In its 8th iteration, Ann Nurock shared insights with our community on the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, yet again drawing a substantial crowd.
The evening, co-hosted by the SA Jewish Museum and the SAFIM Art Collaborative in August, gave the Cape Town audience a glimpse into global trends shaping the creative world.
An advertising and marketing expert, Ann is currently a partner at Relationship Audits and Management, a global consultancy that measures and optimises client-agency relationships. With a 25-year-long background in the South African advertising world, Ann served as MD of Grey Advertising SA and then as CEO and head of the Africa region for the agency. She also had a stint as CEO of Grey Canada. Previously a resident of Johannesburg, today Ann lives in Cape Town.
In her address, Ann highlighted three big themes from Cannes this year:
Humanity in the age of AI
While many fear that artificial intelligence (AI) will kill advertising, it was clear at this year’s Cannes Festival that it is not replacing human creativity. In fact, the strongest work at Cannes was not driven by technology but by human stories. The message was clear: originality, empathy, and emotional connection remain at the heart of powerful communication.
This shone through in the selection of the winner of the Grand Prix Award: the French insurance company AXA’s Three Words campaign. In a development set to dramatically enhance the insurance industry, AXA added three words – ‘and domestic violence’ – to its policies, and now its policies cover victims of domestic violence for emergency housing and legal assistance, just as most policies do for people affected by fire or flooding.
The rise of the creator economy
Content created by individuals – not traditional brands – has become a central force in how people connect with messages. Audiences, especially younger ones, are drawn to the authenticity and relatability of creator-led storytelling.
While some are sceptical about these influencers, many big brands are reaping significant benefits from collaborating with these people. In fact, Unilever is set to spend 50% of its media budget on working with content creators.
Consistency over reinvention
Amid all the talk of innovation, industry leaders reminded us that brand trust is built through consistency. Lasting impact comes not from constantly reinventing campaigns, but from messages that are repeated with clarity and purpose.
Ann also expressed a concern about the overall lack of creativity being seen in the advertising world. She pointed out that companies are increasingly risk-averse, and so this limits the creative space that agencies can play in. “It’s very risky to be risk-averse,” she cautioned. “Playing it safe is bad for business.” ●
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