There’s no doubt this year’s Cannes Lions festival is a more subdued affair than it’s been in years past, but it isn’t just ad agencies and ad tech vendors pulling back — it’s Facebook and Google, too.
Google and Facebook have significant presences at the festival this year, with spots on the beach in addition to the requisite speaking slots for their executives on the main stage of the Palais. But their efforts feel somewhat muted compared with some of the past five or six years, when “tech giants invade Cannes” was the festival’s most prominent headline.
Both companies have shunned large-scale parties with expensive musical acts in favor of smaller, more targeted events and dinners, while attendees say their execs aren’t as prominent along the Croisette and in its hotels.
And neither seems to be courting press attention the way they previously have. In prior years, Facebook has tied new ad product and feature announcements to the festival, for example, while this year it seems less eager to make a splash.
Read More at The Original Article: digiday.com
