In Conversation, Dana Walden, Co chairman and President of Disney Entertainment, the American actor Sterling Brown and Dan Fogelman – are from American – American scriptwriter and director. Credit: Cannes Lions 2025 Getty images
Yesterday was the first day of Cannes Lions 2025. This week-long festival of creativity brings together some of the best marketing and advertising breaches of all over the world to discuss topics that are both urgent and important.
This year I look at Cannes Lions Digital, from the comfort of my house in Bengaluru. So I will miss the beaches and yachts of the French Riviera. But I will have the unique pleasure to listen to these great discussions while I enjoy the best in the world Rava Idlis And filter coffee.
There were many fascinating sessions on day 1. I loved the conversation about breakthrough stories, organized by Disney. Dana Walden (co-chairman and president of Disney Entertainment) was accompanied by Dan Fogelman (American screenwriter and director) and Sterling Brown (American actor) for this discussion. An important collection meal for me – breakthrough stories require two important elements. First, incredible turns in the story that the audience does not see coming. And secondly, a strong emotional payment for the public, which can vary from tears to jubilee.
Guilrch Crura
Both elements were again emphasized in another session by none other than Gurinder Chadha, the celebrated film director. Many years ago I was moved by her beautiful movie “Bend It Like Beckham”, and now I was just impressed by what she said about telling Big screen. She spoke about how she always starts with the questions – “What does the audience think? And how am I going to shift their opinion?”. And how they then use different techniques, including surprise and subversion, to make this possible.
Her goal is to take the viewers on a journey they don’t expect, to surprise them and to have them invest in the story throughout the film. “My job is to reach your heart,” she said, “and to be reconsidered what is around you”. That is also excellent advice for the storytellers of the brand.
Sir John Hegarty, legend of advertising and founder of the Bartle Bogle Hegarty agency, spoke about why gigantic companies and agencies cannot generally dance. But of course they have to survive and grow if they have to survive. He had a powerful lesson to share – which really has great inspiration in the field of advertising comes from a marriage of the core philosophy of the brand and pathbreak of creativity. As I listened to him, I thought to myself – so many brands focus on creativity, but they forget the reason why they were made in the first place.
At the day of the day, a discussion became about why brands Neurodiversity should embrace a powerful nerve. With 53% of Gen-Z who identifies as a neurodivergent, they will notice the risk of losing these young people both as consumers and team members, unless they include neurodivend thinking in their strategies. Such as Lola Young, the global recording artist, all early during this session – “What is normal? Normal, normal, normal.” That is a very good question for marketers to think about.
View this space for insights from Cannes Lions 2025, this week.
(Harish Bhat is an avid marketer and bestseller author. He used to be the brand keeper at Tata Sons)
Published on June 16, 2025
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