meltwater, We Are Social and many others)
• Frankwatching and NewCom
• Datareportal 10 stats for 2024 (video)
• Datareportal extended 560 slides deck
• Datareportal social media 2024 details
• WARC Effective 100 2024
• https://medium.com/@johnkovacevich/case-studies-for-the-2024-cannes-lion-grand-prix-winners-36b314146b86
• https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/cmotalk/id1231349060?i=1000664207981
• https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/cmotalk/id1231349060?i=1000664207808
• https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/cmotalk/id1231349060?i=1000662813952
• https://offers.hubspot.com/ai-marketing

Need help?

If you need any help with all of the above—and I’m not biased at all—I’m thoroughly experienced, have ruffled many feathers, and have learned from my mistakes, drop me an email. If I’m not the right person to help you, maybe I can recommend someone or an agency from my network.

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Here are the winners and some great ones that I found on the shortlists.  The list is in random order, more or less. My favorites are in the beginning; however, please don't skip the last ones; they are equally inspiring.  

The 3 main trends that excite me for 2025 and what every CMO must know. 

1. Human and humanity with humor
2. Dare. Stand up, speak out on ethics. Or be bold in playing with your brand and logo and break the unwritten brand design rules
3. Data and AI for real-time data aggregation, analysis, and giving that back to the customer

Watch, learn, and be inspired.

→ These are the trends for 2025, based on Cannes 2024

AI for good 

[Adoptable, Pedigree]

Using AI for good. Turning a scruffy picture of a shelter dog with the help of AI into advertisement-worthy images, including videos. 

Playing with logos 

[Coca-Cola]

Coca-Cola does exactly what's forbidden by the logo-police. Playing with the logo. 

First, to promote recycling. 

Second, to honor all the small entrepreneurs and shop owners, Coca-Cola is putting their handmade Coca-Cola logos on cans and turning them into advertisements. Unfortunately the video case is not available anymore. 

More logo play 

[Celebrating 150yrs, Heineken]

Heineken celebrates the many different ways the name is pronounced and turns it into labels and ads. 

Cheap innovation for good 

[Sightwalks, Sol Cement]

How a relatively cheap innovation can make a world of difference. Adjusting the guidelines in tiles to tell the blinds when they arrive at relevant buildings or stores. If I'm not mistaken, this has cost € 100,000, and that's it. 

Data for good 

[PinkChip, DeGiro, UN Women]

Usually, when women enter a company's board, the stock price drops (…). However, data, facts, and figures show that revenue grows when women enter the board, and the value rises in the long term. 

More data for good 

[Room for everyone, MasterCard]

Based on purchase data, MasterCard proves that stores next to each other strengthen the business for both. Debunking the myth and aversion by Polish entrepreneurs for having a Ukrainian shop next door. 

And even more data for good 

[Absurd Promises, Argentinian Down Association]

With real-time data and analysis, tackling and showcasing the absolutely absurd promises made by politicians. Instead of an absurd promise, a very easy, low (no) cost alternative promise to change the law, the people with Down syndrome have to renew their disability certificate yearly. 100% success. 

Standing up and boycott AI filters on TikTok 

[Turn your back, Dove]

There's nothing wrong with using and playing with filters for fun. Until it impacts self-image, creating an unrealistic, unhuman world with absurd beauty expectations. Filters are created on and by social. Now, social turns its back on it. 

Awareness for unsolicited sharing of personal videos and pictures 

[Piece of me, KPN]

KPN creates awareness of the huge impact of the unsolicited sharing of personal videos and pictures, especially for young adults. Sexting is a very normal and healthy behavior. Yet, be aware of the damage you can cause when you forward this very personal content to others. 

How 3 words can change lives for women who live with domestic violence 

[AXA]

AXA changes 3 little words in their terms and conditions in 3.5 million contracts in France with retroactive effect to enable women to escape domestic violence at home by giving them time and a safe place to stay to find a long-term solution. They provide emergency relocation when a home becomes inhabitable in the event of fire or flood, and domestic violence.

Giving stage to the last holocaust survivor and creating awareness of the current political situation 

[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 100th edition]

Not only honoring one of the last holocaust survivors and giving her the stage but also a painful memory and warning of the current changes in the political and societal landscape. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung used to have celebrations in this campaign; for this special 100th edition, they chose the most special of all. 

Honoring the forgotten female founder of Bossa Nova 

[Errata 88, Johnny Walker]

Using modern technology to finally give a stage to the Alaída Cosa who's left out of all historical footage.  And not only that, also buying a 2-page spread to do what others didn't. Johnny Walker for all walks of life. 

‘Even when it isn’t Heinz, it has to be Heinz' is about honoring the fraud 

[Heinz]

Instead of hiding the fraud, celebrate the fraud. 

Showing the effectiveness of OOH, Marina Prietro 

[JCDecaux]

Using out-of-home advertising to showcase its effectiveness. How posters in the Madrilian metro made a local abuela with no followers, an Instagram celebrity with 10K followers. 

IKEA dares to show their broken products 

[IKEA]

Another big no-no in an advertisement is showing your broken product. IKEA dares. Tapping into the recognizability and likeability of naughty pets while claiming it's no such big deal due to IKEA's low prices. 

Heineken acknowledges bar experience as work experience 

[Heineken]

How Heineken helps local entrepreneurs find staff by honoring bar experience as relevant work experience to apply for Heineken office jobs. This ‘bar experience’ was not only accepted by Heineken, but other companies also embraced it as well. Smart move in this war for talent to help local bars and big brands. 

How to turn something bad, into something excellent 

[Budweiser]

What happens if the beer gets canceled just before the biggest football event? Then, you offer your supply to the winner. How Budweiser shifted its perspective and gained huge reach and likeability. 

IKEA celebrates life in its ugliest state 

[IKEA]

We all know advertisements are polished. You must have balls to show the most ugly side of life. IKEA is realistic and embraces the good, the bad, and the ugly; it is not afraid to  do so. 

Sources

• https://www.wpp.com/wpp-iq/2024/07/cannes-lion-2024-what-won-and-why
• https://rockcontent.com/blog/cannes-lions-2024-insights/
• https://medium.com/@johnkovacevich/case-studies-for-the-2024-cannes-lion-grand-prix-winners-36b314146b86