AB InBev in a statement to Ad Age said: “The Creative Marketer of the Year by Cannes Lions recognizes the creativity and excellence of our partners and teams from across the world over several years. We look forward to attending next month’s event.”
The brewer did not provide details on its level of participation, but as of today it is still listed on the main agenda—including for a June 19 “Creative Marketer of the Year Seminar” featuring AB InBev Global CMO Marcel Marcondes. “To put creative problem-solving squarely at the heart of your business comes with its challenges, but AB InBev have proven that when you do, it leads to an all-time high in sales volume and brand power,” reads a portion of the session description.
Cannes organizers said the June 19 session will go on as planned. “AB InBev will give a keynote on Monday morning at the Festival, where they plan to give a balanced story of their creative marketing journey,” a festival rep told Ad Age.
The brewer is expected to address the Bud Light situation in the keynote, according to people familiar with the brewer’s plans. The company is also expected to bring a contingent of marketers from multiple global offices to Cannes.
As is tradition for the Creative Marketer of the Year, AB InBev is also scheduled to be honored during a segment at the final award show of Cannes week, on the evening of June 23.
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A ‘massive dose of humility’
The brewer’s appearance—and how it addresses the Bud Light situation—will no doubt generate plenty of chatter among festival-goers.
“I have long advocated for brands to build value based on two strategic fronts—one, embrace the power of creativity, and two, step up to the responsibility of inclusivity,” said Jonathan Mildenhall, an LGBTQ+ marketer who is a co-founder and chair of TwentyFirstCenturyBrand. “AB InBev should celebrate the former, but honestly, given the speed at which it distanced itself from the Mulvaney controversy, my advice to the AB InBev team is to show up at Cannes Lions with a massive dose of humility.”
Mildenhall’s career has included marketing stints at Airbnb and Coca-Cola Co., which earned the Cannes Creative Marketer of the Year award in 2013 while he was there. He added: “What stings the most from all this was the public statement issued by [AB InBev U.S.] CEO Brendan Whitworth. I do not recall a more vacant or hollow statement from any CEO under crisis than his statement. The failure to directly address the controversy or show support for all the communities AB InBev serves, including Mulvaney, was, candidly speaking, tone-deaf.”
On April 14, AB InBev issued a statement from Whitworth which read, in part, “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.” In that statement, Whitworth failed to address the brewer’s position on LGBTQ+ rights.
