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Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Before We Forget' Shines In Its Dreamy Depiction Of Queer First Love
When Juan Pablo Di Pace is asked about the inspirations for his coming-of-age drama 'Before We Forget,' he doesn't cite specific films or directors. Instead, the Argentinean actor, writer and director points to 'Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,' one of French composer Claude Debussy's most beloved symphonic works, written in 1894 and featured in the movie. 'I'm a huge fan of ballet, opera and classical music, so the structure of the film is quite symphonic,' Di Pace told HuffPost in an interview. 'There's something in the music that's tense and beautiful, and then it gets to a crescendo and it's ecstasy.' Emotions run high in 'Before We Forget,' which expanded to select theaters nationwide Friday after its New York and Los Angeles release earlier this month. The film, which marks Di Pace's screenwriting and feature directorial debut, is a dreamy and wistful take on his real-life experiences with first love and heartbreak. Originally titled 'Duino,' the film follows Matias (played by Santiago Madrussan), an Argentinean student and aspiring filmmaker who enrolls in an arts-focused boarding school in Italy in 1997. Matias soon finds himself enticed by the bravado of Alex (Oscar Morgan), a free-spirited Swedish classmate. After a prank goes awry, Alex gets expelled from school but maintains a long-distance friendship with Matias. When Matias is invited to join Alex and his family for Christmas at their palatial estate, he starts to wonder if his new pal's gestures are indicative of deeper, non-platonic feelings about their relationship. Early reviews of 'Before We Forget' have compared it favorably to the 2017 romantic drama 'Call Me by Your Name,' starring Timothée Chalamet. Scenes in the film also recall Netflix's queer-themed teen series 'Heartstopper,' as well as the lighter half of the 2023 dark comedy 'Saltburn.' Di Pace, best known to U.S. audiences for his role on 'Fuller House' and his stint on 'Dancing with the Stars,' began developing 'Before We Forget' after viewing home videos of his days as a student at United World College of the Adriatic. He teamed up with co-director Andrés Pepe Estrada, a longtime friend, and shot much of the film on location at the school's Trieste, Italy campus. He also appears in the film as the middle-aged Matias, who in the present day is a Buenos Aires movie director struggling to find a satisfying ending for the romantic film he's working on. Matias' adolescent memories are triggered when he receives an unexpected opportunity to return to reunite with Alex (played by August Wittgenstein as an adult) after 25 years. Though Di Pace drew heavily from his lived experience, he hopes viewers won't view 'Before We Forget' solely as an autobiographical endeavor. His willingness to self-reflect, however, is refreshingly relatable and gives the film an intimate charm many of its mainstream predecessors lack. 'This idea of falling in love for the first time at an international school and having a traumatic experience around it, and there being a record of it in VHS felt like the perfect storm ― or, you could say, the perfect mosaic ― by which to build a film,' Di Pace said. Though Madrussan and Morgan turn in nuanced performances, the climax of 'Before We Forget' is a chilling monologue delivered by Argentinean actor Araceli González who, as Matias' mother Roma, reassures her son that she accepts him as his true self without using words like 'gay' or 'queer.' 'If that scene didn't work, the whole movie wouldn't work,' Di Pace said. 'It's something that happened to me with my parents, and I chose to almost replicate what I heard, word by word. I'm very proud of it.' Though Di Pace hasn't turned his back on acting, he's eager to focus heavily on writing and directing moving forward. He's currently at work on two scripts he says are 'completely different' from 'Before We Forget,' including at least one that embraces themes of 'magical realism.' 'I love people, I love human relationships, and I also love clashes of culture and personalities,' he said. As for aspects of LGBTQ+ life he'd like to showcase on-screen, he added, 'I love films that have a very strong queer element, and yet they're about something else. People are so present, so moved, so hungry for these kinds of stories. I'd like the lines to blur and not have it be a niche thing.' Watch the trailer for 'Before We Forget' below. Related... This Tender Gay Drama Has Its Roots In A Real-Life Love Story Lena Dunham's New Netflix Show Is Not 'Girls' — But It Is Drawn From Her Real Life A Gay Writer's Quest For Fame Leads Him To Sex Work In This Steamy New Drama
Campaign ME
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
The comprehensive Cannes Lions wrapup
The 72nd edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, held from 16 June to 20 June 2025, witnessed a healthy mixture of unfettered emotions unleashed within the 'safe space' of Cannes on the stunning French Riviera. From curiosity, courage and creative confidence to fascination, frustration and a fear of the future, marketers – old and young, experienced and ambitious – shared their feelings and stress-tested their strategies. Campaign Middle East was in the thick of it all during the five-day festival, covering keynotes and panels, moderating closed-door round table discussions , hosting industry meet-and-greets, and offering leaders from the MENA region – and across the globe – the opportunity to voice their latest learnings. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Campaign Middle East (@campaignmiddleeast) Overview: Setting the scene at Cannes Lions At the outset, every single conversation at Cannes Lions 2025 cemented one – or more – of the six foundational pillars holding up the current marketing edifice. These include: Creativity – originally human and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted; Technology – updates on generative AI, algorithms, platforms and social media; Outcomes – building brand equity and bringing in financial returns; Social impact – purpose-driven 'marketing for good' to heal a polarised planet; – purpose-driven 'marketing for good' to heal a polarised planet; Co-creation, culture and context – collaborating with a creator economy; Education – the final piece that glues all the above together. Strong opinions were voiced on each of these topics as marketers, martech and adtech leaders, celebrities, content creators, consultancies, brand architects and agency leaders brought the bustle and buzz back to Cannes – otherwise a serene vacationers' paradise. Inside The Palais, delegates who attended keynotes, fireside chats and panels at the Lumière Theatre, Théâtre Claude Debussy, The Forum, The Terrace and The Rotonde were served talks on human ingenuity, social impact and creative effectiveness in the age of AI. Those who dared to brave the heat, humidity and long queues along the Croisette were made privy to the latest platform updates, algorithm hacks and content creator strategies to drive speed, efficiencies, optimisation and insights. Attendees keen on spotting celebrities were often left with the hard choice of choosing between stages as Cannes Lions welcomed Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon, former women's World No.1 tennis superstar Serena Williams, Olympics 100m gold medalist Noah Lyles, and world-record-holding long-distance runner Mo Farah, among many others. Meanwhile, most global and regional agency leaders shuffled between The Palais, jury rooms, their dedicated beach pop-ups and their agency tents, while the adtech and martech players moored their yachts in the marina. In parallel with the Cannes Lions programme, leaders also held high-level meetings with global counterparts and signed strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in the historic lobbies of Le Majestic Barrière, Carlton Cannes, Hotel Splendid and Hotel Martinez. Some of the most compelling conversations took place over meals or under shaded canopies, as independent agency leaders, creators, artists and entrepreneurs dissected the Cannes Lions 2025 narrative and charted their next moves. The overall consensus was that product discovery is fundamentally changing. Celebrities, creators and community leaders will drive brand trust. AI infrastructure will be critical to amplifying creativity and highlighting cultural nuances. As a result, AI augmentation, automation, accountability and authenticity will remain some of the key differentiators. Creativity: Searching for the soul of Cannes Lions For those attending Cannes Lions for the nth time, the growth and scale of the festival remained remarkable. Leaders agreed that it was impossible to attend every session or catch insights from every speaker they hoped to hear on stage. And yet, the change in the air was unmistakable. Conversations about campaigns, brand purpose and the quality of advertising work – which in previous years used to occupy the main stage at the Lumière Theatre – were relegated to smaller basement stages, sustainability hubs and jury feedback sessions. Creative work, in itself, was not the priority at Cannes Lions 2025. However, creativity as a tool to catalyse business outcomes was placed front and centre. This reflected the global and regional focus on return on investment (ROI) and return on advertising spend (ROAS). In a market where even some of the Big Six advertising holding groups have failed to retain their legacy clients; where several senior leaders have left advertising giants to start their own independent agencies; where competition remains high and margins remain low; where mergers, consolidations and layoffs are making daily news – the chorus on business outcomes drowned out all other conversations. In conversation with Campaign Middle East, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said, 'More brands are attending the festival than ever before. They're telling us that they're coming here because they want to understand how to unlock creativity as a driver of growth.' In the pursuit of growth and business outcomes, creativity and technology were viewed through a different lens – as tools, enablers and means to an end. Aude Gandon, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Nestlé, told Campaign Middle East, 'Creativity means business. Without great creativity, you can't drive growth or business.' Fabio Silveira, Managing Director, Havas Creative Middle East, added, 'Creativity is still the first and, probably, the most important piece, but business transformation also has a huge role to play.' As a jury member for the newly added Creative Business Transformation category at Cannes Lions Awards 2025, Silveira added, 'This new awards category – as well as the first-of-its-kind CEO panel that we've seen at Cannes Lions 2025, an event otherwise known for its CMO panels – is representative of this shift in conversation from mere creativity to reviewing its very real impact on business outcomes. We've been evaluating and awarding work that demonstrates real impact on operations, research and development, HR, as well as all the other facets of the business chain.' Not mincing words in his chat with Campaign Middle East, Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO and Chairman, Vayner Media, took this a step further saying, 'Most of the people at Cannes Lions 2025 should be worried about AI if they're not contributing to business outcomes. A lot of people want to sell the idea of creativity as a disguise to what marketing should be, which is an engine to growth for business. This entire Palais should be disrupted if they've been non-contributive to the brands that have been paying them to deliver outcomes.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Campaign Middle East (@campaignmiddleeast) Raging debate: Marketing as a force for good Amid this focus on driving tangible outcomes, leaders also shared opposing opinions on the role of marketing and advertising as a tool to catalyse social change. While some called for marketing to rotate beyond products and promotion, and move towards purpose, others called for marketing to 'do its job' of driving business outcomes. Siddarth Sivaprakash, Head of Brand & Marketing, Home Centre, Landmark Group, said, 'It's sad to see an important discussion not get its due in the spotlight. If we live in a world and work in an industry where we believe that creativity can solve world problems, to some extent, or at least bring awareness to it, I think we're really missing out on an opportunity. I feel like at Cannes, this year, we've not heard about that sufficiently – especially from Middle East agencies.' During the CMOs in the Spotlight session on Day 3 of Cannes Lions 2025, Josefien Olij, Senior Director Marketing Communications, Philips, echoed these thoughts. 'We truly need to take a step in the right direction,' Olij said. 'We need to look at technology and creativity for good with strategies that are caring and courageous. AI is a part of that. It needs to be an enabler, but not something that replaces. We need to find a way to continue finding solutions to real-world problems, truly collaborate, think strategically, but always with a human touch.' However, reiterating thoughts shared by other leaders across several stages at Cannes Lions 2025, Vaynerchuk responded saying, 'Giving back is done in non-profits. If you want to give back, go spend your time, money and energy on non-profits. Donate to causes that make a change. Don't hide behind 'giving back' because you're being held accountable for business outcomes.' That said, the gap between on-stage, outcome-focused conversations and award-winning 'do-good' campaigns at Cannes Lions became evident when the Grand Prix awards were announced on the final day of the festival. Several of the campaigns that lifted top honours at the Cannes Lions Awards 2025 clearly showcased a social impact element in their entries, which was recognised by different cohorts of global jury members. Apart from award categories such as the Glass: The Lion for Change or Grand Prix for Good, which are categorically set aside for do-good campaigns, even the Grands Prix in the Film, PR, Entertainment Lions – Music, and Industry Craft categories were awarded to campaigns that highlighted their positive impact on underrepresented sections of society. Additionally, Cannes Lions also contributed to social impact by providing complimentary passes worth €2m (AED8.65m) to underrepresented talent and underserved communities. This discussion raised interesting questions: Are driving business outcomes and ensuring social good mutually exclusive? Can't we find a way to address basic human problems and drive business growth simultaneously? Tor Myhren, VP of Marketing Communications, Apple, addressed these questions through the course of Cannes Lions 2025 – starting with one of the event's most quoted keynotes. A message to fix the mess in the age of AI After receiving the 2025 Creative Marketer of the Year award at Cannes Lions, and highlighting Apple's business success, Myrhen took to the stage to call for human-centred creativity – designed by humans, designed with empathy, and designed to solve human problems. He said, 'I've got good news and I've got bad news. The good news is that AI is not going to kill advertising. The bad news is AI is not going to save advertising either. We have got to save advertising ourselves; and I think it's by believing in what's always made it special – which is human creativity.' Myrhen also emphasised the importance of trust and empathy in the age of AI. 'I think the world needs more optimism,' he said. 'We need to drive, with AI riding shotgun. The best marketing makes people feel and laugh and cry and wonder or fall in love with a person or an idea or a brand. We all want to feel. There's no technology, algorithm or artificial intelligence that works in our world that is more capable of making us truly 'feel' like the human mind does.' Myrhen added, 'I believe that this industry was built on creativity, and that's the game we can win. The human touch is our superpower, so use it. Use your sense of humour; use your incredible taste; use your subtle nuance; use your originality; use your brain and your heart to go out there and make something wonderful.' He then went on to discuss the moral compass of a brand, highlighting how Apple has stood its ground on privacy and contributed to social good. Playing Apple's Flock advertisement on the big screen at the Lumière Theatre, Myrhen explained how the 'pretty creepy' ad still became that popular. He reiterated that the success of the ad lay in the fact that it was 'extremely human.' He also went on to showcase the beauty of 'democratising hearing health' referring to the AirPods Pro 2, which now double up as a clinical-grade hearing aid. Commenting on the creativity that led to the success of each of these ideas, Myrhen added, 'It's the brain and the heart working together to create something special. No one would say that 40 seconds of muffled sound would become Apple's most watched holiday ad ever. But Google had the highest search volume for hearing aids in the history of Google search after this ad came out. This is making a difference, which is awesome.' Responding to this stellar keynote, Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer, Impact BBDO said, 'The subject of the human touch, especially in an era where we're increasingly relying on machines was special. Also, this is a much-needed reminder that the value of emotion and craft will never be eroded.' Platforms draw a crowd at Cannes Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and Meta also claimed their share of attention at Cannes Lions with key announcements. Spotify Days before Cannes Lions, Spotify revealed two new initiatives to help brands further tap into Spotify's creative playground: the Creative Lab Hub and its inaugural Creative Council. Highlighted at Cannes Lions 2025, The Creative Lab Hub is a new global destination where brands and advertisers can access Spotify Advertising's most effective tools, formats, and insights — making it easier to create breakthrough campaigns. Meanwhile, Spotify's Creative Council brings together industry-leading creatives to help shape the future of advertising and brand storytelling on Spotify. This group includes top creative leads from agencies including R/GA, BBDO, McCann, Anomaly, VML and GUT, as well as brand leaders from Coca-Cola, Ulta Beauty and AG1. YouTube In line with its aim to connect communities and content creators with advertisers, YouTube released Open Call at Cannes Lions 2025. This is a feature within the platform's Creator Partnerships hub, powered by the YouTube BrandConnect tool, which permits brands to discover and partner with creators at scale. Through this feature, brands and advertisers will now be able to share a creative brief that explains the requirements of their campaign. This will allow multiple content creators within the YouTube Partner Programme the ability to pitch their video content designed specifically for that campaign and based on the creative brief directly to advertisers. Once the brands and advertisers view, review and approve their video submissions, the promotions or the partnership ads will get activated. In conversation with Campaign Middle East, Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, Director of Product Management for YouTube Ads, said, 'Creators and their authentic content really resonate with YouTubers and communities. Open Call and Creator Partnerships hub helps brands find creators who can tell their stories authentically, while giving creators of all different sizes an opportunity. We think there's a lot of power in that. This also provides people with a lot more ways to connect with brands.' TikTok At Cannes Lions 2025, TikTok unveiled updates to TikTok Symphony, its suite of generative AI tools designed to streamline creative production and spark bold new ideas. These new updates aim to make scaling on TikTok faster, easier and more efficient. With Symphony Image-to-Video, TikTok will bring static images to life to help unlock new creative formats, generate multiple variations of existing on-brand content or bring a full product catalogue to life. Next, with Symphony Text-to-Video, all it takes is a short text prompt to bring an idea to life, enabling advertisers to rapidly generate, test and iterate on a range of creative executions. This also allows advertisers to customise content at scale. Finally, with Symphony Showcase Products, advertisers will be able to place their products front-and-centre by showcasing them with digital avatars. This gives marketers a new way to feature a product in TikTok-first creative content. Commenting on these new features, Andy Yang, Global Head of Creative and Brand Products, TikTok, said, 'We're entering a new era of creativity, one where ideas move at the speed of culture, and where AI doesn't replace imagination but rather accelerates it. With TikTok Symphony, we're empowering a global community of marketers, brands and creators to tell stories that resonate, scale and drive impact.' Meta At Cannes Lions 2025, Meta announced a bevy of AI-powered features, including AI agents integrated into advertisements, which permits users to chat with an advertiser's bot immediately when clicking on an ad. Meta also held demonstrations for its collaboration with Ray Ban, highlighting Meta AI features on the sunglasses capable of capturing videos and photos hands-free. In addition to merging creatives with conversational commerce, Meta also showcased ways for brands and advertisers to set up these AI agents on Messenger and WhatsApp through smart prompts. The platform highlighted how performance insights can be derived to hold the 'AI agents' accountable to their knowledge and usefulness. Additionally, Meta also revealed voice-activated business AI agents, which opens out the possibility for customers to query branded business bots – especially for users who don't like typing and want a faster, hands free experience. Add to this Meta's AI-powered translation tools, which further empower copy and creatives by translating ad content into 10 global languages, therefore, enabling advertisers to take their campaigns global faster. The number of languages that Meta's AI can translate is set to double by the end of 2025. Similar to TikTok, Meta is also rolling out an AI-powered image-to-video ad tool across Facebook and Instagram. Through this tool, marketers will now be able to convert up to 20 static product images into multi scene videos with music and subtitles right in the ad interface. WhatsApp For the first time ever, advertisers can now become channel owners and run ads within their WhatsApp Status, unlocking a new ad revenue model inside the application. Meta is also reportedly testing native ads inside the WhatsApp Updates tab, making it the first time ads will appear inside WhatsApp rather than as a click-through from Instagram or Facebook. However, these chats and channels will be clearly differentiated from the encrypted personal chats, the company clarified. The MENA region shines at Cannes The MENA region has had a great run at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025. Out of the 828 Lion winners from 48 countries, the MENA region claimed a total of 32 wins awarded across agencies and markets – up from 22 in 2024. This year's Cannes Lions MENA winners included agencies from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Impact BBDO led the region on total points and was awarded MENA Network of the Year at Cannes Lions 2025, marking a historic seventh time that the network has claimed the title. In terms of trophies, UAE agencies took home 18 wins, led by FP7 McCann Dubai (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 5 Bronze); VML Dubai; (1 Silver, 3 Bronze); Impact BBDO (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze); and LEO Dubai; (1 Bronze). Sharing the spoils with Impact BBDO, AdPro& Group picked up Jordan's first-ever Silver Lion in Cannes Lions' 72-year history. Representing Saudi Arabia at Cannes Lions, agencies from the Kingdom lifted 13 metal cats, led by BigTime Creative Shop (2 Golds, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze). The agency was also honoured with the Independent Agency of the Year: Entertainment award. Meanwhile, SRMG Labs lifted one Gold and two Silver Lions, and VML Riyadh won one Silver and two Bronze Lions. Burson MENA took home a Gold in the PR category at this year's Young Lions Competitions as the winning team – Raneem Saleh and Youssef Yammine – topped the category for 'The Silent B' campaign. Representing the region at The Rotonde, Fahd Hamidaddin, Board Member and Founding CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority delivered an exceptional keynote to a packed room, delving into the dynamic transformation taking place within the tourism landscape in the Kingdom. He called for marketers in the Middle East to build brand affinity by developing a deeper understanding of hyper-local consumers, connecting with communities, focusing on collective precision, finding their true voice, and realising the soul of the region's individuals rather than just seeing them as 'segments'. Hamidaddin also called for marketers to take a moment to 'pause and reflect' on current challenges such as inadequate attribution, complex optimisation, irrelevant data and daunting scale instead of diving headfirst into idealistic and futuristic AI conversations. In an exclusive conversation with Campaign Middle East after his keynote, Hamidaddin said, 'We should pause to make sure we filter what's hype, what's noise, and stay true to the fundamentals. The fundamentals won't change. What is changing is consumer behaviour and that's what we need to stay very close to while leveraging AI and technology to really develop a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour.' He concluded, 'With the hype comes a global movement of speed and, conversely, an anti-movement of slow. So, I would say slow down, stay strategic, think big, stick to the fundamentals and pursue the 20-80 ROI instead of the immediate results.' Through its extensive coverage of Cannes Lions 2025, Campaign Middle East spoke to more than 40 leaders over five days. One theme stood out: Human-centred creativity powered by AI-driven infrastructure and insights can achieve tangible business outcomes and drive social impact. However, leaders also shed light on certain other concerns. While some pointed to the need for humans to understand culture and context better, others warned about the dangers of relying too heavily on generative AI tools. Reda Raad, Group CEO, TBWA\Raad said, 'The more that people are using AI, the more we're noticing that the output is beginning to look more and more alike. We're seeing this across different categories. We're beginning to see the flattening of culture, which we need to be wary about.' He added, 'Also, keep in mind that the more we rely on AI, the less we're using our intellect, curiosity and critical thinking abilities. At the end of the day, we need smarter people, not dumber people within the industry. So, while AI is a great enabler and a great tool, we need to have real conversations about what we do with AI and how we use it.' The brand and marketing industry needs to be held accountable, leaders surmised, adding that this accountability should not be pigeon-holed to brand equity or performance metrics alone, but should also be extended to the lasting effect that brands have on people, communities, the society at large and the planet. The argument is not a complex one, they said. It's understanding why they got into advertising in the first place and what inspired them to enter this realm of creativity, influence and persuasion. Tarek Miknas, CEO, FP7 McCann MENAT, said, 'My top take away from Cannes Lions 2025 is simplicity. I think the most powerful of the ideas that I've liked are the simplest ones that were able to scale, get attention and make a difference.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Campaign Middle East (@campaignmiddleeast) All in all, the message from Cannes is clear: Marketing is facing a moment of profound transformation. Against the backdrop of generative AI, cultural fragmentation and the creator economy are upending the media landscape. Creativity remains not just a vital differentiator but one that still belongs to humans. The time for change is here. We are moving beyond hyped conversations. The new business plan to drive outcomes and social good – simultaneously – based on experimentation, bravery to fail, and the ability to be agile and pivot quickly within an evolving market. Offering a piece of advice to wrap up discussions at Cannes Lions 2025, Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, UAE Government Media Office, concluded, 'Everyone needs to think big. We all need to get out of our comfort zones. Be curious. Let's do something great together. Let's do something to change our society. Let's be bold and creative.'
Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
'I took my toddler to unique UK 5 star hotel - this is what it was really like'
I'm sure most people would wince at the thought of taking their toddler to a five-star hotel. The image of trying to manage an unwieldy child in the hushed corridors of a plush hotel would put most parents off. However, I recently took my 15-month-old to the gorgeous Grand Hotel in Eastbourne and it was the rest we all needed as a family. We decamped for the weekend to the iconic Grand Hotel Eastbourne which is known as the 'White Palace' of the South Coast and has been serving up luxury since 1875. The hotel has welcomed many famous faces over the years, including French composer Claude Debussy and Charlie Chaplin, and it is one of a very small handful of five star hotels at the British seaside There's hints of that old world glamour throughout with pictures of the hotel orchestra and illustrated images of the stylish Victorian set enjoying afternoon tea. While the hotel is very much 'grand' with tall ceilings, luxurious furnishings and stunning sea views, it wasn't stuffy like some establishments can be. Our sea view suite was large and comfortable with plush furnishings and a gorgeous terrace overlooking the coastline. The hotel facilities were equally luxurious with both and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Situated at the front of the hotel with its beaming white Victorian architecture, the outdoor pool is truly one of its unique selling points. Heated to a balmy 29C, the outdoor pool is ideal for children and parents alike and my daughter loved splashing around in the sun. The indoor pool is heated to a similarly bath-like temperature and the leisure centre also boasts a steam room, a spa bath and gym for when parents want to take a break. For those hoping for some chill time, the spa has eight treatment rooms and offers a range of treatments and massages. Feeding toddlers can often be a bit of a nightmare and I was a tad concerned about causing a ruckus in a fancy dining room, but I needn't have worried as the staff couldn't have been more helpful. Without even asking, a waitress appeared with plastic bowls and spoons for our little one at breakfast and another server brought her some warm milk at dinner. And no one batted an eye when a substantial amount of Weetabix / mashed potato ended up on the floor. It's so easy to worry about disturbing other diners but most people were delighted to say hello to my toddler as she pottered about waving at everyone and hiding behind the heavy drapes. While being a very grand hotel - please pardon the pun - the atmosphere was really inclusive and we really felt like we got a break. As many parents will know, not having to cook and clean for a few days is bliss and we didn't feel confined to our room whatsoever, enjoying the leisure centre, plush common areas and the Lounge Terrace. We could tag team going to the leisure centre, enjoyed leisurely breakfasts in the stunning Garden Room restaurant and took afternoon naps in our sea view suite. Not only was the hotel wonderful, but it's just metres away from the seafront with stunning views of the English Channel, making it the perfect location for exploring the beach, Beachy Head and the town of Eastbourne. We walked the promenade, which was really accessible for a buggy and also a safe distance from the road if our daughter wanted to walk. We also spent a sunny afternoon pottering up and down the beach and enjoying some music as we sat outside a pub on the pier. My takeaway? Don't be afraid to take your children to a hotel if it's something you're considering. I've often thought it might not be the most practical but the staff were so attentive, we didn't feel like we were in the way and there was lots to do. And what's even better is that we got a bit of a break as well. You can get a breaking travel stories along with some of the most interesting, important and fun travel stories sent to your phone every day by subscribing to the Mirror Travel WhatsApp. It's completely free and takes minutes to do. The Grand Hotel Eastbourne is celebrating 150 years with a special Afternoon Tea – from £36 per person. Honouring The Grand's rich 150-year history, a limited-edition afternoon tea pays fitting tribute to timeless luxury. In addition to delicate sandwiches, and scones served with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry preserve, an exquisite pastry menu - delicacies offering a journey through time – includes an 'Opera Gȃteau' to die for. Book here or via 01323 412345. Stay overnight at The Grand Hotel from £220 per room per night (two sharing), including breakfast.
Campaign ME
19-06-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Cannes Lions 2025: Day 3 – Debating human creativity, AI and the ‘force for good'
Day 3 at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025 witnessed conversations getting very real about the balance between artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for growth and the case for creativity. Strong opinions were voiced – for and against each of these – with marketers agreeing that the industry needs to, ultimately, keep its 'eye on the prize' of brand and business outcomes. While, on one hand, CMO panels in The Rotonde and keynotes at the Théâtre Claude Debussy called for brands to lean into the power of human input in creative marketing strategies, on the other hand, conversations down the Croisette and at Carlton Cannes focused on the power of AI-driven tech and automation. A lot of these insights also found their way to Campaign Middle East's MENA Mixer event held at Campaign House, Canopy by Hilton Cannes, which brought the who's who of the Middle East brand and marketing industry together, in partnership with TheVantage and Hearst Global Solutions. Balance between human-inspired creativity, and technology-led automation and innovation Speaking to Campaign Middle East, Nassib Boueri, CEO of VML MENA, said, 'Creativity will always be at the core of this industry. We may navigate towards technology, like we navigated towards social media a few years ago, but this industry has a self-correction that will bring us back into the pure creative realm. Ten years ago, the talk was around the launch of social platforms; today it is AI. However, the industry has always found its way back to focus on the core of creativity.' Sprinkling a healthy dose of business outcomes into the conversation, Fabio Silveira, Managing Director of Havas Creative Middle East, and a jury member on the newly added Creative Business Transformation category at Cannes Lions 2025, said, 'Creativity is still the first and, probably, the most important piece, but business transformation also has a huge role to play.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Campaign Middle East (@campaignmiddleeast) He added, 'This new awards category added in 2025 – as well as CEO panels that we've seen for the first time Cannes Lions – is representative of this shift in conversation from mere creativity to reviewing its very real impact on business outcomes. We've been evaluating and awarding work that demonstrates real impact on operations, research and development, HR, as well as all the other facets of the business chain.' Not mincing words in his chat with Campaign Middle East, Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO and Chairman of Vayner Media, said, 'Most of the people at Cannes should be worried about AI if they're not contributing to business outcomes. A lot of people want to sell the idea of creativity as a disguise to what marketing should be, which is an engine to growth for business. This entire Palais should be disrupted if they've been audacious and delusional and non-contributive to the brands that have been paying them to deliver these outcomes.' Should marketing be a 'force for good'? Leaders also shared differing opinions on creativity and marketing as 'forces for good'. While some called for marketing to drive real-world social impact and catalyse change, others called for marketing to 'do its job' of driving business outcomes. Talking to Campaign Middle East, Siddarth Sivaprakash, Head of Brand & Marketing , Home Centre, Landmark Group, said, 'If we are in a world and in an industry where we believe that creativity can solve world problems to some extent, or atleast bring awareness to it, I think we're really missing out on an opportunity. I feel like at Cannes, this year, we've not heard about that sufficiently from Middle East agencies and what they're doing for clients and used cases around that.' During the CMOs in the Spotlight session on Day 3 at Cannes Lions 2025, Josefien Olij, Senior Director Marketing Communications, Philips, echoed these thoughts. 'We truly need to take a step in the right direction,' Olij said. 'We need to look at technology and creativity for good with strategies that are caring and courageous. AI is a part of that. It needs to be an enabler, and it is not something that replaces. We need to find away to continue finding solutions to real-world problems, truly collaborate, do the strategic thinking, but always with a human touch.' However, Vaynerchuck had a slightly different take on it, calling out agencies who are hiding behind the 'force for good' conversation as a disguise to not being accountable to business outcomes. 'Giving back is meant for non-profits,' he said. 'If you want to give back, go spend your time, money and energy on non-profits like I do. Don't bull***t me about giving back because you're scared of technology. It's time to hold marketing accountable to what it should be: an engine of growth for business. Everyone, including me, will be disrupted by AI. Either we learn how to deal with it or we go out of business.' MENA Awards at Cannes As of Day 3 at Cannes Lions, the MENA region remains short of a Grand Prix in its collection of wins, despite taking its tally of coveted Cannes Lions trophies to 20, with BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh still leading the pack and contributing to five of the region's total tally with 2 Gold Lions, 1 Silver Lion, and 2 Bronze Lions. With two days to go in the festival, the region is only two metal cats short of its tally of 22 in 2024. Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication at the UAE Government Media Office, and PR Jury panel member was also seen handing over the Gold Lion to DAVID, New York agency for their Clash of Clans entry at Cannes Lions 2025. The MENA wins include: AUDIO AND RADIO CATEGORY: 1 GOLD LION, 1 SILVER LION Campaign title: The Second Release Agency: SRMG Labs, Riyadh Client: Billboard Arabia, Riyadh CREATIVE B2B CATEGORY: 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: Recipe for Change Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai Client: Arla Foods CREATIVE DATA CATEGORY: 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: Recipe for Change Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai Client: Arla Foods DESIGN CATEGORY: 1 SILVER LION Campaign title: Sounds of the Land Agency: SRMG Labs, Riyadh Client: Billboard Arabia, Riyadh DIGITAL CRAFT CATEGORY: 1 SILVER LION Campaign title: The Shaded Route Agency: VML, Riyadh Client: Hungerstation Campaign title: Agency: Client: Hungerstation 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: Read Better Agency: FP7 McCANN, Dubai / McCANN, Bristol Client: Waterstones DIRECT CATEGORY: 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: Safe at 3AM Agency: VML, Dubai Client: Dubai Tourism ENTERTAINMENT FOR SPORT CATEGORY: 1 GOLD LION, 1 SILVER LION Campaign title: The 4th Judge Agency: BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh Client: The Ring Campaign title: Agency: Client: The Ring 1 GOLD LION Campaign title: Obsession Agency: BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh Client: Riyadh Season FILM CRAFT CATEGORY: 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: Everything or Nothing Agency: BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh Client: Riyadh Season 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: Obsession Agency: BigTime Creative Shop, Riyadh Client: Riyadh Season HEALTH AND WELLNESS CATEGORY: 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: The Shaded Route Agency: VML Riyadh Client: Hungerstation OUTDOOR CATEGORY: 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: The Shaded Route Agency: VML Riyadh Client: Hungerstation 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: Not For First Dates Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai Client: McDonald's PR CATEGORY: 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: Sponsored Balls Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai Client: Testicular Cancer Society 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: Not For First Dates Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai Client: McDonald's PRINT AND PUBLISHING CATEGORY: 1 SILVER LION Campaign title: NOTES ON NOTES Agency: IMPACT BBDO, Dubai / AdPro& Jordan Client: Capital Bank 1 BRONZE LION Campaign title: THE GREAT INDIAN DUNK Agency: LEO Dubai Client: NBA India The festival also welcomed its share of star power with the likes of Jimmy Fallon, Reese Witherspoon, Paris Hilton, Serena Williams, Mo Farah and Noah Lyles, among many others making appearances at Cannes Lions 2025. Tune into Campaign Middle East's social media channels to stay updated on the latest of what's happening at The Palais, the Rotonde, The Carlton Hotel and stay tuned for exciting events at the Campaign House Hilton Canopy.
CairoScene
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Abu Dhabi Festival & Paris Opera Announce Historic First Co-Production
The production premiered at Opéra Bastille in Paris on February 28th, 2025, and runs until March 27th. Mar 03, 2025 The Abu Dhabi Festival and Opéra National de Paris have launched a historic co-production of Claude Debussy's 'Pelléas et Mélisande', marking the first collaboration between the Arab world and the French opera house. Directed by Lebanese-Canadian Wajdi Mouawad and conducted by Antonello Manacorda, the production premiered at Opéra Bastille in Paris on February 28th, 2025, and runs until March 27th. 'Pelléas et Mélisande', composed by Claude Debussy and first performed in 1902, is a symbolist opera based on Maurice Maeterlinck's play of the same name. The opera's atmospheric score and impressionistic style explore themes of love, fate, and human emotion. The story follows the tragic love triangle between Prince Golaud, his mysterious wife Mélisande, and his younger half-brother Pelléas, unfolding in a dreamlike setting that enhances the opera's enigmatic and psychological depth. Under the patronage of UAE leaders, the initiative is part of Abu Dhabi Festival's mission to expand global artistic partnerships. Featuring soprano Sabine Devieilhe and baritone Huw Montague Rendall, the opera explores love and destiny with a set design by Emmanuel Clolus.
