Cannes Lions 2026 had both. It was the buzzword that wouldn’t die as brands, agencies, media companies and adtech firms grappled with how AI agents are reshaping the way companies operate and work with one another.

Agencies in particular are approaching agentic like it’s existential, each racing to prove they’re ahead of the curve—one of the reasons why big firms like WPP and Horizon all stormed into Cannes brandishing agentic announcements. The same goes for the Netflixes and Foxes of the world, which released a steady drumbeat of agentic news during the upfronts last month.