Cannes Lions CEO on the power of creativity, the creator economy and making connections - Simon Cook

In partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Tyler Bahl, CMO of Activision, to explore what it takes to market some of the world’s most successful games, from Call of Duty to Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Tyler shares insights on launching blockbuster titles, the evolving gaming landscape in 2025, and how livestreaming, esports, and AI are transforming the industry. Plus, lessons from 23 editions of Call of Duty, surprising audience insights, and working directly with icons like Tony Hawk.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:54 - Tyler’s time at Quibi02:33 - State of the gaming industry in 202504:14 - Tony Hawk Pro Skater Surprise05:35 - The demographics of the video game consumer08:16 - How to launch a video game10:47 - How live streaming and esports has transformed video gaming14:10 - Ratio of male vs female video game players16:28 - Is video game success due to the product or the marketing?18:00 - The success and longevity of Call of Duty19:13 - Maintaining marketing success after 23 editions of Call of Duty20:36 - “The Replacer” campaign execution and success22:21 - Measuring success23:28 - How Activision do partnerships for game launches25:35 - How Activision makes sports games27:39 - Future sports games from Activision29:42 - What impact is AI having on gaming?31:40 - Working with Tony Hawk on the launch of the new game32:46 - Lesson’s from Tyler’s career

30 Jul 43min

In this episode, produced in partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Todd Kaplan, CMO of Kraft Heinz, to uncover the marketing “secret sauce” behind some of the world’s most iconic brands. Todd shares lessons from driving 21 quarters of growth at Pepsi, why simplicity beats complexity in marketing, and how he’s bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to Kraft Heinz. We also dive into working with agencies, building in-house creative, and what makes a truly great CMO.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:30 - Todd’s background01:41 - How Pepsi achieved 21 consecutive quarters of growth02:36 - Pepsi’s approach to innovation04:22 - Battling short term vs long term in innovation05:20 - From 18 years at Pepsi to joining Kraft Heinz06:41 - Encouraging an entrepreneurial culture within Kraft Heinz09:10 - Having an in house agency at Kraft Heinz12:10 - Todd Kaplan’s tips for working with external agencies16:28 - Why consistency of the brand is important for Kraft Heinz18:55 - Creating marketing that actually works24:39 - The best marketing is simple27:44 - What makes a great CMO?

23 Jul 30min

In partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Grainne Wafer, Global Category Director (Beer, Vodka, Liqueurs) at Diageo, to explore how one of the world’s biggest drinks companies drives growth and builds iconic brands. Grainne shares the trends shaping the beverage industry, the transformation of Baileys, and how Diageo manages a portfolio of global powerhouses like Guinness. We also discuss the value of sports sponsorships, the rise of Guinness 0%, and why marketing effectiveness is always on tap.00:00 - Intro01:19 - What are the trends in the beverage industry?03:25 - What are the up and coming portfolio brands for Diageo?05:01 - How does Diageo manage brands internally?06:30 - Is Diageo going to sell Guinness?08:42 - What’s behind Diageo’s 17% YoY growth?12:03 - Guinness sport activation with Rugby and Football12:36 - How Guinness 0% is so close to the original14:23 - Guinness’ sponsorship of Football and Rugby16:26 - How to do measure the value of a sponsorship of the Premier League17:39 - When the UK ran out of Guinness18:08 - Sponsoring the Women’s Six Nations21:44 - How Diageo broadly measures the impact of marketing23:57 - Baileys celebrates 50 years25:22 - How Baileys was transformed27:23 - The Diageo way of brand building31:38 - Grainne’s advice to CMOs

16 Jul 35min

To celebrate 200 episodes, Tom Goodwin is back on Uncensored CMO. He's got a pretty strong opinion on the state of advertising. It's broken, and we need to fix it. Tom lays out where he thinks it's all gone wrong for the industry and what we can do about it. As uncensored as ever, Tom brings an entertaining and fresh perspective on marketing. Strap in.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:50 - The state of advertising in 202502:40 - Why is the advertising industry not moving forward?06:13 - Brand vs performance marketing09:20 - What’s broken with marketing in 202511:54 - How to actually be customer centric17:23 - Winning internal battles to allow long term work to thrive21:18 - Is performance marketing fraud?26:23 - How to make advertising better33:02 - Are we valuing creativity enough

14 Jul 38min

In partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Kory Marchisotto, CMO of e.l.f. Beauty, to unpack a 25 quarters of consecutive growth. From their bold “So Many Dicks” campaign to the $1B Rhode deal with Hailey Bieber, Kory shares how e.l.f. built a culture that fuels growth. We also dive into the power of creators and celebrities in beauty, partnerships with sporting icons like Billie Jean King and racing driver Katherine Legge, and the realities of leading as a high-growth, publicly listed CMO.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:40 - The last decade of Elf01:35 - The Titanium and Glass Cannes Lions entry03:01 - Elf’s “So Many Dicks” campaign10:01 - The secret to 25 quarters of consecutive growth13:36 - Building a culture that allows growth17:03 - $1b Rhode deal24:26 - How important are creators and celebrities in building beauty brands26:37 - Collaborating with Billie Jean King30:49 - Partnering with Katherine Legge, racing driver34:16 - The realities of being a high growth, publicly listed CMO

9 Jul 39min

Simon Morris is Adobe’s VP of International Marketing, joins us to share how Adobe is empowering creativity at scale. We discuss the impact of AI on marketing, why creativity will always need human skills, and how Adobe partners with brands like Real Madrid to build iconic campaigns. Simon also shares what makes a great marketing leader today, how to launch products successfully, and what’s next for AI and creators.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro00:43 - The size of the Cannes activation for Adobe01:38 - Simon’s marketing career04:21 - Adobe’s CEO named creative champion of the year05:46 - Where has AI had the biggest impact in marketing?08:14 - Will AI replace creativity?09:35 - Where will human skills be most required in the age of AI?14:21 - How Adobe are their own customer15:10 - What campaigns have been made with Adobe’s own software?16:19 - How brands can work with creators?17:59 - Freedom for creators vs sticking to guidelines19:16 - How to successfully launch a new product20:59 - Partnering with sports teams to build their brand (Real Madrid)23:25 - Maintaining trust in Adobe AI products, with potential IP worries26:16 - Whats the next thing in AI we need to pay attention to?28:37 - Building a brand for long term when the world is increasingly short term29:56 - What makes a great marketing leader today?

7 Jul 31min

In collaboration with TikTok, System1 have launched a new research paper called "The Long and the Short Form of It", explaining how brands can navigate and excel in this of this new world of short form content. In this episode I catch up with TikTok's Head of Business Marketing and Partnerships to discuss the research and help brands succeed on the platform.Timestamps00:00 - Intro02:05 - Sofia’s marketing career04:04 - Why B2B marketing needs to be more human05:36 - TikTok’s marketing journey over the past 5 years06:48 - How brands can use TikTok10:47 - How brands can work with creators on TikTok14:20 - How to make a TikTok that captures attention18:18 - The TikTok economy21:18 - Why authenticity pays off on TikTok22:57 - How people can get started creating on TikTok25:30 - Is TikTok just for teenagers?26:51 - TikTok as an entertainment platform, not as a social media platform27:54 - Romancing the creative vs proving the value32:00 - Sofia’s leadership lessons

2 Jul 33min

After 20 unhappy years as a headhunter, it took a near death experience for Sherilyn Shackell to launch The Marketing Academy, a non-profit organisation developing leadership talent in marketing. Launched in 2010, The Marketing Academy now helps marketers become CMOs and CMOs become CEOs. This episode, we focus on exactly how CMOs can get a seat at the table in the boardroom and all the traits they need to do this successfully.Timestamps00:00 - Intro00:53 - How a near death experience led to the creation of The Marketing Academy08:29 - Does trauma help founders?11:27 - What is The Marketing Academy?15:05 - How The Marketing Academy Fellowship helps CMOs become CEOs20:08 - Why there needs to be CMOs on boards27:03 - What CMOs can do to get on boards35:36 - Why CMOs need to build their own profiles39:23 - Why CMOs need to invest in relationships44:16 - Why having a personal brand is a talent magnet45:48 - The biggest fears and anxieties of CMOs54:34 - What marketers can learn from the best CMOs in the world?

25 Jun 59min