Cannes Lions boasts diverse talent and packed programme

A Gold-winning Olympian, the Disney advertising president and Hollywood actors are among those attending the Cannes Lions festival in 202, returning to the south of France after a two-year hiatus.

Following a busy Cannes film festival last month, Cannes Lions is also expected to return to full flow next week with an impressive line-up of talent in attendance, including Rita Ferro, president of Disney Advertising, IBM senior vice president Bob Lord, Ukonwa Ojo, global chief marketing officer of Amazon Prime video and studio, and actors Patrick Stewart and Ryan Reynolds.

The festival programme will be focused on global priorities identified by the industry - sustainability; diversity, equity and inclusion; talent; business transformation and creative effectiveness.

Sessions include: Future Gazers – Sustainability in the Metaverse, Media and Brand Accountability and Luxury; Ryan Reynolds on Next Generation storytelling; Inclusivity in Advertising – The Truth about Advocating for Inclusive Work and When Women Tell the Story.

For those who can’t be in person, the festival will also have a hybrid approach allowing them to remotely watch talks from wherever they are in the world.