Day One of Cannes Lions 2023 is in the books—unless you’re one of the people who started partying over the weekend, to which I ask, when did you get here and how were you not jetlagged?
So far, my Uber driver, my Airbnb host, and my barista have asked why so many foreigners are in town. It’s like the UN Summit, but for sellin’ stuff.
Despite some recent torrential downpours (and the threat of orcas?), the beaches are set up and the yachts are afloat. The humidity is also off the charts. Anyone who said “bring linens” wasn’t kidding.
Spotify kicked things off early on Monday with a panel featuring Charlie Smith, chief marketing and communications officer at luxury brand Loewe, and influencer Emma Chamberlain. Chamberlain shared things like her perfect equation for a brand-influencer partnership (“Both voices are heard equally and…the two parts together create something brand new in a way that feels exciting and fresh, but yet still authentic to both audiences”) and how she used to pronounce Loewe as “lowey” (“You can’t say that in the wrong room”).
Later in the day, Spotify hosted a party at a villa featuring a performance by H.E.R., where we spotted everyone from influencer Tinx to Paris Hilton to Trevor Noah.
Meanwhile, I spoke with actress Sophia Bush about the key to meaningful brand partnerships and with Joy Robins, the new global chief advertising officer at the New York Times, about the media ad landscape.
I also made my way up and down the Croisette (with the step count to prove it) to check out what brands and agencies were doing with their beaches. Activations ranged from Stagwell’s Sport Beach, where mostly ad bros were shooting hoops, to Pinterest’s Manifestival, where people were getting temporary hair jewels and tattoos. Anyone leaving Cannes inked this year, please send us pics.
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