Cannes Lions Festival Study Abroad Program

During this initial week, students will review award-winning material from previous years, as well as plan their viewing strategy for the festival week. This work will be completed online and asynchronously.

We will arrive ahead of the festival to elevate the experience and make the most of our travel. This extra time will allow for pre-festival meetings including visits to a French Film Studio and French advertising agency, plus visits to nearby towns

From June 21-25, students will attend the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, where they will explore and discover creativity at its finest among 90+ other countries. Students will attend workshops, lectures, and gatherings led by leaders of major brands and many of the best creative people in the creative industry, in addition to attending exclusive events organized by Brandcenter.

Upon their return home from the festival, students will reflect on their learnings and present final projects due by July 15, 2027.

The course is open to both VCU and non-VCU students.

Undergraduate students will earn 3 credits for successful completion and participation in this course, and graduate students will earn 1 credit.

BRND 591: Do you want a career in marketing, advertising, branding, communications, or PR? This program is for you! Attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and engage in workshops and talks by leaders of major brands and exceptional creative leaders. Enrollment is open to VCU and non-VCU students.

The Cannes Lions Festival Study Abroad Program is open to VCU and non-VCU university undergraduate and graduate students in the United States, who study or are otherwise interested in advertising, public relations, digital, and other marketing communications. Though an advertising or PR major is not required, an interest in a potential career in these fields is preferred. A minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred, but not required. See below for more about eligibility requirements from the VCU Global Education office.

All participants in VCU Education Abroad programs must be at least 18 years of age or older by the start of the program and degree-seeking students (at VCU or another accredited institution of higher education). Exceptions to these and other eligibility requirements require approval from both the faculty program leader and the director of Global Learning.

In addition to meeting the program-specific requirements, all students who wish to participate in VCU education abroad experiences must also meet VCU’s Global Education Office standards of participation. VCU expects its study abroad participants to represent VCU with a sensitivity to cultural and other differences in the global community. Because studying abroad requires a higher level of tolerance and a willingness to adapt to the different (and sometimes much less comfortable) living and learning conditions from those on VCU’s campus, students should possess a high level of initiative, motivation, maturity, integrity, self-reliance, and adaptability to be most successful as a study abroad student. Students should demonstrate a genuine interest in cultural engagement, the ability to work in teams toward a shared goal or mission, and a willingness to encounter challenging situations.

During the trip, students had exclusive access to industry leaders at Havas and Reddit, along with a private seaside happy hour aboard a yacht with the Brandcenter Director’s Council.

Brandcenter connections granted students access to an array of events including Meta Beach, Pinterest, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, LinkedIn Cafe, Microsoft, Reddit, Sports Beach, Adobe, Adweek, in addition to panels held at the Palais through overall Festival entrance pass. A private tour of the Palais was also conducted to see award winning work.