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What Cannes 2025 Tells Us About Where Ad Tech Is Headed

Picture of E-Planning By  E-Planning  ·  1 minute read

Every year, the Croisette becomes the industry's mirrorball—flashing hype, headlines, and the occasional hard truth. But behind the rosé and rooftop panels, Cannes Lions 2025 has clarified something essential: CTV isn't emerging—it's the new default.

And that shift? It’s reshaping the entire value chain.

What Cannes 2025 Tells Us About Where Ad Tech Is Headed

Netflix + Yahoo DSP: Programmatic Goes Prime Time

The biggest headline wasn’t flashy. It was strategic: Netflix is opening its premium ad inventory to Yahoo DSP across all 12 ad-enabled markets.

Why does this matter?

  • It signals full-throttle momentum toward CTV interoperability.

  • It adds scale + precision to Netflix’s growing ad business.

  • And it positions Yahoo—yes, that Yahoo—as a resurgent force in identity-driven buying.

Pair that with recent integrations like Amazon + Roku and a pattern emerges: the walled gardens are planting gates.

From Brand Search to Real Value

Pesach Lattin put it best: Paying for brand search is like mugging your own customers.

This year’s creative leaders are rethinking:

  • The ROI of “own-name” SEM

  • The true role of search in the journey

  • How context, not just keywords, drives conversion

Cannes panels this year weren’t just AI-flavored; they were retail-coded, CTV-anchored, and identity-focused. Translation? The old performance media playbook is being re-written.

The Modern Ad-Tech Theme Park: New Attractions

Imagine the new ad landscape as a theme park:

  • Roller Coaster: CTV platforms—Netflix, Roku, Amazon—are where audiences ride.

  • Ferris Wheel: Data & identity—Yahoo DSP, The Trade Desk—are the new vantage points.

  • Game Booths: Retail media—Walmart Connect, Amazon Ads—where performance wins prizes.

  • Creative Carousel: Contextual + AI-driven creative puts relevance on repeat.

  • Dunk Tank: Performance measurement is finally getting wet—with incrementality and media mix models rising.

The fun part? It all loops together.

AI: Beyond the Buzzwords

There’s no escaping AI—but we need to escape the hype cycle. Real innovation doesn’t just automate; it augments:

  • Smarter segmentation

  • Predictive bidding

  • Adaptive creative

Cannes gave us glimpses of this, but also warnings: without integrity and ethics, AI in ad tech becomes just more noise.

In Summary: The Value Chain Is Being Rewired

In our view, the smartest players aren’t chasing what’s next—they’re designing what works:

  • Streaming-first strategies with interoperable access

  • Identity that respects privacy and powers precision

  • Creative that adapts, not just dazzles

  • Measurement that’s accountable

The big takeaway from Cannes 2025? This isn’t the future of ad tech. It’s the now. And the brands that win will be the ones who ride the ride, eyes wide open.