Cannes Lions 2025: Why boldness, not bigness, will steal the show

Time of India

6 hours ago

The fast-paced nature of today's business landscape means that sheer size can now be a significant disadvantage for companies. Large organisations often find themselves mired in cumbersome processes, shying away from bold ideas and ultimately losing the creative spark that once fueled their success. This was the central theme of
Sir John Hegarty
's address, where he posited that "it's not scale, but bold thinking, speedy decision making and cultural courage that drives real success today."
Hegarty
opened by setting the stage for what he believes will be a dominant conversation at
Cannes Lions 2025
: the profound impact of
Artificial Intelligence
. He drew a powerful parallel between the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg, which unknowingly ushered in the Renaissance, and the current advent of AI. "Nobody realized that actually, what he was heralded in was the Renaissance. And I think when you talk about AI and when you talk about what's going to happen, you have to think about it in those terms," Hegarty explained, emphasising that the full scope of AI's transformative power is yet to be seen.
He asserted a crucial shift in competitive dynamics: "it's not the big, the big, the small or the small that beat the big, it's the bold that beat the bureaucratic." This highlights a growing trend where agility and innovation triumph over sheer scale. The current wave of mergers and realignments in industries, such as the rumored Omnicom and IPG merger, serve as indicators of this change. Hegarty stated, "Size is no longer a strategy. Size is now now it breeds bureaucracy, and that, of course, is amazing, and it is the size that makes it hard to adapt."
AI's influence extends beyond merely streamlining processes; it's fundamentally reshaping the creative landscape. "AI hasn't just changed creativity, it's changed who gets to play," Hegarty observed. He provocatively declared, "everybody is now a creative director." This democratisation of creative tools necessitates a re-evaluation of traditional company structures. Hegarty envisioned a shift from the conventional top-down triangular hierarchy to an inverted triangle, where "The boss is at the bottom, and in a sense, is kind of recognizing the talent that is within the company and how to respond to it." For large organisations, this radical change in operational philosophy will be a significant hurdle.
Creativity, Hegarty argued, is the sole remaining competitive advantage in an AI-driven world that has democratised opportunity. He clarified that AI should not be viewed simply as a tool, but rather as a collaborator. "It's a collaborator, which is why I say think about it as you're now the creative director. You can decide you have all the information around you, you instruct, you kind of give advice, you give guidance, and it does what you want it to do."
For established "giants" to adapt and "dance," Hegarty proposed a return to foundational principles: a culture of creativity driven by philosophy. He cited examples of iconic brands like Patagonia, Oakley, and Apple, all of which built their success on a clear philosophy that underpinned their creative output. "Great brands start with a philosophy... then, of course, on top of that, you apply creativity, creativity that drives change and drives innovation."
The "tragedy," as Hegarty put it, is that "big companies become operational, not inspirational." While size once provided stability and competitive resilience, that era is passing. He advocated for a "back to the future" approach, urging companies to rediscover and reignite the original philosophy that built them. He likened this to the enduring success of the Christian church, which has sustained its philosophy for centuries through storytelling, music and art, long after its founder.
Intriguingly, Hegarty suggested that AI could even keep founders' philosophies alive indefinitely. "What if, in a way, you know, without now, with AI, founders actually never failed, maybe that's one of the functions of AI. It's going to keep the founder alive. They're going to be permanently there. They could be consulted." He envisioned a future where one could converse with historical figures like Coco Chanel or Bill Bernbach, with AI enabling them to respond with contemporary relevance.
To illustrate this concept, Hegarty presented a simulated conversation with his younger self from 1980, showcasing the potential for AI to provide perpetual guidance. His advice to his younger self: "Start your own company. Don't be answerable to anyone but your clients. Take the chairman's role as well as being ECD... money is a tool, not a philosophy, so don't worship it."
Ultimately, Hegarty's message was clear: "don't aim to be the biggest, aim to be the boldest." He urged companies to embrace AI as a democratizing force and a collaborative partner, rather than just a utility. The future, he believes, belongs to those who can master creative transformation by moving faster, building strong cultures, empowering bold ideas, and rethinking traditional structures, all rooted in a clear philosophy.