Basis is Unifying, Streamlining, and Simplifying Advertising Advertisers are plagued by inefficient processes, sprawling tech stacks, far too many silos, and all sorts of manual tasks that eat away at time, energy, and margin. …That is, until they find the right solution. Basis integrates and automates the digital advertising process. It unites teams, integrates disparate systems and tools, automates workflows, reconciles billing, and streamlines campaigns from end-to-end. And advertisers that use Basis experience a 35% increase in productivity, a 40% reduction in manual steps, and time back in their day to focus on the strategies and outcomes that count - not the inefficiencies, silos, and tasks that don’t.

1) Less Partying, More Business🦁

When you think of Cannes Lions you think of people guzzling rosé, caviar, dressed in all white on the back of a yacht. In the past it’s been partying and celebration focused. But, as the pressure mounts in the space with business renewals looming, economic pressures, and more intensity to win business there were A LOT of business meetings. With Omnicom and IPG merger getting approved by the FTC yesterday a lot of questions continue regarding the future of the umbrella of IPG entities and how it will impact agency lineup for clients.

• Pitching Behind Closed Doors: Apparently a lot of agencies and ad-tech providers were taking clients to dinner off the event site to swanky Cannes restaurants in hopes to win business.

• Agency Survival Mode: A lot of agencies weren’t just showing off they were pitching hardcore on the spot by collecting emails and attendee information. 

  

  Caviar Bumps At Cannes!

2) Everyone Is Scared of AI Except For Clients LOL

AI was everywhere—and not just in the panels. Meta dropped new AI video tools, Microsoft showed off AI-powered creators, and every CMO wanted to know how AI could save them money. But creatives? They’re sweating. The vibe: cautiously optimistic with a side of “please don’t replace me with a prompt.” Apple tried to calm nerves with a “human creativity still matters” pep talk, but the tension was real.

• AI Tools For Cost Savings: Every client is seeking cost savings and AI seems to be the trigger word for that. The way we see it is that main creative activations like hero campaigns and net new design work is safe. But static ads that show product attributes will be replaced by AI in the next year.

• AI For Media Buying Optimization: A lot of the questions surrounding AI is how media buying will transform in the coming years. How much human intervention will be needed to analyze, make changes, and optimize campaigns

• Here is the video from Dentsu’s session at Cannes Lions about AI in creative development that’s really helpful on how this is impacting agencies.

3) Advertising Is Global #PrestigeWorldWide

Only one of the top five campaigns came from the U.S. this year. The rest? France, Singapore, Germany, and (wait for it) New Zealand—where a herpes awareness campaign somehow stole the show. If that doesn’t scream “Cannes,” what does? The message: bold, local, and offbeat is beating big-budget and buttoned-up. Also shout out to

• Brazil Wins 2025 Creative Country of the Year: Not only is Brazil an amazing country, but it’s making waves in the advertising industry. Prominent agencies like WMcCANN, Ogilvy, and AlmapBBDO are actively developing diverse work, including strong digital marketing strategies leveraging social media and influencer partnerships, as well as advancing in areas like programmatic advertising, retail media, and addressable TV.

• Expect More International Work In The Coming Years: Many great agencies and creative minds exist outside of the traditional EU and US model. As consumers embrace digital experiences and social media globally you should expect to see more great creative work from international agencies. If you ever wanted to work abroad for a bit your opportunity might be coming soon…

4) Influencers Are Here In Full Force

We started following ChampagneCruz when he had 10k followers and has amassed over 533k followers, with a recent partnership being featured in this Lipton Iced Tea Commercial. He’s awesome, but wasn’t at Cannes Lions so why are we talking about him? Well like Cruz influencers are becoming a larger part of media budgets and campaigns. Expect to see clients asking you for more traceability, performance, and combination of using influencers for partnerships.

• Alix Earle Spoke At Cannes Lions For Amazon and Others: Alix Earle has built a media empire. Despite the falling out with Call Her Daddy Influencer Alex Cooper she continues to grow her influence in beauty and Gen Z female audience.

5) Streaming & Retail Media Continues

Disney made a chrome Mickey Mouse the unofficial mascot of Cannes and flexed hard on the streaming front—partnering with Amazon’s DSP and cozying up to ad buyers. Netflix linked up with Yahoo. Roku got in the mix. The message? The streaming wars are now ad-tech wars, and everyone wants a piece of your media budget. This has stroked fear into a lot of media execs that relied on the linear tv spreads for media. These channels are also more costly for clients from a CPM perspective so it will be interesting to see how media budgets fluctuate over the next year.

• Increased Programmatic Access: More streaming inventory is becoming available programmatically through DSPs, simplifying ad buying.

• Enhanced Data and Identity Solutions: Partnerships are focusing on shared identifiers and logged-in audience data to improve targeting, frequency capping, and measurement across fragmented CTV environments.

• Bridging Content and Commerce: Integrations are designed to connect advertising more directly with consumer shopping behaviors and interests.

• Focus on Live Content: Live sports and other live streaming events are a significant area of investment for advertisers seeking real-time engagement and impact.

  Look at the difference below in just two years- Cable shrinks from 29% to 24% and the rise of streaming up to 45%!

(Both of these images are linked if you want to dive deeper)