In 2025, The Pinterest Manifestival returned to Cannes Lions with its most ambitious and imaginative build yet. Wrapped in the idea ‘Find Yourself in the Possibilities,’ we showed how Pinterest helps Gen Z navigate identity one visual choice at a time.
Creating a chromatic daydream
The environmental design was guided by a visual language we called Chromatic Daydream, a world of layered acrylics, shifting gradients, and light in constant motion. Crafted with precision by our Art Direction team and inspired by their bold 3D Manifestival logo, the space came alive with sculptural Pins, translucent surfaces, and geometric grids. The pier structures, were wrapped in a complimentory chromatic gradient, creating a colourful invitation, visible from afar.
Structurally, this was our most ambitious build yet. A large double-decker space expanded our footprint while adding gravitas and creating impactful branding surfaces. Our in-house design and experiential production teams worked hand in hand with Amplify, Gielissen, and Showblock, to deliver a build of real scale, personality, and artistic intent — more like an artistic installation than a corporate headquarters by the sea.
Our writing and art direction teams crafted a story of five imagined Cannes attendees, each discovering their perfect festival look through Pinterest visual search features. They then partnered with illustrator Izzy Lawrence to bring these characters and their discoveries to life in a hero mural that stretched across the double-decker facade of our structure. Part brand storytelling, part public art, the piece became a defining backdrop for the Pinterest Manifestival in Cannes 2025.
All roads lead to Cannes
Discover yourself
The Discover Yourself activation was a futuristic fusion of aura-reading theatre and AI-powered curation. Guests moved through tactile prompts, voice guidance, and immersive lighting and animation, uncovering their personal style across fashion, interiors, and travel.
To bring it to life, we partnered with creative technologists; Deeplocal and integrated generative AI from Adobe Firefly. Behind the scenes, our Pinterest creative team sourced thousands of lifestyle images and generated tens of thousands of visual descriptors to simulate the magic of a Pinterest visual search journey. We then trained the AI to deliver style readings that felt joyful, inclusive, and world-expanding — a personalised experience guests couldn’t resist sharing.
Pinterest Patisserie
The Pinterest Patisserie was an analogue taste-tuning playground, bathed in buttery yellow and brimming with personality. Guests stepped up to oversized dials, answered playful personality-based questions, and unlocked a surprise dessert made just for them.
Dreamed up, designed, and obsessively crafted by our in-house creative and production team, the experience offered hundreds of possible flavour combinations. Every detail, from the hand-illustrated logo to the pistachio and white accents against that joyful yellow, was considered with care.
We were proud to collaborate with our equally ambitious partners at Jimmy Garcia and Amplify, who helped us serve up this world of unexpected delights. The results? Desserts that were not only delicious, but irresistibly Pin-worthy. And yes, one of them was a raspberry rat cake. Because sometimes chaos is the sweetest form of creativity.
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Risograph Print Studio
Inspired by Pinterest’s latest curation tool ‘Collage’ and run by artist Gabriella Marcella of Risotto Studio, guests learned the art of riso and left with a vivid, custom piece of printmaking.
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Creative Heirlooms
Embroidery + jewellery artists worked side-by-side with attendees to co-create personal heirlooms to wear, attach or gif. Beautiful details that turned making into memory.
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Pinterest Palette Atelier
Pinterest’s first ever colour palette brought to life. Guests chose their perfect hue, then worked with artists to customise a personalised keepsake.
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Aura Beauty Bar
Pinterest Predicts met Gen Z glam, with guests trying on bold beauty looks inspired by data-led trends—from glowy blush to hyper-chromatic colour play.
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Tiny Tins
Inspired by a Gen Z trend, people built their own mini-world inside a repurposed Altoid tin. Tactile, weird, brilliant—and somehow exactly what Cannes needed.
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Original Pinterest Tattoo Parlour
Our iconic parlour returned with a calm, utilitycore refresh—honouring Fisherman Aesthetic, one of Gen Z’s most loved trends across fashion and interiors. Inked, understated, and full every day.
Every surface—every sign, plinth, pattern, and prompt—was designed, written and produced in-house. The team obsessed over tone, detail and delight, with winks and easter eggs baked into every touchpoint.
Our Programming team sourced and supported an incredible roster of diverse talent. Marketing and Partnerships worked closely to bring in authentic advertiser presence through brands like Adobe, Maybelline New York, L’Oréal Paris, NYX Professional Makeup and Mars, each integrated seamlessly into the creative story.
Making it possible.
VP, Global Creative: Xanthe Wells
Group Creative Director: Seán Doyle
Exec Producer, Creative Production: Tamara Costa
Associate Creative Director, Writing: Maya Wong
Senior Art Director + Designer: Brandi Steele
Senior Art Director + Designer: Chrystina Conway
Creative Director, Art: Simon Blockley
Creative Director, Experiential: Chri Romero
Creative Director, Photo: Anna Hustler
Senior Designer, Motion: Taylor English
Creative Lead,Film: Stephanie Halovanic
Senior Creative Lead, Editor: Carson Porter
Designer, Illustrator: Ainsley Romero
Pinterest, House of Creative
Senior Director, Global Brand Experiences: Judy Lee
Exec Producer, Experiential Production: Stacey Mayhew
Experiential Lead, Activations: Nadia Aminzadeh
Experiential Lead, Programming: Ariel Quaglia
Experiential Lead, Partner Events: Sheena Ortiz-Benino
Experiential Producer, Lisa Richardson
Experiential Producer, Becca Roche
Experiential Producer, Krista Kruickshank
Experiential Producer, Kelsey Lemons
CMO, Andréa Mallard
VP, Business Marketing: Stacy Malone
Senior Director, Business Marketing: Betsey Burunda
Senior Lead, Business Marketing: Emmie Burns
Integrated Marketing Manager: Anastasia Garcia
Integrated Marketing Manager: Diana Stallworth
Integrated Marketing Manager: Emma McLoughlin
Integrated Marketing Specialist: Ashley Harris
Integrated Marketing Specialist: Jordan Lawrence
Senior Director, Communications: Mao-Lin Shen
Director, Communications: Elizabeth Luke
Senior Manager, Communication: Sarah Prill
Pinterest, Marketing + Comms
Agency + vendor partners
Experiential Production: Amplify | Immersive Technology: Deeplocal |Fabrication: Gielissen | Structures: Showblock | Visual Identity: Media.Work | Mural Illustration: Izzy Lawrence |
Experiential Food + Beverage: Jimmy Garcia Catering | Venue and Attendee Catering: Carlton Beach Club, Cannes | Staffing: Elevate