Is there Representation in Cannes Lions Film and Film Craft Work?

26 June 2026

The Geena Davis Institute partnered with Cannes Lions and Alltold to conduct a 20-year analysis of diverse representation in advertising, based on Cannes Lions Film and Film Craft submissions.

Eager to hear the findings of a landmark study of diversity in advertising, DAVID attended the 30-minute presentation delivered by Madeline Di Nonno, President and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute. Unfortunately, we missed the start, because this stage proved to be the hardest to find at the festival. After some perseverance and two stops to ask for directions, DAVID eventually located it in the back corner of the Palais basement.

This was a presentation of facts rather than a discussion of opinions. Di Nonno arrived armed with extensive research findings, supported by bar charts, trend analysis and recommendations drawn from twenty years of character representation in Cannes Lions Film and Film Craft shortlisted and winning work between 2006 and 2025. The analysis examined representation across different groups, including gender, race and disability. For the most recent year under review, 2025, the study went a step further by assessing not only who was represented, but how those groups were portrayed.

There are countless reasons why representation matters. First and foremost, accurately reflecting the diversity of society is simply the right thing to do. Cannes Lions shortlisted and winning work should represent the very best our industry has to offer in authentic storytelling and, by extension, character portrayal. It also matters to consumers. 73% of global consumers say they want brands to authentically reflect today’s culture, while 75% say representation in advertising influences their purchasing decisions.

So what did the research find?

Let’s start with the positives. Representation of women increased from just under 34% in 2006 to 41.5% in 2025. It was also noted that male and female characters are depicted at broadly similar rates across many categories. The most significant improvement, however, was the increase in representation of characters of colour, rising from 25.9% in 2006 to 51.5% in 2025.

Progress has undoubtedly been made, and Di Nonno highlighted several award-winning examples where representation was handled exceptionally well. One was '18 Months', a moving stop-motion film based on the true story of a gay couple who discovered an abandoned baby in a New York subway station and spent the next eighteen months fighting to legally adopt him.

Another standout example was 'Guao Guao' for Desperados - full of Latin culture, style and confidence. It was recognised not only for its racial diversity but also for its representation of women with darker skin tones. One pattern highlighted in the research was that while men of colour are portrayed across a broad spectrum of skin tones, women of colour are disproportionately depicted with lighter or mid-range skin tones. This trend appears consistently across all regions, including the US, Europe and India.

While representation has improved, the research suggests progress is still falling short. Some gains have been incremental, and although women are better represented than they were in 2006, their representation has actually declined in recent years.

A recurring theme throughout the findings was that while representation is becoming more visible, portrayals often remain rooted in outdated stereotypes. Several examples were highlighted: women shown primarily as homemakers or in sexualised clothing; Black characters disproportionately depicted exercising or attending sporting events; and larger-bodied characters commonly associated with food and drink products.

The most striking finding, however, was the shockingly low representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. In 2025 creative work, LGBTQIA+ representation was at its lowest level across the years analysed. Just 0.7% of prominent characters were depicted as LGBTQIA+.

Unlike the other groups examined, Di Nonno did not spend time analysing portrayals or offering recommendations for improvement. There simply wasn’t enough representation to bother. That, in itself, was perhaps the most powerful finding of the entire presentation and one that is both difficult to explain and deeply disappointing.

Link to the full study and all of its recommendations can be found here. https://geenadavisinstitute.org/research/twenty-years-of-diverse-representation-in-advertising/