The advertising industry is demanding more attention for their ads. How does this change media planning and creative development?

Every year Cannes Lions surfaces the big themes that matter in advertising, and there is a lot to learn from the award winning campaigns. But the event isn’t just a celebration of creativity. While creativity was debated and celebrated in the Palais award shows, all the major media platforms and agencies were vying for attention outside. Meta, Google, Twitter, Snap, Spotify and others were lined up on the beachfront, along with many media agencies. 2022 also saw the arrival of the Amazon Port at Cannes – not surprising when you consider their ad revenues now equal the entire global newspaper industry.

Sitting neatly at the intersection of media magic and creative success is the debate around attention, which was a topic du jour from day one. Advertisers are increasingly keen to create ads that capture and retain attention. Publishers want to show they have the environments that deliver high-quality attention. And Agencies want to place ads where they can generate the most attention for their clients’ money.