It Was Not What I Saw, But What I Heard

I just returned from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and once again I marveled at the level of creativity from every part of the globe. Campaigns that pushed boundaries—literally, like "Expedition Impossible"—to campaigns that touched the heart, the mind, and the soul. In another article, I'll share the work that I loved, but today I want to instead focus on what I heard rather than what I saw.

Across the many presentations I attended, there were several comments made which were not the main theme but rather passing thoughts that, for one reason or another, just stuck with me. Earworms that never left my mind. Guiding lights that will help me move forward for years to come. Here are five:

Image Source: Cannes Lions

1) “Every year is a new chapter”, David Sandström, CMO, Klarna.

When David made this declaration, it hit me like a lightning bolt. Because I have been organizing my work this way for years, I never really stopped to think about giving each year a name or a chapter heading. But by doing so, you gain clarity of purpose. Does this project help promote this year's chapter? If yes, move forward. If not, stop.

In my own time at Klick Health, I have labeled my years subconsciously: Infrastructure. People. Production. Craft. Innovation. Storytelling. Expansion. The interesting thing is they all build on each other. You don't leave the older chapters behind. It's not as if people or craft or innovation isn't at the heart of everything we do—they are—it's just that these are now areas of strength that are foundational to everything that comes next.

Image Source: Cannes Lions

2) “Everyone is looking for affirmation”, Oprah Winfrey, Global Media Leader

After countless interviews, Oprah mentioned that virtually every person in the chair across from her—from world leaders to celebrities to business leaders—asks her the same question upon the completion of their interview: "Was that okay?"

No matter who you are, people want to know if they're doing a good job. As a creative leader, that stuck with me because there are many, many people who work very hard to create ideas that never see the light of day. And yet every single one of these ideas started with someone working very hard to solve a client problem, fix a social injustice, or answer a brief in a way that had never been done before.

How often do we tell those people whose ideas didn't move forward that what they did was worthy of their time? That it was OK? That they mattered?

Image Source: Cannes Lions

3) “Fame is fleeting. The work lasts forever”, Susan Credle, The Lion of St. Mark winner

I had the good fortune to work with Susan for several years, but when she stood on the stage at the Palais to receive the highest personal honor that anyone could receive, she didn't talk about her own career. She talked about the work by asking a simple question: "Is the work that you're making worthy of someone saying thank you? And if it's not, try harder."

Her next line also hit hard: "At the end of your career, what did you make besides money?"

Do I want my company to be successful? Of course I do. Does that mean making a reasonable profit? Of course. But at the end of the day, we'll be remembered by those life-changing campaigns that helped people. That gave them new hope. That opened the doors to new treatment options and changed the trajectory of patients’ lives. An idea that, years from now, someone will say, "Thank you."

Image Source: Cannes Lions

4) “Living at the intersection of technology and humanity”, Eddy Cue, Apple, Entertainer of the Year winner

Eddy has witnessed everything from the inside of Apple over the past 37 years. He worked personally with Steve Jobs and every member of the leadership team on virtually every major technological innovation. And yet his speech wasn't about tech. It was about humanity. About how to use technology to enhance the human condition.

He mentioned that one of Apple's founding principles was to live squarely at the intersection of technology and humanity. Isn't that exactly where every one of us sits right now?

AI has fundamentally changed how we work, but it can't be the black-box solution for everything we do. Because AI is not human. It doesn't have a shared, lived human experience. AI can't remember what it felt like to look into someone's eyes as they heard about a product that could save their child's life.

Eddy's speech landed with me because, as we all rush to train our teams to use these tools, it’s essential to remind people of the humans our work is meant to help.

Image Source: Cannes Lions

5) “Where's my beer?”, Marcel Marcondes, Global CMO, AB InBev, Creative Marketer of the Year

At the end of his speech, accepting the award on his company's behalf, Marcel made a passing comment: "Where's my beer?"

Most people laughed. I took it as a call to action to ensure that, no matter what we're doing, at the end of the day, we're having fun doing it.

Yes, the work we do matters. Yes, it makes a difference in the lives of millions. Yes, this is a business. But isn't it supposed to be fun, too?

One of my mentors once reminded me that being a client is hard work and that the day the agency comes in to show them a new idea is probably the best part of their day. Well, shouldn't it also be the best part of our day, too?

Image Source: Cannes Lions

After five days in Cannes, my net takeaways are: start a new chapter; fill it with amazing work; find new ways to be human; have fun every day; and everything will be okay.

Rich Levy is the Chief Creative Officer of Klick Health

At Cannes Lions 2026, Klick was named Healthcare Agency of the Year, Healthcare Network of the Year, and Independent Agency of the Year – Health; Cannes Lions 2026

Klick Health is the world’s largest independent commercialization partner for life sciences and a leading full-service pharma marketing partner, serving as agency of record for leading pharma, biotech, and healthcare brands. Klick’s specialized offerings are rooted in deep medical and scientific understanding, including market insights, award-winning creative, and proprietary AI and data models to craft impactful brand narratives and seamless customer journeys. Backed by nearly 250 medical experts and advanced healthcare analytics, Klick delivers integrated marketing strategy and communications, from new product launch strategy to MLR review with real-world evidence, helping brands thrive in today’s complex healthcare landscape. Learn more at Klick.com.