How Black Marketers Brought Juneteenth to Cannes Lions

For many Black Americans, Juneteenth is a sacred day to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. While the government only recently cemented the day as a federal holiday, Black communities around the nation have long regarded Juneteenth as a time for celebration with parties, pageants, picnics, festivals and countless other gatherings with the aim of bringing the people together. But when the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity happened to coincide with the holiday this year, Black American marketers and brand leaders were faced with a tough choice: either miss the biggest industry event of the year (which wasn't exactly a viable choice for much of the ad industry) or travel and ultimately work during this inarguably important cultural moment. That's why marketing consultancy Lippe Taylor's Black ERG, The Inkwell, partnered with Cannes Lions for Kickback on the Croisette, a Juneteenth event that allowed travelers to take part in the holiday while abroad. It was the first time that Juneteenth was formally recognized in an official capacity at the festival. "For so many of the Black professionals that came, their feedback has been, 'Thank you for doing this for us,'" Destiny K. Chambers, vp and head of marketing for Lippe Taylor, told Adweek. "This was the perfect way to kick off the festival." Guests were offered an explainer on how to avoid Juneteenth-related missteps like Walmart's ill-advised ice cream stunt. The event was held on the lawn of The Grand Hotel the Sunday before the official start of the festival. Among the crafted cocktails and games, there were opportunities to reflect on the importance of the holiday itself as well as the different ways the ad industry can properly engage with Juneteenth (including a detailed explainer of how not to "be like Walmart," which earned backlash earlier this month for its Juneteenth-themed ice cream). Guests who weren't as familiar with the traditions associated with the holiday were educated on the history of certain details, including the altar and the significance of red velvet cake. "I give kudos to [Cannes Lions Chairman] Phil Thomas," said Chambers. "One of the first things that happened when I told him that I was thinking about doing this Juneteenth activation—before we ever became partners—was that he felt almost immediately that it was something that should have already been a part of the experience. He was like, almost verbatim, 'This is something we should be doing.'" "We're grateful to Destiny K. Chambers for the Kickback at the Croisette activation," Thomas told Adweek. "As Juneteenth coincided with the Festival, it was important to provide a space to recognize and celebrate the holiday, so thank you to our partners for achieving this so brilliantly. We would like to extend our gratitude to Destiny, Adrienne Pace, and the many other inspiring leaders for helping to make Cannes Lions more diverse and inclusive each year." Culture that fuels creativity Lippe Taylor wasn't the only group to bring some of the culture to Cannes. Group Black, a media collective and accelerator, teamed up with P&G to host the Widen the Screen Juneteenth Luncheon at Inkwell Beach. As guests ate, P&G's chief brand officer Marc Pritchard spoke on the importance of Black storytelling while encouraging fellow major brand leaders to invest in Black creativity. The luncheon was just one of many impactful discussions surrounding DEI held at Inkwell Beach, presented by Cannes Can: Diversity Collective, last week. Other discussions included panels that were hosted by Inkwell Beach sponsors Wieden+Kennedy and Leo Burnett. For Chambers, she hopes that such events encourage other communities to hold their cultural celebrations at Cannes. Additionally, she hopes the festival continues to make additional room for them. "If we get to do this now, then the AAPI community might be able to do this next," she said. "Or the Latinx community might be able to do this next. This is a stepping stone, not just for Black people, but for all BIPOC people." 'Listen,' 'Be Authentic:' Advice Women in Creativity Have Given and Gotten

Cannes Lions

How the Black Marketing Community Used Juneteenth to Call for Change at Cannes Lions

Lippe Taylor and Group Black brought Black American culture all the way to Europe

Shannon Miller

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Shannon Miller