Publicis Commerce executives reporting back from the media industry’s premier annual event found creativity to be alive and well, despite all the recent debate over its AI-instigated demise.
It might be ironic at a festival founded to recognize creative excellence for its own sake, however, that a key reason creativity has become even more critical is the AI-enabled ways it can be scaled to unprecedented levels and have its impact tied directly to measurable commerce outcomes.
Also contributing to creative’s health is the strong backlash to “AI slop” already coming from consumers and marketers alike, as both groups decry the clear lack of authenticity, relevance and, yes, humanity that’s too -often evident from content generated solely by AI. A loss of those qualities could be devastating for brands and retailers at a time when trust is becoming an even more crucial aspect of consumer decision-making — which, in turn, is a key reason why authentic creators and influencers increasingly are being enlisted to help brands build authentic, relevant, and human creative content.
In our Cannes 2026 Recap Report, EVP-Commerce Strategy Jill Cruz is joined by Publicis Commerce thought leaders Amy Lanzi, Amy Andrews, Amanda Rogers, Mike Bartlett and Casey Lissau to present key takeaways from the festival and the trends likely to shape the future of commerce media.
Download the report HERE.
