The Barber's Brief - The Rosé Can Wait. Our Questions Cant + Special Announcement
EP 208 · Jun 16, 2026 · 23 min · Marc & V
0:00 / 23:26
The short version
For years, Cannes Lions has been the home of creativity. This year, it feels like effectiveness is taking center stage.
In this special Cannes preview edition of The Barber's Brief, Marc and Vassilis discuss what they're most excited to explore at Cannes Lions 2026.
From the surprising reunion of Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp, to the growing influence of effectiveness research, creator marketing, AI, and measurement, this conversation explores the biggest questions facing modern marketers.
The duo also shares details about their partnership with System1 and previews the conversations they'll be recording throughout the week with Orlando Wood, Andrew Tindall, Vanessa Chin, and many others.
Plus, they break down one of last year's most creative Cannes winners: Hyundai's Night Fishing.
In this episode:
- Why the Ritson & Sharp reunion matters
- Can creativity still drive disproportionate growth?
- What happens to creativity in an AI-driven world?
- Are marketers measuring the wrong things?
- The difference between Cannes' Palais and the Fringe
- What System1 is teaching marketers about effectiveness
- Hyundai's Cannes-winning film experiment, Night Fishing
Oh and our theme this year? The rosé can wait. The questions can't.
Enjoy the episode.
Chapters
00:00 - The Excitement of Cannes Lions 2023
02:57 - The Power of Effectiveness in Marketing
05:55 - Creativity vs. AI in Advertising
09:10 - The Importance of Measurement in Marketing
11:59 - Exploring the Cannes Fringe Festival
15:07 - Ad of the week: Hyundai's Night Fishing Campaign
20:07 - Looking Ahead: Customer Journeys
Ad of the week
Title: Night Fishing Hyundai - 2025 Cannes Lions Grand Prix Winner Entertainment
Chapters
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Transcript
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SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Sleeping Barber Podcast. Welcome back to a special episode of our Barber's Brief. Normally, Mark and I spend this time picking apart the weak stories from marketing and business. Today, however, is a little different. In a few days, we head to the Cannes lines for our second year in a row. Recording all week with some of the sharpest minds in the industry. And here's what got me genuinely excited. Mark, this feels like the year effectiveness moves to the center of the quaset.
SPEAKER_00: It yeah, it totally does. Um, I know Can used to get characterized as a creativity bubble, beautiful work, big stages, and not a lot of conversation about whether any of it actually grew business, or at least that was my impression for a long time. Mine too. Last year we saw how big the effectiveness section was within the programming. And so um, yeah, it's really exciting. This year, probably the clear signal of all of that is Mark Ritson and Byron Sharp sharing a stage together.
SPEAKER_01: All right, hold up, hello.