SOUTH AFRICA AT CANNES: Day 3 by Mpume Ngobese

By Mpume Ngobese | Day 3 at Cannes Lions 2025

Through the eyes of a Cannes virgin

I’m a Cannes Lions Festival virgin that has been cracked open by the phenomenal women of Open Chair and supported by Joe Public. I have been a sponge for the past 72 hours because for me, Cannes is all about learning, the work, and growth.

Three days in, I have been navigating Cannes with other virgins, learning together. But also, I have maximised my time by hanging out with the Cannes veterans, for tips and insights on how to navigate and how to prioritise.

Wednesday highlights: 

The work.
Today I looked at and listened to the work that was shortlisted ahead of the awards. 

Kraft Heinz: ‘Marketing That Happens: Real Time Truths That Move Culture’ by the CMO, Todd Kaplan.

Todd was excellent. After the talk, he told me he doesn’t know how many times he had to stop himself from saying the F word (to express his passion for the work) because he didn’t know how he would be received. I told him that he should have! We need more leaders like him. Smart, down-to-earth and genuine leaders who do not wear boardroom masks.

Todd started his talk by asking us if we think all this marketing stuff that we’re doing is really working, or is it perhaps junk mail. He shared some magnificent case studies that are centered around Context + Culture. 

Check out the ‘Mustard x Mustard’ campaign by Kendrick Lamar, in collaboration with DJ Mustard. All I will say is if Heinz can manage to move the world with mustard, I believe that with our amazing brands in SA, we also can!

Fernando Machado: ‘Marketing’s Seven Deadly Sins.’

Anyone who has listened to any of Fernando Machado’s talks knows that he really doesn’t censor his feelings.
I love that about him. Fernando shared his reflections on some of the marketing sins that are committed in the industry. He also confessed to a couple of sins that he has committed in his career, and said that everyone makes mistakes, but the most important thing is to learn from them and bounce back.

The summary of the Seven Deadly Sins:

1. Vanity: When you think you know better than everyone else. The temptation of a new broom wanting to sweep clean when they join an organisation. For example, a new CEO / CMO wanting to change everything when they join, like changing agencies, or changing the brand identity, or a brand’s pay off line. “Respect your brand’s heritage”.
2. Sloth: When you delegate decisions to research or do not fight for bold ideas. His issue is that marketers do research to “cover their behinds” (he said the A word). It is more important to know what to do with the research and not delegate marketing decisions to research.
3. Gluttony: When you expand the brand too much while neglecting the core. He said this often happens when everything is going well with the brand. He admitted to having made this sin when he was on Vaseline, by creating an innovation that sat outside of the core of the brand. “Your core will always decline faster than the growth of new toys,” he said.
4. Greed: When you only aim all the time for immediate ROI. He’s never hidden his belief about the importance of long-term brand building over short-term sales. 
5. Envy: When your brief is to do with what others are doing. He said he feels sorry for advertising agencies who receive briefs like these. Basically, this is when agencies are given references of work that’s been done before as part of the brief. In his words, “lazy, sh*tty, complicated, long and uninspiring briefs that tell an agency to do what’s been done before” drive him mad.
6. Pride: When you want to control absolutely everything. “If you are working with A-list people, respect their thinking”.
7. Wrath: When you let stress interfere with the way we treat others. “Don’t mistreat others. Be hard on the work, but kind to the people. Be anchored on empathy. Light always wins”.

In closing

We are with our global peers, let’s learn from them. Even if it is to learn about chocolate from Kazakhstan.

Here’s what you need to know about our Cannes Lions 2025 Partners LITTLEBIG:

LITTLEBIG is a team-focused, quality-obsessed production company that backs South African creativity where it counts: behind the scenes, on set, and on the world stage. They’ve been with us every step of the way to Cannes and we couldn’t be prouder to partner with them.
Read more about LITTLEBIG partnering with IDIDTHAT to bring you all the South Africans in Cannes news 2025

SOUTH AFRICA AT CANNES LIONS 2025 NEWS