In a recent LinkedIn post, Daniela Andrade offers a candid critique of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, questioning whether it truly represents the future of creativity or serves more as a “theater of marketing.” Andrade, who attended the festival for the first time, shared her observations on the disconnect between the event’s marketing as a hub for future-forward ideas and her actual experience.
Andrade initially expected the conference programming to be the primary source of valuable insights. However, her experience suggested otherwise. She writes:
“A lot of what I learned came from watching the ecosystem around the festival: the brand houses, celebrity appearances, unofficial events, yachts, parties, and the general feeling that most of the value of Cannes is simply being able to say you were there.”
The Performance of Relevance
Daniela Andrade highlights that while Cannes is undoubtedly a powerful marketing event, its substance often feels secondary to its spectacle. She points out the performative nature of such a large industry gathering.
“It’s marketing. Of course the industry’s biggest event is also going to be a performance of its own relevance,” Andrade notes. She expresses surprise that the actual programming often felt more abstract than practical, lacking the specificity and concrete explanations she anticipated from an event focused on marketing and creativity.
Abstract Insights and Missed Opportunities
According to Andrade, many sessions featured prominent titles and large companies, but the content failed to deliver substantial insights. She observed a tendency for industry professionals to use buzzwords like “creative,” “strategy,” “culture,” and “trust” without providing concrete meaning.
“At times, it felt like people were using words like “creative,” “strategy,” “culture,” and “trust” without saying much that was concrete behind them.”
This led Andrade to question the purpose of these sessions, suggesting that the value might lie more in industry positioning than in knowledge transfer. She even quipped that she could have gained more from a good podcast than some of the sessions she attended.
The Environment as the Product
Despite her critiques of the programming, Daniela Andrade acknowledges the festival’s effectiveness in creating a unique environment. She argues that Cannes excels at generating proximity, spectacle, and a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out), which is central to its appeal.
“The irony is that Cannes is extremely good at what it is. It creates proximity, spectacle, FOMO,” Andrade states. She elaborates that the physical presence near influential figures and cultural moments lends brands a sense of relevance, even if it’s borrowed.
Borrowing vs. Earning Relevance
A key takeaway for Andrade is the distinction between appearing culturally relevant and genuinely earning it. She uses examples like celebrity appearances or packed events to illustrate this point.
“Putting a celebrity on stage does not automatically mean a brand understands culture. Hosting a packed event does not automatically mean the conversation is moving the industry forward. Calling something “the future of creativity” does not make it future facing if no one is saying anything new.”
Andrade emphasizes that the spectacle and the environment are the core products of Cannes, rather than the panel discussions themselves. While she enjoyed the social aspects and the fun, her advice for attendees is to prioritize unofficial events and networking, recognizing that the performance is the main attraction.
Ultimately, Daniela Andrade found Cannes Lions to be a multifaceted experience – “fun, glamorous, sceney, performative, unserious, impressive, and ridiculous all at once.” She concludes by posing a question to her audience about their own perceptions of the festival.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Daniela Andrade on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on June 30, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →