Cannes Lions was uncomfortably hot this year, even for people whose main physical demand was walking from meeting to meeting with a tote bag. For the experiential teams working the beach activations — manning stations, holding popsicle signs, stuffing swag bags — the week came with actual stamina requirements.
The XP Land team trekked through the sweltering heat, sweating through our linen every damn day. All damn day. The only thing standing between us and a full public meltdown? Fans. (The portable kind.)
Cannes swag usually lives somewhere between useful, forgettable and aggressively overbranded. This year, useful beat cute. If it cooled people down, it stayed in the tote.
So we rounded up the best of the beach, from a high-powered mister to an analog version sturdy enough to double as a weapon:
Best advance purchase for preppers
Pinterest’s Judy Lee loves sharing her insider tips for Cannes Lions; this year, we were officially influenced. XP Land CEO and founder Erica Boeke picked up this JISULIFE handheld fan, which packed considerably more power than most of the freebies on the beach and made every paper fan around it look like a Victorian prop.
Best limited-edition swag
Reddit Community Deli understood the first rule of festival behavior: scarcity works. Its daily drops gave Cannes-goers a reason to come back, which is how the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan became less of a giveaway and more of a beachside status object.
Best private-meeting giveaway
Sephora went old-school with a heavy-duty paper and metal fan that we suspect would also be effective in hand-to-hand combat.
Best gen-pop giveaway
The FQ Beach x Walmart Connect fan was the best of plastic blowers handed out along the Croisette for one reason: The ability to add water. A misting plastic fan > a non-misting plastic fan.
Best community cooler
And while we’re talking about misters: To stand in front of the larger-than-life ones at the Canva Beach Cabana was to reverse, even if for just a moment, the inevitable droop.
Best French pharmacy find
Every Cannes trip eventually includes a French pharmacy run for the smug little thrill of purchasing sunscreen like it’s a cultural artifact. But this year, La Roche-Posay Anthelios wasn’t the only thing our team picked up. XLISTER Alicia Yaffe scored a sparkly fan that was the perfect Gutter Bar accessory.
Consider this our official plea for 2027… Attendees need fewer tote bags and more airflow.
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