Cannes through the eyes of a first-timer part #2

This time, Izz is looking past the crowds to unpack the creative battles playing out across the Croisette. He’s dissecting how the world's biggest brands fight for your eyeballs, whether the beachfront arms race is still worth it, and the fine line between winning the swag game and watching your marketing budget get thrown straight into the bin.

Dive into Part 2 below.

With the industry's heaviest hitters in town for only a few short days, making a statement is everything. If you're going to build a physical presence in Cannes, a splash of creativity is what translates big budgets into guaranteed eyeballs.

A few standouts successfully cut through the noise this year:

• The Reddit Deli: A two-story structure decked out in their signature "orangered" faux tiles that stayed packed all week.
• Meta Beach: A masterclass in hospitality with an incredibly open, welcoming entrance and easily the best-dressed brand ambassadors at the festival.
• Tubi’s Cabana: An exclusive space that built massive intrigue using a giant purple hand lifting a "curtain" to let invited guests sneak inside.

But the real winners carried this impact into the small details. It’s the subtle layers of thinking that leave a lasting impression, like Tubi’s pencils styled to look like sharpened cigarettes, Snowflake’s ski-lift photo area, or Canva's custom inflatables bobbing in their keynote pool.

Cannes is undeniably overwhelming. With limited space on the beach, how do brands connect and demonstrate a point of view without entering a waterfront arms race?

Instead of competing on sheer scale, how about providing some contrast? It’s about shifting from grand gestures to clever guerrilla marketing, or trading brand houses, like this years LinkedIn Rooftop at the Carlton, for regular houses.

Timing is also a massive, untapped opportunity. For instance, Thursday morning is historically a quiet slot as attendees recover from busy Wednesday night parties. Why aren't more brands capitalising on this natural cadence by offering recovery and revitalisation spaces when people need them most? Surviving Cannes isn't just about finding white space, it's about distinguishing the right space for your brand.

When it came to branded giveaways, Canva absolutely won Cannes. Their beautifully embroidered blue and yellow tote bags were the star of the show, dangling from what felt like every shoulder on the beachfront.

With temperatures soaring, functional swag was king. Amazon, Snowflake, and Canva kept crowds cool with free ice cream and sorbet, while hand fans (electric and analogue) were everywhere. Canva and Yahoo even went the extra mile, handing out chilled face towels to heat-exhausted guests.

But not everyone got it right. The gifting gaffe of the week goes to the Wall Street Journal. Handing out physical, wrapped newspapers to passersby with no bags to carry them resulted in most copies being used as makeshift fans or just straight in the bin.

Ultimately, the best giveaways are those with a clear "why" behind them. When you meet people functionally or emotionally with exactly what they need in the moment, everybody wins.

What do you think? Did you spot any brilliant brand activations or tragic swag fails this year?