"Creative Thinking in PR" Unlocks PR's Potential: Yuki Koda's View of Cannes

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was held in Cannes, France, from June 16 to 20. How did this world's largest celebration of creativity appear to its participants? We explore the "now" of Cannes through various perspectives.

The first installment features an interview with Yuki Koda of PR Consulting Dentsu Inc., who served as a judge in the PR category. What is Cannes' current position as seen from the PR category? What is the relationship between PR and creativity as Koda sees it?

Yuki Koda, Chief Consultant , Third PR Solutions Bureau , PR Consulting Dentsu Inc. Since joining the company as a new graduate, she has worked on numerous projects as a client-facing consultant. In recent years, she has primarily handled global projects, engaging in PR consulting, planning, and execution aimed at developing and implementing external and internal communication strategies for Japanese clients overseas, as well as enhancing the presence of foreign clients within Japan. Cannes Lions PR Jury Member (2025) / Spikes Asia PR Jury Member (2024) / Dubai Lynx PR Jury Member (2023) / SABRE Awards Asia-Pacific Jury Member (2021, 2023)

 

Creating the business itself through a PR perspective

──What was your first impression upon arriving in Cannes this time?

This was my first time participating in Cannes Lions, and my first visit to the Côte d'Azur in about 20 years. Honestly, the scenery on the drive from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport to Cannes felt more aged than I remembered. Still, upon arriving in central Cannes, the bustle of the Croisette was exactly as I'd imagined. Thinking about the judging starting the next day and the freedom afterward, I felt that thrilling excitement I hadn't experienced in a long time.
 
──This time, Mr. Koda served as a juror in the PR category.

When I received the offer to be a judge, I was genuinely surprised—I thought, "No way!" That's because I had just served as a judge for Spikes Asia last year, and although I had worked with the current jury president on a different judging panel before, I never expected to be asked at this particular moment.

──Was there anything that particularly stood out to you during the judging?

The PR category was established in 2009. Since then, it has primarily recognized cases that solved challenges by encouraging discourse within the target audience through earned media (※) and thereby changing awareness and behavior.

(※) Media where information is disseminated by third parties not directly affiliated with the company, such as social media posts by consumers or review articles by news outlets.

In recent years, we've also seen many cases involving the development of services or products themselves, even before information is disseminated to the public. These cases can be described as redefining the very concept of the "PR category" by creating the business itself through a PR perspective. This year, we saw many cases winning awards in multiple categories, reaffirming that the PR perspective is now firmly embedded within communication design.

(Left) The judges' room inside the Palais, used for three days (Right) During judging, smartphones were kept here to prevent distraction, information leaks, and lobbying for awards

──Through this year's PR category entries, what societal trends or changes in the times stood out to you?

While "niche marketing" has been trending in Japan for some time, communication on social media has become nearly essential. This has led to increasingly fragmented and narrower target audiences, diversifying the challenges we face. Among these, issues related to mental health, pets, and children's well-being were particularly prominent. As someone within the industry, I find it heartening to see a trend where creativity is being harnessed to enhance individual well-being.

On the other hand, as widely discussed, AI has evolved into a viable option within PR itself. Personally, I believe projects like AI-powered "resurrections" of the deceased require careful planning. However, I'm genuinely excited about the prospect of AI becoming just another tool in our existing solution toolkit, enabling us to explore entirely new approaches.

PR Thinking: The Creative Starting Point That Moves Society

──From the PR department's perspective, please share your thoughts on the current state of Cannes and the world's creativity.

For PR departments pursuing "earned" (gaining brand awareness and trust through earned media), the identity of the source behind each piece is crucial. If there's no perceived necessity between the source and the message, it won't generate buzz and naturally won't reach the target audience. Furthermore, in this era of information overload, when trying to deliver a powerful message that stands out, the brand's (or organization's) level of commitment as the source has become a major factor.

This year saw notable examples: AXA's "Three Words," which expanded home insurance coverage to include DV (domestic violence) and changed product terms; Finland's largest bank, Nordea, launching its "Parental Leave Mortgage" allowing payment suspension during childcare leave; Tecate Beer's "The Gulf of Mexico (Bar)," which opened a bar named "Gulf of Mexico" on a ship and displayed it on maps in opposition to a US presidential order; L'Oréal's "The Final Copy of Ilon Specht," which chronicled the life of Ilon Specht, the copywriter who created the iconic slogan that overturned the male-centric norms of 1973 and remains the brand's core message over half a century later. As someone involved in PR, I aspire to be a partner who can share this level of commitment with clients.
 
──Please tell us about your perspective on the relationship between PR and creativity.

The boundary between PR and creativity has become quite blurred. However, if we view PR not merely as a means of information transmission but as a way of thinking, I feel their relationship isn't something to be divided by a boundary, but rather something to co-create and coexist with. Looking at this year's award results, we saw examples like India Railways' "Lucky Yatra" campaign, which humorously transformed the legal system by turning tickets themselves into lottery tickets to combat fare evasion. Or the approach of the long-established American cookie brand Nutter Butter, which posted numerous seemingly eccentric and hard-to-grasp videos on social media, "Nutter Butter, You Good?"—which relentlessly embraced Gen Z culture—we also saw examples where the creative spark, acting as a mechanism to move society, originated from PR thinking that values consensus-building as its essence. I would be delighted to see more "creativity born from PR thinking" in the future.

With the judging members. The secretariat staff also did a great job and were part of the team.

──How did you perceive dentsu from Cannes?

I'd sensed it year after year, but Cannes reaffirmed that dentsu has truly become a global entity. Questions like "Where is dentsu?" vanished even among jurors and within the PR industry. Seeing the Beach House (dentsu's base during Cannes Lions) made me realize dentsu has truly become a global brand. The judging process also allowed me to connect with members from other countries. Especially for PR professionals like me, who have few overseas bases, it was an opportunity to feel the strength of one dentsu.

Dentsu made its presence felt at the awards ceremony too. We won four awards in the PR category, and hearing the name "Dentsu" in other categories was a source of pride.
 
──Beyond judging, were there any stimulating sessions, events, or local interactions?

There's a gathering for PR professionals from Japan that's been held since the PR category's inception in 2009, and I heard this year saw the largest attendance ever. I also reunited with PR colleagues I'd worked with overseas in the past, which made me feel the immense scale of what PR has built over its 16-year history at Cannes.

A place where global communication decisions converge

──Having served as a juror in Cannes this time, did you experience any broadening of your perspective?

What impressed me most was the "quality of diversity" among the entire jury. As the local jury panel consisted of non-native English speakers making up the majority, with every member hailing from a different country, we were able to have fascinating discussions from various angles. Ultimately, despite differences in nationality, culture, and language, I believe we were able to judge each award-winning work using a common thought process—one of "building consensus with society"—based on mutual understanding and our shared attitudes toward society.
 
──After completing the judging, what are your renewed thoughts on the Cannes platform?

Cannes felt less like a mere awards ceremony and more like a place where the world's communication decisions converge. Being recognized at Cannes means your work is acknowledged as presenting a structure capable of driving cultural change. Simultaneously, Cannes served as a place to re-examine our approach to our daily work and its precision. It wasn't just the three days we were holed up in a room judging (or nearly two months including the online judging before arriving on-site). Throughout our stay, we were constantly confronted with questions like, "Is this truly an effective solution to the problem?" and "Is this something we can proudly pass on to the next generation?" It was a week that forced us to thoroughly reexamine our past work.

Being given the opportunity to serve as a juror this time, and especially having such extended time to confront these questions, was truly fortunate and deeply appreciated. It was my first time at Cannes, but it's precisely because of experiences like this that it remains a unique place that captivates those who visit it.