In his keynote session on creativity that dares to disrupt, Youri Guerassimov, CCO & CEO of Marcel (Paris) paid tribute to campaigns that dared to take big risks and demonstrate bravery in their messaging. Citing research by Accenture, Guerassimov noted that 66% of consumers would switch brands if companies stay silent on core issues and values.
“Today’s consumers are bombarded by over 6,000 ads daily, and so visibility is no longer enough. Courageous brands step outside comfort zones and challenge norms. Being a little uncomfortable in advertising often means you’re on the right track,” said Guerassimov, noting that bravery in advertising doesn’t need big budgets.
Through bold campaigns like Nike’s Colin Kaepernick ad and Volvo’s safety innovation, he highlighted how bravery could be activism in brand communication or even strategic or design-led, creating true differentiation.
He also cited award-winning campaigns by Marcel such as the audacious Hack Market campaign that was well over a year in the making before execution to protect the agency and client from possible legal action for its activism in promoting refurbished tech. Noting that bravery can help a campaign’s impact go far beyond sales to become embedded in culture, Guerassimov urged industry leaders to leverage bravery as a superpower that connects with consumers and turns brands into market leaders.
He concluded with the ‘WoMen’s Football’ campaign, crafted by Marcel Paris for Orange, to challenge gender bias in football. The campaign was the second most awarded in the world, as per World Creative Ratings 2025.