Disability, like multiculturalism, is finally making inroads in the advertising world as more and more national brands recognize the power (and compassion) of inclusiveness and its money-making potential. One in 5 people in the US have a disability, according to the 2010 census, while slightly more than one-quarter of today’s 20-year-olds will become disabled before they retire.

Roughly eighty percent of the US population live in urban areas, but for years, the gritty edges of cities - rail yards, river fronts, and seaports - have been home to artists, next in line for gentrification, neglected by the mainstream. In the past decade that’s rapidly changed, as developers, architects, politicians, and advertisers have swept off the soot, tossed aside the rusted metalworks, and shoveled capital into the fringes of urban centers. New York’s Hudson Yards, Chicago’s Lincoln Yards, Boston’s Seaport District, or the smaller but no less skyline altering Hudson’s Site in Detroit, offer a glimpse into the most visible, massive-in-scale, transformative urban development projects of our time.

The art of self-improvement: eating better, breathing your way to zen, gamifying exercise from your living room to hotel room. This was just the tip of the iceberg this year at Cannes Health, where brands and marketing leaders leaned into small but influential lifestyle changes, learning how to better make use of behavioral science to help consumers achieve their ultimate wellness goals.

Many of us don’t flip our phones or other digital devices sideways when we record a video or watch a movie, never mind the small picture and awkward framing.  It’s a hassle, right? Now we don’t have to. Welcome to the vertical video revolution.  With remarkable speed, the video technology - which has a 9:16 aspect ratio - is replacing the traditional 16:9 landscape and 1:1 square formats.  It’s taller and narrower, addressing our mobile-centric entertainment habits and the fact that we hold our devices vertically 94% of the time.

Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies are popping up everywhere as brands try to engage consumers with increasingly immersive and compelling experiences. From helping them preview products in real-world environments, embark on virtual tours or extend live experiences, it’s the ultimate in 3-D marketing. While virtual reality takes consumers to different places, augmented reality puts objects in front of their eyes, and now, brings sound to their ears.