McCann Worldgroup And WIRED To Debut A.I. Documentary Series At Cannes Festival

Two-Part Series Examines How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Everyday Life & Presenting New Marketing Opportunities

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Jun 11, 2019, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, June 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- McCann Worldgroup and WIRED have partnered to put a human face on artificial intelligence (A.I.) for all audiences and offer actionable insights for marketers in a brand-new, two-part documentary series that will premiere at Cannes Lions Festival on June 19.

The two A.I. documentaries bring together the insights and thought leadership capabilities of two leading organizations in their respective fields, WIRED's editorial prominence in understanding advanced technology and McCann Worldgroup's global marketing leadership in understanding brands and consumer behavior. In combining resources in this first-of-its-kind partnership, the two organizations aim to help marketers better understand the full scope of A.I.'s current state and potential.

Sean MacDonald, Global Chief Digital Officer for McCann Worldgroup, said, "A.I. is a predominant topic in today's media. It's top-of-mind for global corporations and for our clients, but there's no obvious or clear path for how this technology will affect their businesses and people. As experts in marketing and technology, we want to help guide the conversation and enlisted the WIRED editorial and Brand Lab teams to ensure our clients receive a truly comprehensive perspective."

Part 1, "Machine Learning: Living in the Age of A.I.," is a documentary sponsored by McCann Worldgroup and produced by WIRED's editorial team. The film, directed by filmmaker Chris Cannucciari ("Banking on Bitcoin," 2016) and executive produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Wonbo Woo, examines the extraordinary ways in which people are interacting with A.I. in their daily lives. It explores the continuing development of this game-changing technology across industries and its potential benefits, through a human lens that includes stories from school teachers to artists to corporate technology leaders. It features interviews with Sebastian Thrun, co-founder and president of Udacity; Genevieve Bell, Distinguished Professor at Australian National University and Senior Fellow at Intel; Kai-Fu Lee, author of "A.I. Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order"; Andrew Ross Sorkin, the New York Times columnist and co-creator of the Showtime series "Billions"; venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian; and more.

Part 2, "Being Human in an A.I. World," was produced by McCann Worldgroup in conjunction with WIRED Brand Lab. It offers global marketers a framework for understanding key opportunities to leverage A.I. in their work across three key areas: analytics, operations, and creativity. It also provides provocations that can spark new creative applications and ends on a call to action to inspire marketers to dream up new ways to use A.I. for their brands.

"WIRED's mission is to reflect the world ahead of us, so our audience is prepared to engage when it arrives," said Doug Grinspan, Condé Nast Chief Industry Officer. "The optimistic lens we place on technology coverage is not only about the efficiency it can drive, but also about the practical efficacy it can deliver. In partnership with McCann, we delved deep into the current realities and near-future opportunities for A.I. How it can move us just as much as we deploy it to move process and processing powers for us. Bridging trustworthy, steadfast editorial in collaboration with McCann's desire to reframe what the accessible future holds, allowed us to tell this story in a novel manner, through the reflected thoughts of renowned luminaries across industry. We're very proud of the result."

As one of the most creatively-effective marketing communications companies, McCann Worldgroup sees the ever-increasing potential for A.I. and is experimenting across every area of marketers' business today. Their goal in creating the film is to help clients on a journey to understand how A.I. will impact their consumers and their businesses. Says MacDonald, "Cultural representations of A.I. have fueled a lot of the conversation around this technology today, so we really wanted to focus the film on tangible takeaways for marketing. Ultimately, we see A.I. as a partner that can enhance our humanity, and therefore brands' abilities to play an increasingly meaningful role in people's lives."

The two films will debut at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France, on Wednesday, June 19, at 10:00 AM local time at the Debussy Theatre, Palais I. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5tDid6y3t0

For more information: Being Human in an A.I. World: Documentary Screening

About McCann Worldgroup:

McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), is a leading global marketing solutions network united across 100+ countries by a single vision: To help brands play a meaningful role in people's lives. Ranked as the world's most creatively effective marketing services company both in 2018 and 2019, the global network comprises McCann (advertising), MRM//McCann (science/technology/relationship marketing), Momentum Worldwide (total brand experience), McCann Health (professional/dtc communications), CRAFT (production), PMK-BNC (entertainment/popular culture), Weber Shandwick (public relations) and FutureBrand (consulting/design).

About WIRED:

WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. WIRED reaches more than 30 million people each month through WIRED.com, our digital edition, the magazine, social media and live events.

About WIRED Brand Lab:

WIRED Brand Lab is a full-service agency model that encompasses strategic development, creative and experiential execution, and cross-platform storytelling. A magnet for established and emerging creative talent, the heart of Brand Lab is a WIRED-approved roster of writers, filmmakers, photographers, designers, and engineers. Our mission? Connect your brand to the WIRED world in a uniquely WIRED way.

SOURCE McCann Worldgroup