The Cannes Film Festival is no longer just a backdrop for movie stars on promotional tours. Over the years, it has become an exceptionally effective platform for brand expression. A dense ecosystem where each appearance can become a launchpad for global visibility. What has emerged is a Cannes Festival brand visibility strategy, one that turns fleeting moments into full-fledged campaigns. Cannes is no longer just about cinema and glamour, it has evolved into a strategic stage where brands orchestrate image, audience, and timing with precision. At Cannes, image isn’t something you undergo but something you craft, in sync with algorithms and cultural relevance.

The real show happens off-camera

The hidden stage of visibility

Until a few years ago, the film was the event. The red carpet merely served as a gateway, a glamorous visual prelude to what truly mattered: cinema. Today, that equation has flipped. The red carpet isn’t just a preamble; it has become the performance. A place where influencers walk the same steps as actors, perhaps unaware of who directed the film, but fully aware of where to stand for the best shot.

Still, it’s only the surface of a much more complex system. The most shared moments often don’t happen under the official spotlights, but in the background: a makeup touch-up in an Art Deco elevator, a private dinner in a palace, a spontaneous exchange between talents, a surprise couple appearance, or a candid story caught on the fly. Who could forget Bella Hadid’s 2021 appearance in Schiaparelli, which turned a simple entrance into an iconic fashion moment? This year, the unexpected arrival of Lyna Khoudri and Karim Benzema generated buzz far beyond cinema and sports, transforming a fleeting image into a media event.

Turning media into moments

These fragments of life become fully-fledged media assets if they’re captured and distributed with a purpose. Raw images are no longer enough; what matters is their ability to evolve into compelling narratives, shareable content, and emotional touchpoints.

Today, a brand’s presence in Cannes is managed like a high-stakes visibility campaign. On the ground, PR teams operate like hybrid newsrooms, bringing together image directors, content creators, editors, talents, and social media coordinators. Temporary media lounges emerge across the city, serving as fast-paced content studios that churn out visuals for various platforms, press, and brand partners.

Everything is tailored: formats, timing, distribution. Sponsored reels, behind-the-scenes capsules, immersive carousels, narrated vlogs, stylized mini-documentaries, audio portraits. Each platform has its code, and every filmed moment is designed for multi-channel rollout.

Media planning no longer occurs in advance; it adapts in real-time based on audience spikes, public reactions, and trending moments. What’s filmed on the beach at 6 p.m. might be a reel by 11pm, a TikTok by morning, and part of an editorial feature the very next day. Real-time media strategy is now the rule: content is delivered when attention peaks, sometimes in a different time zone from the actual event. KPIs like EMV, retention rates, shares, and sentiment analysis are tracked live to refine the rollout as it unfolds.

Influencer activation: the new grammar of prestige

The influencer landscape at Cannes has undergone a profound transformation. According to Kolsquare, over €110 million in EMV (Earned Media Value) was generated on Instagram during the 2025 edition, with more than 2.5 billion impressions. Over 4,600 KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) were activated from international superstars to hyper-targeted micro-influencers. The strategy has shifted from scale to sharpness: carefully selected profiles, refined narratives, and platform-native formats.

The rise of talents like Khelan Hajo, Mary Leest, and Léna Mahfouf is a clear sign of this new dynamic. Léna Mahfouf, for instance, drove three times more engagement than Natalie Portman. Prestige is no longer dictated by hierarchy, but by agility, perceived authenticity, and the ability to spark conversation. Audiences no longer consume glamour passively; they co-create it through likes, shares, and comments. At Cannes, influence isn’t bought, it’s built. Some brands have fully embraced this new grammar: 

Branded moments that drive media value

• A Cannes sponsor for 13 consecutive years, Magnum has evolved far beyond its roots as an ice cream brand. For the 2025 edition, the Unilever-owned label transformed its private beach into a full-fledged experience hub with the launch of its “Crack Into Pleasure” campaign. Headlined by Charli XCX and attended by over 300 international influencers, the activation blended entertainment, aesthetics, and digital content creation. From customizable bars to matcha-pistachio milkshakes inspired by the pop star, every detail was designed for maximum shareability. “We want to make the best ice cream, but we also want to be a lifestyle brand,” said global brand director Tugce Aksoy. By embedding itself in cultural hotspots like Cannes, Magnum is meeting its audience where they already are.
• As an official partner of the Festival since 1998, Chopard has become synonymous with timeless glamour and enduring influence. From redesigning the Palme d’Or to hosting its coveted annual afterparty, the Swiss jeweller turns every activation into a statement. This year, a single photo of Angelina Jolie generated over 188,000 likes, accounting for a quarter of the brand’s total engagement. Chopard’s strategy is crystal clear: to activate a broad spectrum of profiles from footballer Marcelo to Hollywood icons while maintaining a coherent editorial line. At Cannes, their approach is less about virality, more about building long-term cultural equity through consistency and prestige.
• L’Oréal Paris once again proved its dominance in Cannes with a digital-first approach. Across its main account and international branches, the brand published 184 TikTok videos during the Festival, amassing over 37.2 million views and 174.9 million impressions. The formula? A high-energy mix of beauty prep, red carpet highlights, fast-paced interviews, and stylized behind-the-scenes footage. Offline, the brand activated the Croisette with talk shows, open-air cinemas, beauty bars, and red carpet appearances from ambassadors like Becca. It’s a fully integrated playbook that seamlessly blends glamour with messaging centered around diversity, empowerment, and accessibility.
• Ray-Ban, in collaboration with Meta, chose a quieter but no less strategic approach by unveiling its next-gen smart glasses in a private suite at the Martinez. Featuring built-in AI tools like real-time translation, visual search, and POV content capture, the glasses were discreetly introduced to select creators and industry insiders. Director Matthew Vaughn and pop star Benson Boone even filmed content using them. As Bianca Spada, global head of social and creator strategy for Meta Wearables, explained: “Being in a space like this, with a hands-free content creation product, creates real opportunities for talent.” Rather than chasing mass reach, Ray-Ban focused on curated adoption, building influence through creator trust and product-led storytelling.

Private parties, targeted invitations: when experience becomes media

Beyond the red carpet, private dinners, exclusive soirées, and brand-hosted receptions have become central to Cannes’ ecosystem. Every year, major fashion houses such as Dior and , Louis Vuitton, as well as Vanity Fair and MasterCard and platforms like TikTok and Snapchat curate exclusive experiences where celebrities, designers, influencers, journalists, and decision-makers all converge. Hosted in private villas or the palaces of the Croisette, these gatherings are powerful influence levers. They foster closeness, generate organic content, and strengthen ties with top-tier talents. Invitations often come with highly covetable gifts: jewellery, designer pieces, limited-edition products meticulously chosen to shine on social media. 

Turning experiences into exposure

What is the result? Exponential visibility, powered by subtle amplification strategies. A selfie from a Lancôme villa terrace, an impromptu dance at a TikTok afterparty, or an unboxing on a Snapchat story can drive millions of impressions and reposition a brand overnight. In Cannes, experience is no longer just a backdrop, and it is the medium. And access is a carefully monetized privilege.

These campaigns are not just about product placement; they reflect a vision, a methodology, and a clear intent to turn fleeting moments into lasting influence. While most content is short-lived, certain brands manage to leave a lasting impression. The power no longer lies in the appearance itself, but in the coherence of the narrative it supports.

What Cannes ultimately reveals is not just a brand’s fame or the size of its PR budget; it’s its ability to embody a clear story, to play with formats, and to integrate into digital culture without losing its identity. In a world overwhelmed by content, Cannes remains one of the few stages where global attention can still be captured. Behind the glitter lies a well-oiled machine, and in this high-stakes visibility game, only brands that know how to craft their visual language manage to stand out with subtlety and strength.