From Monday 22 to Thursday 26 July, RTL AdAlliance opened the doors to RTL Beach during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. For the 2026 edition, one idea shaped the entire week: trust. Trust in verified information, trust in quality content, trust in responsible advertising, and trust in the environments where brands appear. Through a varied programme of presentations, discussions and networking, RTL AdAlliance showed that trust is not just a slogan – it is the foundation of trusted media, and the superpower of Total Video.
Day one: trust, trends and total video
The first day featured a strong focus on the changing role of media in an AI-driven world. Stéphane Coruble, CEO of RTL AdAlliance, took part in the panel discussion ‘A pledge for trust in the age of AI’, bringing together leaders from across brands and consumer insight to explore what verified information, transparency and consistency mean in practice. With AI is reshaping how content is made and distributed, the conversation showed that trust starts with human expertise and needs to be present at both the beginning and end of the creative process.
The editors’ perspective panel – ‘Navigating quality’ – brought together influential voices from major international news brands Time, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to discuss how audiences discover news today and how AI is rewriting the rules of editorial visibility. One key takeaway stood out: journalism and content creation are not the same thing. The future, the panel suggested, will increasingly be video-first – but credible editorial standards will remain important.
Day two: milestones, media and music
On Tuesday 23 July, CEO Stephane Coruble and Deputy CEO Oliver Vesper launched RTL AdAlliance’s new European Video Marketplace. Designed to help brands find the right environments, the right audiences and the right platform, the marketplace offers European advertisers simplified access to premium digital video under one roof.
The announcement was followed by ‘Total Video Champions’, a panel discussion bringing together senior leaders from some of the biggest names in global media, including Michael Radelsberger, Chief Consumer Officer at RTL Deutschland. The conversation focused on what premium and quality really mean, and how media companies prove their value in a crowded marketplace. In a world full of claims, the message was that trust has to be demonstrated, not declared.
Day three: creativity, context and content
Inga Leschek, Chief Content Officer at RTL Deutschland, and Jorge González, jury member for Let’s Dance, faced the “final boss” of content in a lively discussion about the enduring power of entertainment. Their conversation showed how live TV and standout formats continue to capture audiences within the wider Total Video ecosystem – showing that meaningful content builds trust.
AI once again took centre stage in ‘Empower creatives: more scale & creativity in the age of AI’. Hosted by Rhys Nölke, Chief Data Officer at Bertelsmann, and attended by James Duffen, CEO of Fremantle-owned Imaginae Studios, and Marco Gijsen, Director of Ally at Ad Alliance in the Netherlands, the panel explored how brands and creative leaders can use AI without reducing creativity. The discussion made a persuasive case for authenticity, originality and human-led creative judgment as essential ingredients of trusted communication.
Day four: sports, streaming and success
Hosted by Stephen Byrne, VP Global Supply at RTL AdAlliance, the panel ‘Sports & Streaming’ looked at the role of sport within the digital Total Video ecosystem, showing how live events continue to bring unique value to audiences and advertisers alike.
Last but not least, Jean-Baptiste Moggio, Senior Brand Director at RTL AdAlliance, hosted a panel discussion entitled ‘Trust but measure’, exploring the question of which metrics can truly be trusted. As the industry becomes ever more performance-driven, the conversation highlighted a familiar but increasingly urgent point: impact is not defined by numbers alone, but by the quality and credibility of the environments behind them.
Across each day at RTL Beach, one message remained consistent: trust does not happen by chance.
RTL AdAlliance showed that trust is built through verified content, responsible media environments, strong partnerships and long-term relationships with audiences and brands. Through discussions spanning AI, journalism, creativity, sport and measurement, RTL Beach brought together industry leaders to explore how trusted media continues to create value for both audiences and advertisers.
Until next year!