Countdown to Cannes 2026 - Syl Santema

[RA*W] Maak kennis met de creatieve crew van RA*W op weg naar Cannes Lions 2026

RA*W komt ook dit jaar met een mooie delegatie naar Cannes. Iedere dag stellen mensen uit de delegatie zich voor. Vandaag is dat Syl Santema.

What do you do in the creative industry?

I’m Syl, and I am a Project Manager at Sunshine and Sausages, a creative agency specializing in brand activation and shopper marketing. We help brands such as Heineken stay relevant in creative ways at the moment consumers make purchasing decisions, both in-store and beyond. In this role, I manage projects from concept to execution, coordinating both internal teams and external stakeholders.

When I say Cannes, what’s the first word that comes to mind — and why?

Pressure cooker — because everything comes together there in a very short period of time: learning about the industry, strategy, networking, and challenging myself to become better at pitching.

What are you hoping to learn from the other participants?

How they deal with the challenges that I sometimes encounter in this industry, and learning how they tackle them. I hope to take home new perspectives from them.

What would make this week in Cannes a success for you?

If I leave feeling inspired, having gained lots of new strategic insights, and having improved my pitching skills. And, of course, if I've had a fantastic week with RAW and all the people I'm going to meet!

What are you expecting most: inspiration, chaos, or networking overload?

Inspiration

What makes a campaign truly Cannes-worthy in your opinion?

When something is creatively simple, but still hits exactly the mark. My boss often says, ‘In our line of work, you just need to use plain common sense.’ I agree with that, because if we don’t immediately understand it ourselves, how is a consumer ever going to get it? It’s precisely those simple ideas that come across instantly and stick.

And there also needs to be a clear link with the brand; otherwise, it just remains a nice idea without real relevance.

Who’s a speaker or brand you’re hoping to see this year?

Brands and speakers that are completely different from the world that I currently work in. We mainly work on below-the-line activations for brands such as Heineken, so I think it would be really exciting to get inspiration from brands like IKEA or platforms like TikTok, because they approach creativity and culture in a completely different way.

But of course, I’m also curious about how my client Heineken presents itself during Cannes, and I’ll definitely make sure to take a look there as well!

What’s definitely in your Cannes survival kit?

An open mindset, a lot of curiosity, and enough Strepsils to be able to talk day and night.

AI: threat or tool, and how do you think it will change the future of creativity?

Definitely a tool, as long as we use it as support and not to make ourselves replaceable. We need to keep thinking strategically and creatively ourselves, but see AI as a kind of sparring partner, error check, or support. I recently heard the term ‘Additional Intelligence,’ and that’s exactly how I see it as well.

At the same time, I also think you just have to go with the times. AI is here anyway, so you might as well use it smartly and learn how to leverage it to your advantage. Otherwise, you’ll fall behind, and the rest will eventually overtake you.

Why do you think more juniors should experience something like this?

Because in one week, you learn more than you would in months at the office. You’re taken out of your own bubble and learn from everyone around you, all of whom approach creativity and strategy in different ways.

On top of that, our junior generation is ultimately the future of this industry, so it’s incredibly valuable to learn in a place like this from experts who have been in the field for many years, and then bring that knowledge back into your own work.

Just 7 more nights to sleep until Cannes!

Curious for more? Follow RA*W on Instagram for exclusive behind-the-scenes content, live stories, and a first-hand look at what the RA*W Summercourse is up to during the Cannes Lions Festival.

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Dit artikel is gepubliceerd door: Saskia van Weert