Cannes Lions 2025: BuyTryShare, the European voice of advertising transformation

Amidst the creative buzz of Cannes Lions 2025, it was hard not to notice the American dominance on the Croisette: from beaches to rooftops, US giants were out in force—Snapchat, LinkedIn, Netflix, Amazon, Meta, Reddit, Pinterest... Not to mention the Chinese presence of TikTok. And Europe in all this? Almost absent.

Almost.

Only a few initiatives from the Old Continent have stood their ground: RTL (Bertelsmann group), Café Havas, Publicis' Influential platform, and WPP's platform. A discreet but strategic presence. And it is precisely in this niche that BuyTryShare has made a name for itself.

Why Cannes? Confronting reality: between skeptics, curious minds, and enthusiasts...

Our presence at Cannes Lions was not a publicity stunt; it was not merely decorative. We were there to engage with the media market in all its diversity: the skeptics, who still doubt the ability of traditional media to reinvent themselves; the curious, intrigued by an approach that combines social proof and short advertising formats; and, of course, the enthusiasts, convinced that the future lies in hybrid, credible, and measurable solutions.

No, BuyTryShare wasn't on the Croisette to show off, but to listen, debate, and test its value proposition. And the feedback exceeded our expectations. It carried a strong message: reconciling Ad Sales Houses with their ability to capture attention and generate conversion, without relying exclusively on global platforms (as illustrated by the historic agreement between TF1 and Netflix, with the Ta-Dam screen hosting a bouquet of linear channels for the first time).

By integrating social proof (authentic consumer reviews) into media screens (TV, press, cinema), BuyTryShare transforms historically “Top Funnel” channels into “Low Funnel” levers capable of generating direct, traceable, and measurable engagement.

In a context where publishers and advertising sales houses are seeking new growth drivers in the face of the insatiable appetite of platforms, BuyTryShare is empowering traditional media by injecting a layer of data-driven, reliable, and local activation.

Inspiring encounters and strategic validation

Highlights of the festival include:

• Ilaria Lodigiani, CMO of Barilla, whom we met on RTL Beach, was particularly receptive to our approach. She confirmed that the issue of reassurance through authentic reviews is at the heart of European consumer brand strategies. This is a strong signal for a solution such as BuyTryShare, which places social proof at the heart of the advertising message.

• On the Plage to be that was the RTL one, we also spoke with Alice Pottiez, Communications Director at Comme J’aime, who confirmed that French people have indeed gotten into the habit of scanning QR codes on television. This is a valuable habit that supports the key action of the BuyTryShare activation, which is rooted in existing behaviors.

• Our presence at RTL Beach would not have been possible without the kind invitation of Franck Litewka from RTL AdAlliance, whose support for the emergence of innovative European solutions has been constant and committed. His keen insight into changes in the advertising market and his openness to new engagement mechanisms have helped create a real space for listening and dialogue around BuyTryShare.

• At Port Amazon de la Croisette, during our discussions with a global leader in influencer marketing and UGC content, we received particularly enthusiastic feedback about BuyTryShare. This recognition, coming from a key player in the sector, reinforces the credibility of our vision and confirms the relevance and uniqueness of our model. A testimonial that lends credibility to our vision..

The magic of Cannes: when connections become accelerators

The French Connexion evening was a real catalyst. We had the opportunity to talk with:

• Pascal Dasseux (Havas), a committed player in the transformation of advertising in France,

• Florence Trouche (Netflix), on the challenges of measuring advertising effectiveness,

• Marius Leichte (Virtual Minds by ProSiebenSat1), on European AdTech infrastructure.

• Pierre Gauthier (Silverpush), on AI-powered contextual video activation.

All these signs of interest confirm the desire for a more local, more transparent, and more virtuous model.

Strong support for a game-changing solution

BuyTryShare is not alone in this endeavor. In Cannes, as throughout our journey, we have been able to count on key figures in the media and entrepreneurial ecosystem who are convinced of the relevance of our model.

Rafael Schwarz, CRO de TERRITORY Influence, a subsidiary of the Bertelsmann Group, is one of our first active supporters. Not only has he facilitated our connections with leading players such as BazaarVoice, but he also supports us as a technical partner and reputational guarantor. His commitment to our cause confirms that BuyTryShare meets a deep-seated market need: to restore trust, authenticity, and measurable performance to media campaigns.

We were also encouraged by:

• Michel Juvillier, a recognized expert in the media world, whose strategic vision and field experience have helped refine our positioning.

• Damien de Foucault, a committed entrepreneur who sees BuyTryShare as a concrete lever for transforming the advertising model.,

• Philippe Hermet, a passionate serial entrepreneur whose business acumen enabled us to validate the strength of our value proposition in terms of ROI.

They all share one conviction: the market needs solutions like BuyTryShare. A solution that is innovative, credible, replicable, and aligned with the expectations of both advertising agencies and advertisers.

Conclusion: Europe needs to wake up... and BuyTryShare is ready

The 2025 Cannes Lions proved it once again: the advertising market is undergoing major changes, fueled by artificial intelligence. Global platforms are advancing rapidly, but European advertising sales houses still have a role to play—provided they equip themselves with the right tools.

BuyTryShare is one of them.

We don't sell a gadget. We offer a strategy:

👉 Build trust.

👉 Work on viewers attention span.

👉 Measuring performance.

And above all: restore real activation value to local Ad Sales Houses.

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