Episode Overview

Podcast: Uncensored CMO
Episode: How to Win a Cannes Lion with Kory Marchisotto [Uncensored Renegades]
Host: Jon Evans
Guest: Kory Marchisotto (CMO, e.l.f. Beauty)
Release Date: February 16, 2026
Theme:
This episode dives into the high-stakes world of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, focusing on what it truly takes to win one of advertising’s most coveted awards. Jon and Kory discuss the rarely-shared realities behind the pitching process, the emotional rollercoaster of competition, and the creative strategies that set the best campaigns apart.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Cannes Lion Pitching Process (01:11–04:17)

• Unseen Challenge:
  Kory demystifies the process, explaining that for top awards like Titanium and Glass, shortlisted entrants must do a live, in-person pitch to the jury—something she only discovered after being nominated.

  "You have to pitch your own lion. So this year, there was over 30,000 submissions... If you get shortlisted...your first pitch buys you your second pitch, which is here, physically in front of a jury."
  — Kory (02:10)

• The Underdog’s Reality:
  Without a dedicated awards team (unlike larger companies), Kory and her agency team had to pivot suddenly, clearing their schedules to rewrite and rehearse new pitches in just five days.

2. Anatomy of the Cannes Lion Pitch (04:00–07:16)

• Strict Structure:
  • 2 minutes: case video (essential to jog jurors’ memories after viewing hundreds of entries)
  • 10 minutes: live presentation (timed strictly—no overruns allowed)
  • 10 minutes: juror Q&A

  "It's very prescriptive and it's very rigorous. There is no veering off schedule."
  — Kory (04:00)

• Pitch Atmosphere:
  Public audience is allowed if the room isn't full. Environmental factors (room style, mood) play into the presenter’s experience.
• Unexpected Hiccups:
  A mistaken introduction (“Gabrielle”) leaves Kory disoriented at the start, causing her to lose valuable presentation time.

  "I literally blacked out. I completely blacked out. I'm like, who's Gabrielle? Am I in the wrong room?... Now we have to introduce ourselves and we didn't get any time back."
  — Kory (06:01)

3. Lessons in Handling Nerves & Imperfections (07:31–09:59)

• The Pratfall Effect:
  Jon introduces this psychological theory: mistakes can endear presenters to their audience because of their vulnerability.

  "There's something about vulnerability and a mistake...that actually warms the audience to you."
  — Jon (07:35)

• Resilience Tactics:
  Kory emphasizes the importance of keeping calm, using humor, and adjusting instantly—essentials in high-pressure creative settings.

  "Train the muscle of diffusing...you're gonna get thrown in these situations where it's never a perfect condition."
  — Kory (08:19)

• Comparing Experiences:
  The atmosphere matters: the Glass jury felt like a classroom; the Titanium pitch was a theatre—lighting and staging immediately changed Kory’s state of mind and presentation style.

4. Pitch Delivery & Engaging the Jury (10:00–11:16)

• Laughter Takes Time:
  Kory noticed jokes and applause eat into precious seconds; had to learn to “talk over” reactions to stay on track.

  "If they're gonna start laughing or clapping, I have to talk over it. I have to keep going."
  — Kory (10:21)

• Showmanship & Emotional Impact:
  Positive jury reactions (“gorgeous,” “sensational”) show that using humor—even in serious contexts—can be a winning approach.

5. Shifting Focus: Audience First (11:26–14:41)

• Crafting for Emotion vs. Information:
  Jon shares his own Cannes-winning experience, stressing the importance of prioritizing audience feeling over content delivery.

  "How do you want the audience to feel? Not what you want to tell them... it's a massive difference..."
  — Jon (11:16)

• ABC Principle:
  Kory shares a mnemonic from a TED coach: “Audience Before Content”—building presentations entirely around what the audience needs and feels.

  "Do not produce a single piece of content until you understand who is your audience. What do they need to see from you?"
  — Kory (12:57)

• Empathy & Differentiation:
  Avoiding redundancy (“How many people are going to talk to me about AI... performance marketing...?”) and challenging oneself to offer fresh value.

6. The Power of Surprise & Flipping Assumptions (15:46–19:34)

• Breaking Assumptions:
  Jon references the "That's Interesting" theory—truly interesting work denies key audience assumptions and surprises them.

  "The art of interesting is you deny a key assumption of your audience. In effect, you surprise them."
  — Jon (15:46)

• Memorable Case Study – Orange’s Women’s World Cup Ad:
  A viral campaign swapped women footballers in for men mid-ad, shattering audience presumptions and evoking surprise.
• e.l.f. Project Pony:
  Kory’s campaign deliberately faked a traditional beauty ad start, only to subvert it with a talking woke pony and humor.

  "In the first 10 seconds, they're like, oh my God, Elf has gone traditional... And then all of a sudden they're like, there's the elf wit and the wink. There it is. Flipped it right back."
  — Kory (19:17)

7. What Makes Work Win: Humor, Emotion, Animals, Surprise (19:34–20:31)

• Emotional Drivers:
  Ads that evoke humor, use animals, or surprise the viewer consistently succeed—supported by research and real world examples (e.g., Huggies’ Super Bowl ad).
• Risks of Playing Safe:
  Playing it safe leads to work that “delivers zero emotion” and passes by unnoticed.

  "There's a lot of crap work in market because it's just too safe... it doesn't make me feel anything."
  — Kory (17:05)

• Creative Courage:
  Both agree: be funny, be bold, and always aim to make the audience feel something.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kory on Cannes pressure:

  "It's a lesson in endurance. It's about a year's worth of activity in one week." (01:11)

• Kory on being an underdog:

  "When you're an underdog, like ELF is... you don't have a staff of people whose job it is to do this. So we actually have to stop what we're doing and pivot to do this." (02:49)

• Jon on handling mistakes:

  "There's something about vulnerability and a mistake...that actually warms the audience to you." (07:35)

• Kory on diffusing anxiety:

  "Train the muscle of diffusing...you are gonna get thrown in these situations where it's never a perfect condition." (08:19)

• Kory on humor:

  "We were winning and making change by using humor. And humor was the best way to diffuse a very serious subject." (10:50)

• Kory’s ABC lesson:

  “Audience before content. Do not produce a single piece of content until you understand who is your audience.” (12:57)

• Jon on surprise:

  "The art of interesting is you deny a key assumption of your audience. In effect, you surprise them." (15:46)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------------------------------------------| | 01:11 | Kory describes the stress and pitch process | | 02:10 | Live jury presentation for Titanium/Glass | | 03:29 | Difference in resources (underdogs vs giants)| | 04:00 | Rigid pitch format: 2 min video, 10 min live| | 06:01 | Mistaken intro and pivoting in real time | | 07:35 | Pratfall effect and handling vulnerability | | 08:19 | Staying grounded amid chaos | | 10:21 | Learning to pitch around audience reaction | | 11:16 | Focusing on audience feeling | | 12:57 | ABC: Audience Before Content | | 15:46 | The art of interesting: surprise and flip | | 17:05 | The risk of safe, unemotional advertising | | 19:17 | e.l.f.'s Project Pony and flipping expectations| | 20:31 | Wrap: Humor and boldness as creative keys |

Summary

This fast-paced episode pulls back the curtain on the Cannes Lions, illustrating that beneath the glamour lies relentless work, personal resilience, creative risk-taking, and an unwavering focus on audience impact. Kory and Jon’s conversation is brimming with insights for anyone aiming to break through the noise with bold, emotional, and unforgettable campaigns. Their mutual advice: surprise your audience, lead with empathy, and above all, make them feel something.