The Future of Mobile Ads

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is stirring up conversations and sparking new ideas in the minds of advertising and business professionals. A breeding ground for networking opportunities and business partnerships, the weeklong advertising festival can be seen as “the SXSW for the international set,” complete with celebrity appearances and musical performances. According to the Cannes Lions website, “We believe creativity is the driving force for business, for change and for good. That’s why we are campaigners for creativity: we inspire creative bravery that changes the course of communications. Our awards set a global benchmark for what good creative looks like, and our annual Festival connects those with a similar vision.”

Companies and advertising agencies from around the world use the festival to voice their ideas about the future of marketing. Speakers range from media influencers and entertainment superstars like Kim Kardashian West, Pharrell Williams and Adrian Grenier to high-level marketing executives from Heineken, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Red Bull, Adidas and Tinder. A popular topic of discussion is the use of technology in marketing and how new forms of advertising can engage consumers and deliver powerful messages.

Chris Cox, Facebook’s Chief Product Officer, unveiled a new communication technology: an app that can read your facial expression and create an appropriate cartoon for you to send your friends.

Imagine your wonderful selfies, like this…

turning into a cartoon you, like this…

Cox also revealed his vision for visually engaging and interactive mobile ads that might be popping up on your Facebook timeline any day.This new format for mobile ads will display full-size photos, videos, ad copy and, in some cases, a 360-degree view of the product—and you’ll never have to leave your Facebook newsfeed.

Facebook and Michael Kors partnered to create a mock-up of the new ad format, and the response they received may spark a sooner-than-planned launch for this product.