Observed Signal · Jun 22, 2026 · Opinion / Call to Action · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Call to Reward True Experiential Marketing at Cannes
Shelley Elkins of NVE Experience Agency publishes an open call to the Cannes Lions Brand Experience & Activation jury urging clearer definition and proper recognition of experiential marketing. Elkins argues experiential work is a central discipline focused on participation rather than fleeting 'moments', criticizes the continued absence of experiential-agency creative leaders on the jury, and challenges jurors (chaired by Rafael Pitanguy) to reward work that transforms observers into active participants. The piece cites industry moves — Mastercard’s CMO calling the company an experiential marketing organisation and Disney elevating its chairman of experiences to CEO — as evidence that experiential practice is being treated as strategic by major brands.
Opinion piece influencing festival jury decisions and category definition for experiential marketing; relevant to agencies and brands but not a structural industry change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Opinion piece by Shelley Elkins of NVE Experience Agency published on The Drum (2026-06-22).
- Elkins calls on the Cannes Lions Brand Experience & Activation jury, chaired by Rafael Pitanguy, to better define and reward true experiential marketing.
- The author notes the jury again lacks a creative leader from an experiential agency but includes Julie Hogan, who leads experiential marketing at Meta.
- Elkins cites industry signals that brands are treating experiential as central, including Mastercard declaring itself 'an experiential marketing organization' and Disney elevating its chairman of experiences to CEO.
- Brands mentioned as demonstrating participatory experiences include Canva, Waymo, Amazon and Pinterest.
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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.
Cannes Marginalizes Experiential Creators
An opinion piece argues that Cannes Lions—long celebrated as a creativity festival—relies heavily on experiential teams to create the week’s atmosphere yet fails to properly recognise or include them. Jimmy Knowles, Global Head of Experiential Marketing at Canva, says experiential designers, production crews and junior creatives are underrepresented in awards, stages and juries, and are often priced out of attending. He cites high-profile activations (Amazon/AWS Port, Meta beach installation, Netflix rooftop) as work built by experiential teams that goes uncelebrated. Knowles welcomes initiatives like the ERA program and growing stage presence from groups such as XP Land but says entry passes alone don’t solve affordability or representation. He calls for more formats, stages and intentional festival design to elevate and include the people who build Cannes’ human connection moments.
Experiential Marketing Enters an 'Effectiveness Era'
Carley Faircloth-Kilmurray of Spiro argues that experiential marketing is moving beyond the question of whether live experiences work to understanding which design choices drive measurable business outcomes. Drawing on Spiro’s Experiential Marketing Impact Report (EMIR) and its follow-up research, the article highlights evidence linking live experiences to trust, advocacy, purchase intent and conversion. The piece stresses that human interactions — notably knowledgeable staff conversations — and active attendee participation are strong drivers of trust and purchase intent. The author calls for more intentional measurement and design (not the replacement of creativity) so marketers can optimize events for specific outcomes rather than rely solely on attendance or impressions.
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