The Insight
Percipient thought-pieces and opinions from some
of
the world’s most respected industry leaders.
)
This year’s Cannes Lions saw the focus pulled on human versus machine, putting the AI tools that have entered the arena firmly in their place. Tim Cumming speaks to a range of industry voices as a new sense of the reality and power of human creativity dawns.
Snapshots - Dustin Duke, Amazon's Brand Innovation Lab
shots Co-Editor Danny Edwards talks to Amazon Brand Innovation Lab’s Dustin Duke about why the best uses of technology start with a proper idea.
A24's Google deal tests whether a cult brand can ever really scale
Red Bull has managed it, so too has Patagonia, but other cult brands have suffered when attempting to appeal to the masses. Kriston Rucker, Partner at Love & War, looks at the reasons why, and what A24's new deal might mean for the company.
The girl in the Elsa dress
As a father, and as an agency owner, Aidan Gibbons, Executive Creative Director & Co-Founder of Not Just Any, is dismayed by the recent changes to the UK's Equality & Human Rights Commission's code of practice. In an industry - and a world - where there is no such thing as 'normal', will the new rules change that?
Microdramas go big: The age of brands renting attention is over
Online video viewing is as big as ever, but habits have changed and brands need to change with them. Olly Lewis, SVP & Head of Creative Studio at StudioB, says that understanding the burgeoning sector of microdramas is one way to do that.
Straight shooting from 2026's Young Arrows Co-Chairs
The Young Arrows shines a light on the industry's up-and-coming talent and, here, this year's jury Co-Chairs, Love Song MD and EP Shirley O'Connor, and 4Creative ECD David Wigglesworth, talk about the best ways to encourage young people into the industry, the challenges in doing so, and why the Young Arrows has an important role to play.
Snapshots - Kerry Tucker, Virtue
shots Co-Editor Jamie Madge talks to Virtue Worldwide President Kerry Tucker about branded entertainment, client nerves, toy catalogue diss tracks and why a great idea should never depend entirely on getting the talent.
Is it game over for performative sponsorship in women’s sports?
Katie Mitchell, Managing Director at Seen Studios, argues that while we’ve seen spectacular audience growth in women’s sports, brands need to catch up with the opportunities for cultural change that this shift brings.
Snapshots - Chanelle Kalfas, The New York Times
shots Co-Editor Jamie Madge talks to The New York Times’ Chanelle Kalfas about truth, subscriptions, Wordle, recipes and how a 175-year-old publisher keeps making itself part of people’s daily lives.