Creators, a group who not so long were snubbed and sneered at by many in the creative agency community, were the undoubted breakout stars of this year’s Cannes Lions festival the home of creativity. In this op-ed, Jamie Searle, CEO of Snack Drawer, unpacks what it means and identifies three key trends defining the future of creator marketing and implications for Australian advertisers.
It wasn’t AI that dominated Cannes Lions 2025, it was creators.
Ten years ago I sat in Anaheim listening to YouTube’s then-CEO Susan Wojcicki speak at VidCon, the must-attend international event for the nascent creator economy. This year YouTube CEO Neal Mohan choose to mark YouTube’s 20th anniversary at advertising’s most prestigious event – the Cannes Lions.
This shift is palpable. Cannes Lions, historically the domain of brand marketers and agency leaders, fully embraced creators this year. The festival introduced a dedicated “Creator” delegate badge and prominently placed them alongside “creative legends” and “marketing mavericks,” marking a significant turning point.
If nothing else the sheer volume of creators present helped bring the average age of delegates down significantly and the vibe shift was noticeable from the last time I was on the Croisette two years ago.
I’ve distilled it to three crucial creator economy trends observed at Cannes Lions, along with their implications for Australian advertising.
1. Creators are not just amplifiers – they are key Co-Creators with brands
Evidence of creators’ rising importance was everywhere. Cannes Lions renamed the “Social & Influencer Lions” category to the “Social and Creator Lions,” reflecting creators’ sophistication and central role in contemporary marketing.
Panels featuring global stars like Alix Earle (interviewed by Jon Evans, The Uncensored CMO) attracted Gen Z delegates, who swarmed stages afterward to meet their heroes. Creators featured prominently across events hosted by Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
Creators like Amelia Dimoldenberg, known for her YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, and Grace Beverley, speaking at the Creator Rooftop, exemplified this shift. They have evolved beyond influencer marketing into entrepreneurs who co-create with brands, as demonstrated by
Alix Earle’s equity stake in $2bn beverage brand Poppi and appearance alongside other creators in their Super Bowl ad.
At Cannes, barriers broke down: creators sought direct dialogue with brands to explore partnerships and brands eagerly connected with globally influential creators often in closed door events and dinners. Content creators such as Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry (The Colin and Samir Show) and viral stars like Keith Lee and Logan Moffat (interviewed by TikTok CMO Sofia Hernandez) shape culture and command audience attention. With global giants like Unilever earmarking up to 50% of budgets for social and creators, successful collaboration now means genuine co-creation with creators as strategic partners.
Next year, expect Australian creators who have significantly contributed to globally recognized campaigns to take centre stage at Cannes.
2. Entertaining, Creator-Led ads outperform traditional ads on social media.
System1’s report, The Long and the Short (Form) of It, presented compelling data at Cannes to explain this dominance. Entertaining short-form TikTok ads led by creators or native to brands delivered a remarkable 333% uplift in brand awareness compared to traditional ads and were twice as effective overall.
Creators deeply understand their audiences and craft narratives that hold attention. Platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts aren’t merely channels, they’re ecosystems in which creators thrive and their content now surpass professionally produced media in ad revenue.
Let that sink in when you’re thinking about the future of advertising media.
According to WPP Media’s This Year Next Year report, 2025 marks the first time user-generated and creator-led content overtakes professional production.
YouTube’s CEO Neal Mohan summed it up succinctly: “Creators are the new Hollywood startups.”
They aren’t merely campaign faces; they are creative powerhouses who entertain, cultivate fandoms, and innovate in storytelling.
For Australian agencies, this shift demands a rethink of planning, creative, and production processes. Embracing creator-first strategies is no longer optional (particularly for challenger brands), but essential.
3. AI Tools enhance, not replace the creative process for Creators.
While creators took centre stage at Cannes, AI tools played an important supporting role, highlighted by discussions about how AI enhances, rather than replaces, human creativity.
The platforms showcased advanced tools like Meta AI, which streamlines content ideation and rapidly generates video concepts; TikTok Symphony, optimising audience engagement in real time; and YouTube’s Veo 3, which now integrates generative AI into YouTube shorts video creation.
Creator Brandon Baum captured this balance clearly: “Tools don’t bring stories to life. Tools open doors. They expand where we came from. They redefine what was once thought possible, but true art is still art.”
What this means for Australian advertising
Influencer marketing is no longer merely a communications add-on. Creators must now be integral to planning and strategic communications, driving brand growth especially for challenger brands. The key opportunity is to integrate creators early, treating them as genuine creative partners who deliver meaningful, sustained engagement through their expertise. Cannes Lions 2025 clearly signalled the dawn of the Creator Economy’s golden age, offering Australian advertisers a practical blueprint for strategically integrating creators into campaigns.
