The real Cannes scandal isn’t fake ads – it’s fake priorities

For anyone who’s worked in the industry, the (apparently shocking) revelation that case studies can be less than truthful is hardly news. Back in 2014, Rethink Communications even introduced the parodical Casey awards, celebrating categories such as Most Innovative Use of a Single Tweet, Most Impressive-Looking Numbers and Best Use of Agency Employees in Case Film. 

So, it seems a bit hypocritical for the industry to suddenly point fingers at the fake cases and dodgy submissions we’ve all spent countless hours crafting. While I’m not defending outright lies, there’s a strong argument for case films being a testament to the storytelling abilities that makes the industry so powerful.

But here’s the real scandal: the problem isn’t fake case studies. It’s the sheer amount of creative energy spent on work designed for juries, not clients or even consumers.

Award shows like Cannes have traditionally prioritised beautifully crafted narratives and short-term buzz, not necessarily strategy or measurable long-term business impact. Agencies chase trophies. Clients chase growth. These incentives have always been misaligned, but the gap is widening in a time of tougher economic realities, sharper measurement tools, and the rise of in-house teams. Both the industry and the award shows need to change to bridge that gap.

This is by no means an argument for boring work that only focuses on sales. Quite the opposite. If we look at the history of advertising, the campaigns that have delivered the biggest business results have rarely been the ones that play it safe. Effective advertising is still disruptive, emotional, and creatively daring. The point is that the ambition should not be to impress a jury but to solve a client’s toughest challenge. Creativity isn’t a nice-to-have or a trophy-winning trick. It’s the only way to break through, differentiate, and drive growth.

At Miltton, our promise is simple: create work that gets people talking about our clients, not just the campaigns and the causes tied to them. Too often, advertising generates buzz that fails to connect back to the brand. Our goal is to close that gap: to build creativity that sparks conversation AND drives growth.