The Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2025 experience was more than a festival; it was a launchpad of possibilities for our students as future innovators in advertising," said Associate Professor Angela Bains, Advertising Program Chair, Faculty of Design. "I can only describe it as being immersed in the global epicentre of creative excellence."
Throughout the week, the group attended a wide range of educational talks and professional development activities, including presentations and panels featuring global leaders in creativity, marketing and innovation. These sessions offered powerful insights into industry trends, storytelling, ethics, and the future of advertising.
"The first day was like a sensory overload akin to having consumed cotton candy and fizzy pop all day!" added Bains. "All the big brands ran the length of Boulevard De La Croisette with activations from LinkedIn, Adobe, Microsoft, Pinterest, SnapChat, Google, Amazon, TikTok, Reddit, and AdWeek, to name a few."
Among the highlights was the opportunity to delve into the Cannes Lions Award entries, gaining insight into the creators' research, strategic thinking, and concept development. The judging panel discussions offered insights on how the jurors considered every aspect and what made one entry stand out against another in terms of craft, creativity, digital craft, creative data usage, or social impact.
For recent OCAD U Advertising Program graduate Fizza Najarali, the festival was "every advertising student's dream." It offered "a whole new perspective of advertising [showing] how many problems in our society go unnoticed, but mostly how advertising has so much power to positively influence society and provide solutions." Najarali said the highlight "was meeting so many people of all ages and backgrounds from all over the world, all there for different reasons but connected by creativity."
Thanks to the Program's ongoing relationship with WPP Toronto, the group was given an exclusive tour of the Pinterest Beach activation at Croisette Beach and a chance to hear firsthand about their future plans. WPP was named Cannes Lions 2025 Creative Company of the Year.
Beyond the formal sessions, students gained rare access to top professionals and creatives from major agencies, brands, and tech firms. Some were even approached with internship and job offers a testament to both their talent and the value of this immersive opportunity.
"Being at Cannes really reassured my understanding of what advertising can be with what I learned at OCAD U," said recent OCAD U graduate Alma Mahmood. "Since the first year, I learned that advertising is not just about selling, but it's about storytelling, culture-shifting, and building ideas that resonate."
The award shows, held at Le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, offered the group a chance to walk the red carpet and join the 2,000 plus attendees awaiting the big reveal of the winners each evening. "We all cheered loudly for Canadian agencies and even got to hold Rethink's (Toronto) gold awards," added Bains.
"We made a big splash at the festival, and people knew about OCAD University from the beginning to the end," said Bains. "Whether we moved as a group wearing our OCAD U T-shirts or in conversation, our students and alumni talked about their experience at OCAD U and our presence there solidified OCAD U as a bold, curious and passionate art and design institution. People are excited and want to join our community."
The trip was made possible, thanks to a fundraiser launched by the Advertising Program to help cover travel costs for recent graduates, along with support from The Advertising Club of Toronto, Alfredo Films, Broken Heart Love Affair and OCAD U Advertising Program superfans, as well as valuable assistance from Dr. Noel, the Faculty of Design Office, The RBC Centre for Emerging Artists and Designers, OCAD U Admissions & Recruitment and the OCAD U International Programs & Collaboration Office.
