Cannes vs. The Consumers: Craft and Humour Conquer AI

Jul. 03, 2026

System1, the Creative Effectiveness Platform, has revealed which Cannes Lions Film winners are most likely to deliver commercial impact beyond the awards stage, ranking the winning campaigns based on real consumer response rather than jury opinion.

While AI brands including Claude and OpenAI secured major wins at Cannes Lions, System1’s testing found that the strongest consumer response went to work rooted in craft, humour and storytelling. This year’s Cannes Film winners earned a modest average Star Rating of 2.2, with the highest-scoring ads outperforming through warmth, entertainment and emotional payoff.

Having tested every Cannes Film winner since 2010, System1 has consistently found that award-winning work often scores below advertising norms with consumers. But the growing prominence of categories celebrating humour and long-standing brand platforms suggests Cannes is moving closer to the kind of creativity people genuinely enjoy, not just work that captures industry attention.

Standout performers included Intermarché’s Christmas animation Unloved, which earned 5.9 Stars, KFC Thailand’s The Kaprao Criminals at 5.4 Stars, and Apple’s A Critter Carol, featuring handcrafted puppets and an original jingle, at 5.3 Stars.

System1’s Test Your Ad platform measures consumers’ emotional responses to advertising, assigning a score from 1.0 to 5.9 Stars based on long-term brand-building potential. Ads that generate strong positive emotions, such as happiness and surprise, are more likely to achieve higher scores.

The Cannes Lions Film Winners ranked by Star Rating (brand-building potential):

• Intermarche and Romance, France, “Unloved” (Bronze) - 5.9 Stars
• KFC Thailand and Wolf BKK, Thailand, “The Kaprao Criminals” (Bronze) – 5.4 Stars
• Apple and TBWA/Media Arts Lab, US, “A Critter Carol” (Silver) – 5.3 Stars
• Snack Jack and Hanami Food, Thailand, “Mother Strike” (Bronze) – 4.5 Stars
• Apple, US, “I’m Not Remarkable” (Silver) – 3.9 Stars
• John Lewis & Partners and Saatchi&Saatchi, UK, “Tableau” (Silver) – 3.9 Stars
• Instacart and McCann New York, US, “For Papa” (Silver) – 3.2 Stars
• AXA France and Publicis Conseil, France, “Nothing Stops Women’s Rugby” (Silver) – 3.0 Stars
• Vaseline and Ogilvy Singapore, Singapore, “Love Hurts” (Bronze) – 3.0 Stars

System1 also tested the Cannes winners across Outdoor and Print, with IKEA's Wherever Life Goes (Sweden), Cornetto and LOLA's Unwrap the Summer (Spain), and Amstel and INGO's Lo de Facu Pub (Netherlands) emerging as the strongest performers with consumers. Their success reinforces the same theme seen in Film: the most effective creativity is simple, human and emotionally resonant, placing brands at the heart of everyday experiences.

Vanessa Chin, SVP of Marketing at System1 said:

"While the US and UK continue to dominate Cannes, it's great to see more European brands sharing the spotlight. Eight winning Film campaigns came from Europe, including the highest-rated ad with consumers, proving that great creativity travels. Intermarché's Unloved is a perfect example. By letting the audience in on the truth from the start, it builds empathy and delivers a powerful emotional payoff that leaves people feeling good about the brand. For years, Cannes has often rewarded work that feels shocking or provocative. This year, it's encouraging to see the jury and consumers much more closely aligned around heartfelt, beautifully crafted storytelling."