Cannes Lions CEO on the power of creativity, the creator economy and making connections - Simon Cook

Every year, the advertising industry descend upon the south of France to meet up in Cannes over a glass of rosé to celebrate the power of creativity. So I thought it was about time that I caught up with the CEO of Lions, Simon Cook, to discuss why creativity matters.

The conversation ranges from how can you make the case for creativity in business while budgets are strained, to what you can expect this year from Cannes Lions.

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Start
• 01:37 - Origins of Cannes Lions
• 03:38 - The scale of Cannes Lions
• 05:19 - Creative marketer of the year
• 07:16 - State of the Nation research
• 09:30 - Friction between agencies and clients
• 12:47 - Jon’s two Cannes Lions with Lucozade
• 15:15 - The return of humour at Cannes
• 17:46 - Trends and themes for Cannes Lions 2024
• 18:39 - Will we see an AI category at Cannes?
• 20:01 - Big names at Cannes Lions 2024
• 21:14 - Cannes for creative effectiveness, or just celebrating the craft?
• 23:56 - Cannes embracing creators
• 25:27 - Jon’s pitch for a low budget category
• 27:57 - Advice on how to win a Lion
• 30:20 - How Simon Cook got the CEO job at Cannes Lions
• 32:40 - Challenges Simon has faced as CEO
• 35:09 - Dealing with criticism of Cannes Lions
• 37:02 - The Cannes Lions legacy
• 38:06 - Simon’s proudest moment