Episode notes
In 2025, Cannes Lions stripped Brazilian agency DM9 of its Grand Prix after discovering the case study had been built on AI-manipulated images and results that were, let's say, creatively interpreted. The biggest scandal in the history of advertising's most prestigious festival exposed something everyone in the industry already knows but rarely says out loud: the campaign you make for your client and the case study you enter at the festival don't always tell the same story.
In this episode of The Unspoken Yes, I break down Cannes Lions' decision to require clients to officially sign off on their agencies' entries starting this year. A move that turns what used to be a straightforward two-party arrangement into something considerably messier: a three-way dynamic where someone, inevitably, ends up standing outside looking in.
Topics: Cannes Lions 2026 · advertising festivals · case studies · agency-client relationship · creative agencies · DM9 scandal · advertising awards · ad industry podcast · advertising ethics