Cannes Unpacked: How Humanity Beats Algorithms
Despite rapid advances in generative AI, the global advertising elite is sending a clear message: technology alone is becoming a commodity. Anyone who wants to move markets needs radical human empathy, authentic stories, and a bold stance.
On a hot and humid late-summer evening, Publicis brought together the Swiss communications community for «Cannes Unpacked.» The trio on stage—Samuel Wicki (ECD at Leo Burnett), Robert van den Heuvel (ECD at Leo Lausanne), and Arnaud Debia (Global Creative Development Director at Ipsos)—offered far more than just a retrospective. The focus was on the pressing question of the future role of humans in an advertising universe shaped by algorithms.
While technology seemed to be everywhere at first glance, the award-winning campaigns and the latest market research data revealed a remarkable shift: humanity is emerging as a decisive competitive advantage.
The Backlash Against the Perfection of Machines
More than 40 percent of this year’s submissions used artificial intelligence to speed up processes or generate new visual worlds. At the same time, skepticism among the public is growing. According to the Ipsos AI Monitor, 65 percent of people worldwide view these rapid technological advances with some concern.
As a counterpoint to the perfect—but often soulless—AI output, the juries praised works that celebrated the imperfect, the real, and the deeply human. The Film Grand Prix winner, Claude, provided a prime example: Instead of blindly extolling the possibilities of technology, the platform humorously warned of the dangers of subtly placed advertising in large language models—a clear statement that technology must serve humanity, and not the other way around.
Polaroid put it even more radically, under the guiding principle that, after years of taking refuge in technology, it was now time to use reality to escape digital sensory overload.
Even tech giants took a surprisingly analog approach: Coinbase’s Film Craft Grand Prix entry depicted a break from virtual constraints toward real, unpredictable life—completely without CGI, shot with real actors and physical sets.
Trust as the Most Valuable Currency
In times of geopolitical tensions, disinformation, and AI-generated fake content, consumers are looking for guidance. An exclusive Ipsos study for Nestlé shows that established brands rank higher than chatbots and influencers in terms of credibility. However, trust is not built through technical features, but through genuine empathy.
Data from the Ipsos study «The Misfits Way» shows that campaigns that actively foster genuine brand resonance, credibility, and relevance achieve up to 32 percent greater impact. When creativity and empathy go hand in hand, effectiveness increases even more significantly.
AXA Insurance demonstrated this impressively with its «3 Words» campaign: By adding three crucial words to insurance policies—coverage for domestic violence—the brand secured the Grand Prix in Creative Effectiveness this year, following its Titanium award the previous year, accompanied by a 9 percent increase in new business. A relevant brand purpose drives measurable growth when it delivers on the industry’s core promise. AXA continued this thread with the support of Afghan rapper Sonita to draw attention to the plight of women under the Taliban.
Tell Stories Instead of Lecturing
A striking finding from the Ipsos analyses: Only 49 percent of all advertising materials tested still tell a coherent story. Yet narrative storytelling has been shown to double short-term brand awareness.
Works such as those by Heinz demonstrated that storytelling can resonate even with the simplest of means: The agency discovered that the outline of the familiar French fry bags exactly matches the shape of its own brand logo—a purely visual connection that sparked a global response without any high-tech elements.
OREO also used a seemingly absurd story about cows with belt patterns for a nationwide campaign in Mexico that scaled directly at the point of sale.
The closing message: Be Bold, Be Human, Keep Thinking
To wrap up «Cannes Unpacked,» the trio of speakers distilled the essence of the roughly one-hour event into three concise calls to action: «Be Bold,» «Be Human,» «Keep Thinking.» These form a strategic counterbalance to an industry that, in its fascination with algorithms, sometimes loses sight of common sense.
Be Bold: A call for radical courage and conviction. Analyses of this year’s Cannes entries show unequivocally that run-of-the-mill caution gets lost in the background noise of social media feeds. Effective communication requires a clear profile, surprising ideas, and a willingness to take a genuine stand—even if it means ruffling a few feathers.
«Please, be bold.»
— Samuel Wicki, Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett
Be Human: A return to empathy as the most powerful driver of advertising impact. While machines can analyze data and generate content every second, an intuitive understanding of social nuances, pain points, and genuine emotions remains the undisputed domain of humans. Technology must not be an end in itself, but must serve human needs.
«The other one, of course: be human.»
— Arnaud Debia, Global Creative Development Director at Ipsos
Keep Thinking: Arguably the most urgent message of the presentation: Despite sophisticated AI tools and automated campaign processes, one must not delegate one’s own critical thinking to algorithms. As Robert van den Heuvel noted with a smile: Anyone who blindly follows the system’s instructions will inevitably end up in a creative dead end. Independent critical thinking, strategic foresight, and sound judgment remain indispensable.
«And I think one of the most important things—if you ask me—as we move forward together is: please, keep thinking. Don't just blindly follow Google Maps.»
— Robert van den Heuvel, Executive Creative Director at Leo Lausanne
