This is Contagious

Cannes Lions decoded: the campaigns, conversations and creativity that mattered

Episode Summary

The Contagious team returns from Cannes Lions 2026 to deliver our sunburnt take on the awards, the talks and what it all means for the industry. Hot from the Croisette, we find out whether How Brands Grow is a brutally boring read, why the UN needs marketers more than ever, how the industry's best work is turning problems into opportunities, and how creative treasure can be found everywhere - from a dot-matrix printer receipt to a 12-tonne chocolate heist.

Episode Notes

The Contagious team returns from Cannes Lions 2026 to deliver our sunburnt take on the awards, the talks and what it all means for the industry. 

Hot from the Croisette, we find out whether How Brands Grow is a brutally boring read, why the UN needs marketers more than ever, how the industry's best work is turning problems into opportunities, and how creative treasure can be found everywhere - from a dot-matrix printer receipt to a 12-tonne chocolate heist.

Along the way we delve into:

1. How to navigate the AI bifurcation without losing your humanity
2. The psychology behind humorous responsibility
3. Why lived human experience is becoming marketing's biggest moat
4. How the biggest award winners turned problems into creative opportunities
5. Why the marketing funnel is giving way to communities, conversations and participation
6. How to tell if your CEO has no imagination