It Was About Humanity.
At a time when artificial intelligence dominates the headlines and the fear of the creative industry’s collapse lingers in our cafés, agencies, and meetings, Apple took the stage at Cannes Lions 2025 with an unexpected message.
It wasn’t about innovation. It was about what has never changed: the human touch.
When Pain Becomes Purpose
In a moving speech, an Apple executive shared real-life stories — starting with his own father, who experienced hearing loss. He showed how AirPods now function as clinical hearing aids, changing the lives of millions, including his dad’s.
But he went even deeper.
He spoke of privacy as a core human value.
Of accessibility as a foundation of inclusive design.
Of creativity as a superpower of our generation.
And of the Vision Pro as a new way of telling stories — intimate and immersive, where emotion nearly leaps off the screen.
A Message to the Industry
More than a product showcase, the talk ended with a statement that echoed across the festival:
“AI won’t kill or save advertising. We’re the ones who have to save ourselves.”
A simple yet powerful reminder that, in the end, no technology can replicate what we feel when we see someone loving, crying, creating, giving their all.
The Real Act of Creative Resistance
This is still a game we can win.
And maybe, in the midst of all this innovation and uncertainty, the true act of creative resistance is:
To make something wonderful. With brains and with heart.
