Why Humanity and Humor Now?

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was held in Cannes, France, from June 17 to 21. How did this world's largest celebration of creativity appear to its participants? We explore the "now" of Cannes through their diverse perspectives.

The first installment features a field report from Mr. Jiro Hayashi of Dentsu East Japan Inc., who served as a shortlist judge for the Outdoor category this year. What shifts in the perception of creativity did Mr. Hayashi observe while participating in events like the daily "Inside the Jury Room" sessions held the day after award announcements and client-hosted seminars?

Jiro Hayashi Executive Creative Director / Head of Communication Design Bureau , Dents u East Japan Inc. Since joining Dentsu Young & Rubicam (now Dentsu East Japan Inc.), he has handled creative work across a wide range of fields, from film and graphics to digital, promotion, and PR. He has won numerous awards, including the Cannes Lions Grand Prix and the New York Festivals Bronze Award. Served as a Shortlist Judge for the New York Festivals in 2023 and 2024, and as a Shortlist Judge for the Outdoor category at the Cannes Lions in 2024.

 

This year's keywords are "Humanity and Humor."

The latter two days of this year's Cannes Lions saw inclement weather. It was an unusual sight for Cannes, known for its blue skies and beaches. Rather than feeling disappointed by the bad weather, it seemed to embody Cannes' message of "re-examining our own foundations." It felt like "rain makes the ground firm," making this year's Cannes feel grounded, realistic, and fruitful.

Cannes cityscape before the rain. The entire city was awash in Cannes Lions. It was refreshing to hear locals refer to it simply as "Lions" to distinguish it from the film festival.

I served as a shortlist juror for the Outdoor category, marking my first time participating in Cannes as a juror (shortlist judging involves selecting the winning entries, said to be about 10% of all submissions in each category. The judging was done online from Japan beforehand).

This year's keywords were undoubtedly "Humanity and Humor." "Humanity" translates perfectly to "humaneness" in Japanese. You likely encountered this keyword in various settings, whether on-site or at debrief sessions. Before going to Cannes, I speculated that "Humanity" might be a reaction against AI, while "Humor" could be a counterpoint to the socially conscious creativity driven by COVID-19 and war. However, experiencing the context behind the award-winning works on-site, hearing the passionate messages at seminars and award ceremonies, and interacting with jurors and clients from various countries, I felt that "Humanity and Humor" profoundly influenced how we perceive creativity.

This was my third time at Cannes, the first in seven years since 2017. I was surprised to find the seminar sessions had become shorter while their number had increased significantly.

Humor is the very essence of creativity

Each Cannes category has subcategories organized by industry or technique. When entering, you select the relevant subcategory (incidentally, it's crucial to thoroughly read the subcategory definitions and tailor your submission to fit that context—judges often emphasize that "this subcategory is key"). This year, "Use of Humour" was added to these subcategories. This clearly shows Cannes' intent to actively embrace and reward humorous ideas.

This time, I set deepening my understanding of the judging process as my personal theme and actively participated in the daily "Inside the Jury Room" sessions held the day after each award announcement. These sessions feature the jury president and two jurors from each category explaining the behind-the-scenes judging process.

Many jurors strongly conveyed that "fun has returned" to their respective categories. The Design category jurors described humor as "human emotion," making me realize humor isn't just about being funny—it's about human feeling. They further stated, "The keyword for the Design category is sense," which struck me as a distinctly Design category filter.

The Brand Experience & Activation judges spoke while wearing hats emblazoned with the familiar-sounding phrase "MAKE ADVERTISING GREAT AGAIN," encouraging everyone to "just enjoy it as advertising."

Meanwhile, from the judges in the Outdoor category I was responsible for, I heard the sentiment, "Humor is universal." Indeed, humor isn't explanatory, making it easier to cross language barriers. It truly feels like an expression born of this era where information spreads widely on social media. On the other hand, perceptions of humor vary greatly between individuals. This means creators must bring diverse perspectives and imagine the feelings of their audience. In fact, some people pointed out dissonance in specific entries that I personally hadn't noticed. It was a moment that made me feel the Cannes jury composition is becoming more diverse.

Most of Inside the Jury Room took place on the underground stage. Hearing about the behind-the-scenes judging process for each category the day after the awards ceremony was an invaluable learning experience.

Partnerships that need each other

Meanwhile, the word "partnership" was frequently heard. While often discussed in contexts like humans and AI, or humor and social responsibility, partnership was also a key theme in the relationships between brands and consumers, and brands and agencies.

The title of Unilever's Creative Marketer of the Year seminar was "You." It powerfully conveyed that what matters isn't the target audience or the consumer, but "you," making me feel that communication is becoming more personal and human.

P&G's seminar titled "The Next Creative Revolution" also discussed the contrast between science and humanity, technology and creativity, emphasizing the importance of finding Magic in everyday life.

What was particularly interesting was the final day's Creatives On The Terrace. It intertwined Authenticity (a keyword at Cannes several years ago, and apparently a term symbolizing the values of the ad-averse younger generation) with humor, suggesting that "brands should relax, unwind, and have a little fun." It struck me that a brand being slightly more relaxed actually connects to its authenticity—much like how people who aren't trying too hard tend to form more genuine relationships. The relationship between a brand and its audience should also aim for a respectful partnership.

This time, the brand representatives I work with also came to Cannes. Being able to discuss the Cannes results and judging criteria on-site, and talk about future visions, was truly a luxurious experience. Such opportunities are rare in Japan, and having these deep conversations after being immersed in the creative energy of Cannes held great significance. At various seminars, speakers from brands expressed deep respect towards agencies, and speakers from agencies did the same towards brands, offering glimpses into their mutual trust. Cannes was a time for deep reflection on the partnership between clients and agencies.

We confirmed our partnership with a CAN OF CANNES and raised a toast.

I want to cherish the gritty, irreplaceable everyday moments.

Looking back, I think Cannes celebrated the value of human creativity from many angles. While last year's buzzword, AI itself, wasn't as prominent this year, Cannes seemed to be giving us a push, saying, "Let's value human creativity more" and "Our work is wonderful."

The ultimate moment came when Jacques Segera, France's leading advertising figure and recipient of the Lion of St. Mark for his longstanding contribution to creativity, passionately declared on stage: "Love ideas, love creativity, love life." I deeply resonated with this simple yet powerful cheer for the power of ideas, the potential of creativity, and the joy of living life. Incidentally, the French owner of the place I stayed at this time also seemed to be savoring life, relaxing on the beach until around 8 PM on weekends.

For now, AI still isn't that interesting. Creativity, on the other hand, is pure freedom. That's precisely why I want to stay in a creative state myself. I was reminded that a creative state isn't about being pretentiously sophisticated; it's born from facing my own slightly messy, endearing daily life, carefully observing others' routines, and connecting with people.

I want to relax, think of someone close to me, and do careful work that moves their emotions. I was able to return to that fundamental creative starting point.