Countdown to Cannes 2026 - Tessa Ruis

[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 Tessa Ruis.

What do you do in the creative industry?

My name is Tessa Ruis, I am 26 years old, and I work as a social advertising specialist, or in other words, a digital marketer, at PHD Media.

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

Fun. Even though the festival is all about creativity and inspiration, I also think it’s important to simply enjoy everything this trip has to offer.

What are you hoping to learn from the other participants?

Mainly new perspectives. In my day-to-day work, my focus is very much on digital marketing and media. That’s exactly why I’m really looking forward to being surrounded in Cannes by creatives and people from other disciplines. I’m curious to see how they look at brands, creativity, and communication.

It helps you step outside your own frame of thinking and come back with fresh ideas.

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

Winning the Young Lions competition! Just kidding, I’m already a winner just by being able to take part. Being surrounded by great people, learning, and enjoying the sun on my face already makes it a success for me.

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

After seeing the schedule, everything is still chaos to me, but I expect it will be a nice mix of all three.

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

I always think it’s great when you see a brand really showing courage and doing something you wouldn’t have expected at all in the first place. A bit cheeky is fine too. Brands that don’t take themselves too seriously, but still deliver a sharp message. That always works well for me.

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

The list is quite long, but I saw that there are major beauty and fashion brands attending, and that’s definitely where my interest lies. And Oprah Winfrey is on the program, that’s really cool!

What’s definitely in your Cannes survival kit?

A fully charged social battery! And I think electrolytes will probably come in handy as well ;)

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

In my day-to-day work, AI makes many processes faster and smarter. But true creativity, human insight, and emotional intelligence are difficult for AI to replicate.

For me, AI is more of an amplifier of creativity, not a replacement. Although I do think there are certainly creative roles that could be heavily impacted by it.

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

Because it forces you to throw yourself in at the deep end and step out of your comfort zone with people you barely know, in a completely new environment. Taking part in the Young Lions competition is already a great challenge in itself, because you learn a huge amount from your teammate and the people around you.

On top of that, you get exposed to people in roles you can currently only dream of. That offers a really valuable perspective for your career.

Just 3 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