The WSJ on Cannes Lions 2025 article reveals an advertising industry that has definitively embraced AI. No more hesitations from 2023; time for the practical application, as Don McGuire of Qualcomm says (2400 hours saved per month!).
But a question gnaws at me: how will this AI revolution redefine our creative pricing?
The key highlights from Cannes 2025:
- 75% of agencies use AI (vs 61% in 2024)
- Meta unveils tools to create ads without an agency
- Havas invests €400 million and calls AI its “teammates”
- But 75% of agencies fund AI without charging clients…
My question for advertisers:
When a Lions-winning campaign heavily uses AI to :
- Generate visuals (as Undiz did with Midjourney)
- Create scripts (ChatGPT and others)
- Automatically optimize targeting
- Personalize content at scale
Should we create separate categories? ➡️ “Pure Creativity” vs “AI-Assisted Creativity”? ➡️ Or consider AI as a simple tool, on par with Photoshop?
JB Smoove was right at Cannes: ‘It’s about mastering the present moment… AI can’t do that’. But when AI generates 80% of a campaign, where do you place the cursor for human creativity?
Your take? How can we preserve the value of human ingenuity while recognizing AI’s creative potential?
#CannesLions2025 #AI #Advertising #Creativity #Innovation #Marketing
P.S.: While we debate, 75% of agencies pay AI out of pocket without billing it… An economic model that needs urgent reconsideration?
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