Cannes Lions

Audible launches global brand campaign celebrating audio

Audible has rolled out a global brand campaign titled "Stories That Speak To You" across 12 markets and 11 languages, emphasizing immersive storytelling and the practical benefits of audiobooks and podcasts. The campaign — the first from Audible's new in-house creative department — runs across video, OOH, DOOH, social/digital and audio, with brand activations and high-profile OOH takeovers in locations such as London, Melbourne and São Paulo. It was developed with Audible's internal marketing team and executed with agency Special Group; production credits include director Megaforce and photographer Olivia Malone. Audible cites strong user growth (nearly +800% from 2015–2025), more than one million titles, and major consumption metrics as reasons for the large-scale effort. Audible is an Amazon subsidiary since 2008.

Experiential Drives Cannes Lions' Evolution

The article argues that Cannes Lions has evolved from a craft-focused awards festival into a major B2B experiential marketing platform. With activations across the beach, villas and waterfront—such as Salesforce Beach and a DoorDash activation—brands are building temporary campuses, hosting executive summits, launching products and deepening relationships. The introduction of The Brand Experience and Activation Lions signaled experiential as a recognized creative discipline. The piece highlights that more than 12,000 delegates attend Cannes, making it a concentrated opportunity for marketers and experiential agencies, which the author says act as strategic partners rather than vendors.

Awards face verification challenge as AI lowers production costs

Valerio Stallone argues that the recent decline in Cannes Lions submissions cannot be reduced to stricter rules alone. He links the shift to generative systems that lower the cost and time required to produce award entries — reducing barriers to production and increasing volume — which forces institutions like Cannes Lions to invest more in verification and documentation. The essay describes a broader structural shift from a 'production economy' to a 'selection economy': as creative output becomes cheaper, the primary challenge moves from creating work to distinguishing credible, well-documented, and effective contributions. Stallone notes the DM9 case and the growing importance of effectiveness criteria (citing Effie) as symptoms of this change, and argues the phenomenon affects universities, publishers and businesses as well as the creative industry.