Seen and Heard at Cannes Lions 2025: Cardi B Slays, St. Vincent Spins and NBC Boosts Its ‘Brand’ at Marketing’s Biggest Confab

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The 2025 conference at Cannes Lions was a glamorous event held in the southern region of France, where numerous brands flocked to the Croisette for an extended period of four days and nights. These brands set up “beaches” which attracted prominent figures from entertainment, sports, and technology industries.

During breaks from panel talks, yacht gatherings, musical performances, and comedy shows, there was an assortment of events catering to various tastes – provided you possessed the appropriate pass.

The media outlet, The Hollywood Reporter, was present for the festivities, featuring notable acts such as Cardi B and Lola Young for Spotify. DJ D-Nice provided a late-night disco soundtrack, with Mary J. Blige expressing her admiration for his COVID-era music sets, while JB Smoove from ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ showed enthusiasm. Exclusive events like the UTA-Medialink gathering at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and The Hollywood Reporter’s Marketing Power Players bash on the Kismet superyacht also took place.

Read on for more on the sights and sounds of the marketing world’s biggest confab.

    UTA, Medialink and DoorDash Ads’ Executive Evening at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc

    At this year’s Cannes Lions festival, one of the most sought-after invites was for the UTA Medialink DoorDash Ads party, an ultra-exclusive event that took place at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc on Tuesday. Guests of honor included Patrick Schwarzenegger and other notable clients.

    UTA, Medialink and DoorDash Ads’ Executive Evening at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc

    At the UTA Medialink DoorDash Ads gathering, James Brownstein, Beaux Avril, Leslie Berland, and Oren Rosenbaum hosted an event that attracted numerous artists representing various domains such as films, television, music, and digital creation.

    UTA, Medialink and DoorDash Ads’ Executive Evening at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc

    Will.I.Am at the UTA Medialink DoorDash Ads party.

    UTA, Medialink and DoorDash Ads’ Executive Evening at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc

    Entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel at the UTA Medialink DoorDash Ads party.

    UTA, Medialink and DoorDash Ads’ Executive Evening at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc

    The event featured a DJ set by St. Vincent.

    UTA, Medialink and DoorDash Ads’ Executive Evening at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc

    UTA CEO David Kramer (left) with Sebastian Maniscalco.

    UTA, Medialink and DoorDash Ads’ Executive Evening at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc

    Josh Duhamel was another one of the UTA-repped clients in attendance at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc.

    UTA, Medialink and DoorDash Ads’ Executive Evening at Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc

    At the UTA MediaLink DoorDash Ads event, Matthew Hiltzik, Linda Yaccarino, and Jeff House mingled alongside special guests Jon M. Chu and Ludacris.

    NBCUniversal Takeover of the Iconic FreeWheel Beach – Vive le Live

    This autumn, Savannah Guthrie unveiled the first-ever Today Fan Fest, a unique event that leverages NBCUniversal’s expertise in immersive experiences to offer fans a memorable time.

    NBCUniversal Takeover of the Iconic FreeWheel Beach – Vive le Live

    Jimmy Fallon and Bozoma Saint John presented the entirely fresh show by NBC titled “On Brand With Jimmy Fallon“, which offers viewers an unprecedented peek into the realm of advertising through a lively, competition-based reality series format.

    NBCUniversal Takeover of the Iconic FreeWheel Beach – Vive le Live

    Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers emphasized the significance of brands matching cultural events and cheered for their Las Culturistas Culture Awards airing on Bravo starting in August.

    Spotify Beach

    At the famed Spotify Beach venue, where music lovers flock during Cannes Lions, the disheveled artist Lola Young took the stage this year, just like any other time. Backstage, Lola and Cardi B were brought together in the presence of Will.I.Am who was eager to showcase his fresh tunes for Cardi’s evaluation.

    Spotify Beach

    In the course of the day, Paris Hilton engaged in a discussion with Louis Theroux and Emma Vaughn from Spotify about the craft of storytelling, spanning various mediums and outlets.

    Spotify Beach

    Paris Hilton struck a pose at Spotify Beach on Monday.

    Spotify Beach

    Winnie Harlow participates in an exclusive event hosted by Spotify, showcasing music and culture, with Charlie Puth providing the entertainment.

    Spotify Beach

    Music producer Mark Ronson engages in a discussion with Spotify’s Dustee Jenkins, focusing on the role of genuine expression in fostering emotional bonds and promoting significant interaction within the realm of today’s attention-focused market.

    Spotify Beach

    Each evening, Spotify Beach showcased lively performances. Additionally, a promising act by Sombr took place, who quickly departed for Cannes after performing in Prague just hours before.

    Spotify Beach

    As a dedicated fan, I was there on the final night at Spotify Beach, where the legendary Mark Ronson (to my left) took over the decks. However, it wasn’t just Ronson who had everyone captivated; the spotlight also fell on Xavier “X” Jernigan, Spotify’s own AI DJ. His distinctive voice echoed throughout the night, causing many to do a double take and marvel at his turntable skills.

    Spotify Beach

    At night, Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson attended the Spotify Beach concerts, and during the day, he took part in Spotify’s discussion sessions.

    Spotify Beach

    A large number of people turned up enthusiastically to see Cardi B perform her fresh track, “Outside.” It’s been eagerly anticipated that her upcoming album would be finished with the mixing complete and mastering on its way – finally!

    THR’s Marketing Power Players

    At THR’s Marketing Power Players event, Shad Khan, James Blake, and Jameela Jamil convened near the piano.

     

    THR’s Marketing Power Players

    On the left, we have Jerry Ruiz, senior vice president of operations and finance at PMC, Monica Martin, Curtis Thompson who is the vice president of events and talent relations at THR, Liz Culley, senior vice president of sales and brand strategy at THR, Shad Khan, Jameela Jamil, Shirley Halperin co-editor-in-chief at THR, James Blake, and Lori O’Connor, the publisher at THR. They were all present at the THR’s Marketing Power Players event.

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2025-06-21 00:54