FOMO is kicking in…
It’s time for anyone involved in creative content to start thinking about an annual trip to Cannes for MIPCOM — and with this year’s market only two months away, the countdown is officially on.
Even if you’ve already been lucky enough to make it to the French Riviera for the Film Festival or Lions this year, Cannes is one place the creative industries never seem to get enough of.
And if you’ve been worrying that you’re missing out, it’s not too late.
MIPCOM CANNES www.mipcom.com takes place 12–15 October 2026, bringing together studios, broadcasters, streamers, distributors, creators, brands, technology companies and investors from over 100 countries. It’s where content gets discovered, deals get done, partnerships begin — and, where the next generation of entertainment business starts to take shape.
At MIP London earlier in the year, we debated the need for kinder reality television with more positive ethical themes.
This year, in Cannes I’m particularly interested in the rise of microdrama and vertical content.
What were emerging trends only a year ago — vertical storytelling, creator-led businesses and AI-powered production — are now attracting serious investment and developing increasingly scalable business models.
The shift is fascinating, as is its crossover with Advertising.
Vertical storytelling and microdramas are a genuine global content category, with platforms, producers, distributors, technology companies and investors now looking at repeatable short form formats, international licensing, IP and new revenue streams. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook and mobile-first platforms are all seeking to develop new verticals to grab a piece of the ad. revenue previously dominated by legacy broadcasters.
And we have seen this before.
Recently we were reminded of this with the sad passing of Anthony Head, the “matinee idol” of the Nescafé Gold Blend adverts... the Nescafé connection is particularly evocative. Before Buffy the Vampire Slayer made him internationally famous, he became a household name in Britain alongside Sharon Maughan in Nescafé’s extraordinary Gold Blend “will-they-won’t-they” serial, which ran from 1987 to 1993. The campaign unfolded over 12 commercials, with each episode ending on a cliffhanger. For a while the Ads became bigger on ITV than the series' that they programmed between the TVC's...
It’s interesting that back in the days when Friends first topped the broadcasting ratings, Anthony Head became an advertising-created celebrity — the handsome, slightly enigmatic neighbour. He found fame and became a genuine international personality, before going on to have a remarkably broad acting career in Buffy, Merlin, Little Britain, The Iron Lady and Ted Lasso.
The Nescafé ad. actually captures something quite distinctive about that era: Advertising didn't just sell the product or build brand value; it created characters and cultural moments that people followed almost like television drama and we are seeing that again today in vertical microdramas.
Imagine MasterChef unfolding in short form with vertical content set in a vertical farm working with nutrient rich produce on-site.
Of course in 2026 we have enjoyed a drama-packed Soccer World Cup for better or worse. Around that event we saw Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis seek acceptance via hot dogs globally and make everything a 'tap-in' with VISA.
Look at the diverse opportunities that can emerge when broadcasters and advertisers recognise where audiences are actually turning up — and build around those moments.
The bigger question for the traditional television industry is not whether these new formats are going to matter.
It’s whether it can move quickly enough to capture the opportunity and harness viewer data ethically.
That’s why MIPCOM matters.
TV, vertical content, entertainment, brands — whatever your piece of the nutrient-rich pie, Cannes is where the global content community comes together to discover IP, make deals, learn, collaborate...
...and, let's face it, dream of taking a selfie with a TV or movie star while sipping something cold on the Croisette.
See you in Cannes in October?
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
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