The third day of Cannes Lions begins for m&k on the terrace of the press center at the Palais. There, Anna Kohler meets the current “Advertiser of the Year,” Jan Kempter, for an exclusive video interview. Twelve years after his first visit, the Wirz creative returns to the Croisette—to a festival that has changed significantly in the meantime.
For Kempter, the change is undeniable. Amazon, Meta, Apple, and other tech giants dominate the scene along the Croisette today more than ever. At the same time, he notes that outstanding work continues to thrive on something that cannot be automated: craftsmanship, skill, and attention to detail.
While nearly half of the talks on stage focus on artificial intelligence, Kempter has so far seen only limited evidence of this trend in the award-winning works. There, the focus remains on ideas, staging, and creative excellence. It is precisely these works and the encounters with creative professionals from all over the world that make Cannes so valuable to him.
Kempter owes his presence there entirely to Weischer.Cinema. The company has a long-standing tradition of sponsoring the “Advertiser of the Year” to travel to Cannes, thereby building a bridge between the Swiss creative scene and the world’s most important festival in the communications industry.
Swiss BBQ: The Swiss Hangout on the Beach
Shortly after noon, the action shifted to OK Beach. There, Weischer.Cinema was already hosting its ninth Swiss BBQ—now a fixture on the Swiss Cannes calendar.
Host Christof Kaufmann, CEO of Weischer.Cinema Switzerland, expressed his pride in how the event has evolved. What once began as a gathering place has now become a sort of Swiss base camp on the Croisette. Agencies, clients, creatives, marketers, and media professionals gather here away from the hustle and bustle of the official festival.
What particularly struck Kaufmann this year was the strong presence of marketing executives. Whenever CMOs and marketing leaders took the stage, the auditoriums were packed. He sees this as a positive sign, noting that Cannes is not just a creative festival, but is increasingly becoming a marketing festival once again.
Kaufmann takes a relaxed view of the dominance of the major tech platforms. His motto: «If you can’t outspend them, you have to outthink them.» Smaller, more agile markets like Switzerland, in particular, can leverage their strengths through speed, creativity, and simplicity.
And where does a longtime Cannes regular look for inspiration? In the basement of the Palais—where print and out-of-home ads are on display. Works that have to speak for themselves without lengthy explanations. Kaufmann raves about campaigns like Dunkin‘ Donuts or De’Longhi’s multi-award-winning Tiny Coffee House. His recommendation: don’t follow the hype so much, and instead roam through the exhibition more often like a truffle-sniffing pig. That’s where you’ll still find great ideas.
Rapper Keynote on the Go
Some moments in Cannes just can't be planned.
On her way back from OK Beach along the Croisette, Anna Kohler suddenly heard a voice that sounded familiar. One glance through the floor-to-ceiling windows of a restaurant was enough—there he was, the producer, entrepreneur, and creative director.
What followed was an impromptu keynote speech on artificial intelligence and music that could hardly have been a better fit for the festival's overall atmosphere.
Will.i.am traced a historical arc from Gutenberg to Beethoven to the music industry. His central message: New technologies do not destroy creativity. They create new industries. The printing press made classical music possible. Recording devices gave rise to the music industry. And AI, in turn, will give rise to something new that we don’t even know about yet.
The true task of creative people, therefore, is not to defend the past, but to develop new imaginations. AI can reproduce existing patterns, but it cannot truly dream. «Now is the time for dreamers, not for those who regurgitate yesterday’s fantasies,» was one of his key statements.
It’s an idea that’s currently being discussed in many places in Cannes—though rarely with such stage presence and rock-star attitude.
Go, Switzerland! at Jung von Matt
The day finally ended the way creative festivals often do: with good food, cold drinks, and soccer.
Jung von Matt hosted a barbecue high above Cannes. The photos show less of a traditional agency event and more of a residence with a view of the bay. While the party continued down on the Croisette, the guests watched the Swiss national team play.
Switzerland may have had a break this Wednesday with the Lions. In soccer, however, fans were hoping for more good news.
After all, Cannes Film Festival week is still a long way off. And sometimes the best stories don’t happen on stage anyway, but somewhere in between—on the beach, on a terrace, or by chance in front of a restaurant window on the Croisette.
