At the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival, Adrianne C. Smith made a thoughtful choice regarding her headwear, selecting a distinctive hat to inaugurate the fifth annual Inkwell Seashore event, which takes place right on the sandy shores of Cannes. This event is a significant gathering aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in the media and advertising sectors, drawing attention from the industry elite and a global audience.
Adrianne C. Smith serves as the Chief Inclusion and Impact Officer at FleishmanHillard and is also the founder of the Cannes Can: Diversity Coalition (CC:DC). This coalition has dedicated itself since 2018 to transforming the Cannes Lions experience into a more inclusive event by creating vital opportunities for emerging talent from underrepresented backgrounds. The festival attracts over 12,000 attendees from across the globe, making it a pivotal platform for discussions on equity and representation in the creative industries.
The Inkwell Seashore setup makes a powerful statement by positioning itself among a lineup of major media, technology, and entertainment companies, including Spotify, Disney, Meta, Amazon, YouTube, and Omnicom. This year, Smith emphasized the significance of maintaining the Inkwell Seashore presence at the festival for five consecutive years, highlighting the dedication and resilience required to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion—principles that have faced increasing challenges following the return of former President Donald Trump to power in January.
Smith’s custom-designed Inkwell Seashore baseball cap this year features a sleek black crown with “Inkwell Seashore” elegantly stitched in white letters. The brim, however, showcases a striking camouflage pattern with frayed edges, sending a clear message that resonates without the need for extensive explanation. This unique design reflects the spirit of perseverance and the ongoing fight for diversity in the face of adversity.
On Monday, the Inkwell event commenced a vibrant four-day schedule filled with panel discussions, Q&As, networking opportunities, and wellness activities, including morning meditations on the beach. The CC:DC played a crucial role in securing partnerships and sponsorships, enabling a diverse group of 30 attendees from underrepresented backgrounds to participate in the festival, which runs from June 16-20. This diverse group includes students from HBCUs and mid-career professionals, illustrating the coalition’s commitment to fostering inclusivity in the creative landscape. The CC:DC is also actively encouraging more creatives to enter the prestigious awards competition hosted by Cannes Lions, covering various categories of design, innovation, and creativity.
The urgent need for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives was directly addressed by the speakers at Inkwell Seashore, especially in light of the Trump administration’s aggressive dismantling of these vital programs that have taken root across corporate and community sectors in recent decades.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion is not going anywhere,” asserted Frank Starling, VP and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for Lions, the organization behind the festival. He addressed the audience emphatically on Monday morning, reinforcing the importance of these principles within the industry.
Adrianne Smith, who joined FleishmanHillard in 2021 after serving as the Global Director of Inclusion and Diversity for WPP, acknowledged the vital support from CC:DC’s corporate partners, who have stepped forward to fund the coalition’s initiatives and sponsor the 2025 cohort. Although some partners have wavered or retracted their commitments, the coalition’s work continues unabated, even amidst the challenges posed by Trump’s administration. CC:DC enjoys backing from prominent brands such as Accenture, Eli Lilly, Getty Images, Havas, Interpublic Group, Kraft Heinz, Nielsen, Procter & Gamble, TelevisaUnivision, TikTok, UTA, Wieden and Kennedy, and Yahoo, showcasing a strong commitment to fostering inclusivity.
On Day 1 of Cannes Lions, Smith took the opportunity to speak with Variety as early arrivals at Inkwell Seashore engaged in networking, soaking in the sights, and dealing with the humid heatwave of the French Riviera. The name Inkwell Seashore is a homage to the historic resort of the same name located on Martha’s Vineyard, which has been a cherished vacation destination for Black families since the late 19th century, symbolizing community and connection.
During your opening remarks at this year’s event, you highlighted the significant progress made in representation at Cannes Lions due to the efforts of CC:DC. How have you navigated the past nine months since the re-election of Trump? Have you noticed a decrease in interest or participation from brands?
In all honesty, it has been a substantial shift. The past months have been challenging. Some brands that had initially committed have retracted their promises, citing budget constraints or strategic shifts. This has impacted our ability to attract participants. There were once cabanas [Smith gestures to an open space at the edge of the installation], which served as vibrant office spaces. While it’s still beautiful and welcoming, the previous vibrant energy has shifted. We have seen many hesitant to invest in initiatives that focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The truth is, DEI efforts are under threat. However, the work of CC:DC emphasizes the foundational aspect of human connection in business. It’s essential to ask: How do we build relationships? How do we ensure the profitability of our community? The statistics are clear: the more inclusive your workplace, the more successful your business will be.
We take pride in our presence here. The fact that we continue to exist in this challenging environment is a victory in itself. There are still individuals and organizations that believe in our mission and are committed to this work. While they may not always vocalize their support, the encouragement we receive assures us that Inkwell is valued. People have expressed, “We don’t want Inkwell to disappear, and we remain dedicated to it.”
When a brand contacts you to say, ‘I can’t deliver what I promised,’ how does that conversation typically unfold?
The reasons vary, ranging from “It’s been a budget cut,” to “We’ve had to change our direction.” Some have tried to be as transparent as they can be, and we strive to keep the conversation authentic. Certain organizations hold government contracts that they fear jeopardizing, especially if their support for initiatives perceived as divergent from the current mandates becomes known. Thus, they may express their continued commitment but indicate a need to wait and see how circumstances evolve.
Looking beyond the Cannes Lions festival, what are your thoughts on the current state of inclusivity in the marketing and advertising sectors? Are there particular areas where you’ve observed more progress than others?
The reality of diversity, equity, and inclusion work mirrors the business cycle—it experiences fluctuations, with crises often driving momentum forward. It expands and contracts. The key is to maintain consistency in efforts. During uncertain times, it’s critical to find ways to pivot while continuing to prioritize DEI initiatives. Organizations must be adaptable; if a particular phrase needs adjustment, or if a narrative requires modification, those changes should be made while ensuring the core work remains unwavering. This period offers an opportunity for introspection, allowing organizations to reaffirm their commitment to their values and mission.
In recent years, there has been a surge of Black-owned media outlets, as digital platforms have helped level the playing field for creators. Have you noticed an impact on Madison Avenue from the efforts of Tyler Perry, Charles D. King’s Macro, Charlamagne Tha God, and others?
I believe that the more we collaborate and maintain a consistent narrative, the greater the impact we can achieve. There’s a saying that an organized lie is more powerful than a disorganized truth. The focus should be on collaboration in storytelling, as that’s what’s happening on the other side. The challenge lies in maintaining consistency in our media presence and the narratives we promote. It’s essential to ensure that our thought leadership aligns with the stories we are telling. By strengthening one another and providing platforms for diverse voices, we can foster cooperative economics—an essential element of this moment. When discussing financial investment in Black media and communities, we recognize the need to improve how we invest and circulate our resources within our own communities more effectively.
Veteran journalist Roland Martin, who is developing a significant news operation distributed through YouTube and other platforms, accuses major advertising agencies of engaging in “economic apartheid” by overlooking networks like his Black Star Network. What do you see as the primary obstacles to directing more advertising dollars toward Black creators and media?
Reflecting on my career beginnings as a media buyer and planner, I recognize that if we are not present at the decision-making table, that is where the emphasis on inclusion must be placed. It’s crucial to engage with media buyers and planners to educate them about the value of diverse media outlets. Often, they default to traditional channels already in their pipeline, regardless of the narratives being presented. Therefore, it’s imperative that we ensure representation at these decision-making tables to demonstrate the dynamics and influence of Black media.
In the late 1990s, I successfully secured advertising space for Heart & Soul magazine, applying strategies that I observed from other media buyers. I managed to persuade them that this Black health magazine could be impactful for a client, ultimately landing the first Kellogg’s low-fat granola advertisement in its pages. However, once I left that position, I was concerned that the magazine might not receive similar support. We must ensure that we are strategically placed in decision-making spaces so that we can construct fair and compelling narratives about opportunities that can benefit brands.
What key themes and content discussions are you focusing on this week at Inkwell Seashore?
We are thankful to celebrate our fifth year at this pivotal event. This year’s theme, AYA, represents “adinkrahene,” a symbol of leadership, resilience, and endurance rooted in West African culture. This is a timely and essential theme for AYA. When I created this logo, I didn’t realize it would serve as a powerful reminder for us to remain resolute in our mission, as inclusion is critically important. We must ensure that this work continues.
Our logo features a fern, which symbolizes resilience, as it can thrive in various conditions. This encapsulates our mission: to embody resilience. We often say to our attendees, ‘Welcome home,’ as this space is dedicated to inclusivity. We have transformed the Cannes Lions festival landscape. Our mission is to create spaces for our community. Just because I belong to one community does not imply I cannot support others. It’s vital to remind everyone that Inkwell offers the opportunity to learn, exchange innovative ideas, and empower one another to be stronger than ever.
