SOUTH AFRICA AT CANNES: Day 4 by Gillian Rightford
Through quick quips, overheard truths, and notes from boardroom meetings, Gillian Rightford captures the contradictions of Cannes like only she can. As Executive Director of the ACA – now Africa’s first member of VoxComm, the global body of advertising associations – and a newly appointed member of the Effie Global Council, Gillian’s Day 4 reflections remind us that the business of creativity is as complex, messy, and fun as ever.
By Gillian Rightford | Day 4 at Cannes Lions 2025
All the world’s a stage. The ad world is on its biggest stage.
Every building is an ad. Everything is an ad.
Smalls are big.
There are no dead ends when you have a good idea.
Fans fans fans.
Everyone has one. (It’s hot.)
Consumers were audiences, now they’re fans. Are they?
Teslas everywhere.
Pedestrian crossings that work.
QR Codes and queues.
Bigness of small ideas. Simplicity is king.
TV is dead. Deadish. Film is not.
Consistency vs playfulness – brands can play.
Creative effectiveness is saying the same thing twice. Creativity is effective. It has to be.
I listen to snippets of conversations and I’m reminded of the universality of the business: Do you think she needs therapy? That’s all I said. Period.
Why did you send the email when I have the relationship?
Look we’re scrambling here.
My perception of their thoughts is they like it.
I can’t believe he didn’t turn on the AC in the traffic.
I know they don’t have the budget but I think we can persuade them.
The insights are data driven.
I spent much of the week in meetings with global heads of associations for the Effie Awards.
Pitches, remuneration, relationships. The potential negative and positive impacts of AI.
Most systemic issues in the industry are systemic.
South Africa’s industry needs to find our voice again. More playfulness, more boldness.
Nike believes the distance between them and their potential is greater than them and their competition. Good perspective.
The beach is tantalizingly close but who’s got time when you’re trading off this great talk for that one?
The best thing about this business is we get paid to use our imagination. (Droga)
Second best thing is the people. We have a truly beautiful community in this industry of kind and talented people, some spread all over the world.
Leaving inspired.
Smalls can be big.
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.
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