Apply’s Lessons from Cannes Lions 2026
Summary
Now that the dust has settled around Cannes Lions, it’s time to reflect on the conversations that took place throughout the week: the insights that were shared, the topics that took center stage, and the lessons and learnings that will continue to shape industries and organizations.
We asked members of the Apply team that had the opportunity to spend time on the Croisette to shed some light on their experiences.
An Issue of Governance
Naturally, AI received significant airtime throughout the week. However, it was noteworthy that there was a lack of discussion about adoption and governance. Although organizations were keen to showcase what they’d built, few shone the spotlight on how to deploy these responsibly.
CEO Dr. Ali Alkhafaji picked up on that imbalance immediately. “The industry is skating fast, and few are considering who is minding the guardrails. We are one bad incident away from a challenger moment where governance and risk stop being an afterthought, and become the whole story overnight.”
Equally surprising was the number of valuable conversations happening away from the keynote stages. Smaller, more intimate gatherings provided the perfect environment for senior leaders to speak candidly about real, lived experiences, rather than automatically deferring to performative takes.
Chief Strategy & Growth Officer Lauren Milne experienced exactly that. “The Strava run club allowed me to connect with people through a shared love of running and triathlons, only to subsequently discover that we also had a shared passion for sports in our work. Similarly, a women’s leadership event hosted one of the most honest and grounded conversations about AI.”
Although technology was certainly one of the themes of the week, the ‘brand of sport’ received its fair share of attention. Fandom culture, and the power that sport has to unite people across geographies and languages, was plain to see.
As Jacquelyn Baker, Global General Manager (Consumer), observed: “Traditional brand marketers were seeking education and inspiration around how to translate sports fan mentality and deep-seated loyalty for teams into brand love and advocacy.”
Deeper into the AI Conversation
Experimentation was the order of the day at last year’s Cannes Lions. This year, there was a marked shift towards production. No longer were organizations hung-up on demos and proofs of concept. Instead, they wanted to prove the impact that it had on day-to-day operations.
Dr. Ali believes that this transition was one of the biggest changes from 2025’s edition. “AI has finally left the sandbox. The Croisette was full of real production work that simply wasn’t possible 12 months ago. The question changed. Nobody was asking whether AI is a fad, or whether it works. Everybody was showing what they shipped.”
Rather than nebulous and confusing conversations, activation was the order of the day. Jacquelyn witnessed the same evolution, saying: “Organizations were focused on maximizing the value of their AI investments, and understanding how to apply these capabilities across different aspects of the business.”
Adoption Starts with People, Not Technology
There was a sense at Cannes Lions that the narrative around transformation and adoption has shifted. Organizations are finally starting to realize that they cannot roll-out tools to teams that haven’t been involved in the process from the start.
As Lauren identified, sequencing is now one of the biggest differentiators. “AI doesn’t fix a culture problem. But in a healthy culture, it can be genuinely transformative. Organizations that are getting AI right have built trust and shared purpose first, then deployed the technology into that foundation.”
At the same time, it’s clear that there isn’t a single blueprint for AI success, or a one size fits all playbook that can be followed. There are various paths that can be followed, with diverse approaches paying dividends for different organizations.
As Dr. Ali explains: “We see the range of AI use-cases with our clients every day. Seeing that same range play out across the Croisette confirmed how many different bets organizations are placing and how few of them look alike. There is a widening field of approaches and that is healthier than convergence on one pattern would be.”
In order to effectively and responsibly deploy AI, businesses must also acknowledge the impact the technology (and their actions) have on broader society.
Jacquelyn highlighted the beauty industry as a use case, going on to explore the ramifications that AI-generated content has on perceptions around authenticity and representation.
“Yes, there is a draw for brands to use AI content creation and automation to produce high quality content quickly at scale without the time and expense of live human photoshoots. But they must also be careful not to inadvertently cause harm to society by establishing unattainable standards of beauty and human perfection where no humans were actually represented.”
Why Transformation is the Biggest Opportunity
Although Cannes Lions 2026 is in the history books, one message will endure. Namely, that organizations cannot continue to be influenced exclusively by their pursuit of efficiency.
AI’s main benefit isn’t from cutting costs or accelerating operations. According to Dr. Ali, it’s to raise the ceiling: “Organizations should be using AI to do things differently and better, reaching outcomes that weren’t on the table before. If your AI strategy only makes the existing process more efficient, you are leaving the larger prize untouched.”
Equally important is remembering the people on the other side of the technology. While the rules of practical applications continue to evolve, organizations must accept that what is true today won’t necessarily be the case tomorrow.
So, what is the foundation for long-term success? As Jacquelyn sees it, no matter how much effort and investment goes into leveraging AI, “emotional connection and experience still drive human behaviour and thus business outcomes.”
Technology alone won’t unlock success for organizations. Moving forward, they need to ensure they don’t let the pace of the technology outrun the relationships and the trust that make it actually work. Lauren sums it up best, saying: “If your AI strategy is moving faster than your people's comfort with it, you've got a sequencing problem worth paying attention to.”
If your organization is looking to move beyond AI experimentation and apply it in a way that creates value for customers and employees alike, get in touch with our team today.
:quality(70))