The It Matters conference is the creative platform for brand leaders, decision-makers in the advertising industry, and top-level creatives from agencies.

Creativity is the key to more impactful and effective communication, and it is a lever for measurable economic impact. That’s why we learn together from the most creative minds in the world and the trends set at the most significant creative festival: the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.

That's the It Matters Conference

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Why It Matters

Brands that prioritise creativity are more innovative, achieve greater impact with their target audiences, and are demonstrably more successful economically. Where does creativity come from? It requires thinking outside the box. Observing what other creatives are doing and learning from their challenges. Drawing inspiration and connecting ideas. That’s precisely what the “It Matters” conference is about. It provides a unique gateway to the trends and topics shaping the creative industry.

What’s in it for me?

You’ll learn from the world’s best creatives how to harness creativity for yourself and your everyday work. These creatives know what they’re talking about—they win Lions at the Cannes Lions Festival. Through lively panel discussions, you’ll gain deep insights first-hand and learn from the successes and challenges of top creatives. We set the benchmark as a platform for exchange within the creative industry. And you’ll be right at the heart of it.

Speakers 2025

José Suaid
Creative Director, Innocean Berlin

Creative Director & Writer with over 15 years of global experience, leading creative work at top agencies such as David Miami, GUT, Grey, and Ogilvy Brazil. Recognized at Cannes Lions, D&AD, Clio, One Show, ADC Global, Effie, and more.
Tobias Collée
VP Global NIVEA Brand, Beiersdorf AG

If you change a label by speaking about it differently, the beer suddenly tastes good. That’s the power behind branding. I find that fascinating. In my 20+ years of experience in the FMCG world, my most challenging and fulfilling endeavor is driving the transformation of the world’s #1 skincare brand. NIVEA is a brand for everyone. Bringing the brand to life for all our consumers around the world requires innovative and transformative thinking. I am more of a change agent than a sustainer, a passionate and creative soul who has a trained eye for sophisticated design and interior, enjoys teamwork and believes in the success of the brave and the bold.

Love a good discussion about brands, always searching for and sharing new inspiration.
Cordula Schmitz
Editor-in-chief, Hamburger Abendblatt
Jan-Philipp Jahn
CEO Serviceplan Germany, Serviceplan

Since July 2025, Jan-Philipp Jahn has been CEO of Serviceplan Germany. Together with CEO Till Diestel, CSO Stefanie Kuhnhen, and CFO Holger Scharnofske, he leads all German creative agencies operating under the Serviceplan label. He had previously worked for the Serviceplan Group starting in 2006, including in China and Dubai. In 2019, he moved to GREY Germany as CEO. In 2022, he joined McCann, where he advanced from operational CEO of McCann and Craft to CEO of McCann Worldgroup Germany. Since 2021, he has also been a board member of the GWA.
Thomas Sailer
VP Brand Central Europe, adidas

Thomas Sailer brings 27 years of experience in the sporting goods industry, with a long-standing career at adidas. After leading the brand in Japan for 9 years and playing a pivotal role in reshaping the global Originals brand over 2, he stepped into the role of VP Brand Central Europe earlier this year. In his current role, he is focused on driving the consistent and impactful execution of adidas’ global brand marketing strategy—while ensuring it resonates locally and fuels commercial growth.
Robert Zitzmann
Managing Director & Partner, Jung von Matt SPORTS

Robert is Managing Director of Jung von Matt SPORTS, which was named “Agency of the Year 2024” by W&V and the Hashtag Sports Academy in March. Robert has been with Jung von Matt for over 10 years and previously worked for, among others, the UEFA Champions League, the ATP World Tour and SPORTFIVE. He also serves, among other roles, as a voluntary board member of Sheffield FC – the world’s oldest football club – as well as a member of the FC St. Pauli digital advisory board and the economic advisory board of the University of Bayreuth.
Marian Brannelly
Global Director of Awards, LIONS

Marian Brannelly is the Global Director of Awards at LIONS, where she brings a decade of experience in the creative marketing industry to the role. She works across the breadth of the global creative marketing community to identify the trends shaping the industry and has been a driving force behind innovative changes to the Awards.
Marian cares deeply about creativity and the many ways it can affect positive change and drive progress.
Meinolf Ellers
Managing Director, UseTheNews gGmbH

Meinolf Ellers is Managing Director of #UseTheNews gGmbH. He joined dpa back in 1985 and worked as a reporter, foreign correspondent and department head, among other roles. Since 1996 he has been instrumental in coordinating the development of the agency’s digital products and, as Managing Director, established the subsidiary dpa-infocom. As a co-initiator, he was involved in founding the global agency network MINDS International, the Hamburg innovation conference Scoopcamp, as well as the next media accelerator.
Madlen Rösch
Global Social Impact Lead NIVEA, Beiersdorf

Madlen Roesch is the Global Social Impact Lead at NIVEA, driving NIVEA CONNECT – Beiersdorf’s global initiative against loneliness and social isolation. With 10+ years of global experience in brand communication and strategy, including roles at adidas in the US, she combines business and social impact to foster connection and belonging. Madlen is passionate about uniting NGOs, scientists, and businesses to create systemic solutions for more connected communities.
Florian Weischer
Co-Chairman, Weischer

Partner. Media professional. Shaper of the future.
Florian Weischer (born 1958) is Partner and Co-Chairman of the Weischer Group, a leading German media company. Honoured as “Media Personality of the Year” and connected with the Cannes Lions for over 20 years, he is now committed to sustainable projects, UN SDG initiatives and regenerative agriculture on his Haidehof near Hamburg.
Sebastian Pattis
Creative Director Art, Innocean Berlin

From a storyboard artist and illustrator to visual designer and now international creative director in art. Worked with major brands like Volkswagen, Bosch, Sony, Hyundai, and Kia. His recent projects “The Vulva Spaceship”, “Kia Instrument” and “Camdom” by Billy Boy, were celebrated at renowned industry festivals.

Program

There’s plenty to discover at the conference: live panels, an exhibition of the German Cannes Lions winners, and much more.

Auditorium

10:00-10:05

Welcome and Opening of the Conference

with Moritz Weischer (CMO, Weischer)

10:05-10:30

Social Isolation – how NIVEA makes an invisible issue visible

with Tobias Collée (Vice President Global NIVEA Brand, Beiersdorf) and Madlen Rösch (Global Social Impact Lead NIVEA, Beiersdorf)

Social isolation is one of the most invisible yet defining experiences of our time. But why does a brand like NIVEA address this issue? And how can such a personal feeling be communicated without clichés and without pathos?

The campaign “We are not alone in feeling alone” provides answers, with an unexpected protagonist – an alien – making the feeling tangible.

The foundation of the campaign is a global NIVEA study on social isolation and social connections, the results of which are presented by Tobias Collée. In the subsequent discussion with Franzi Knoefel, Tobias and Corina explain how NIVEA raises awareness of this taboo subject, combines research with creativity, and what lies behind the long-term social mission of NIVEA Connect.

10:30-11:00

Interview with Jan-Philipp Jahn (CEO, Serviceplan Germany)

New client demands, the AI revolution, growing competitive pressure – creative agencies face structural change in 2025. How can they remain relevant, efficient and excellent? Jan-Philipp talks about the future viability of agency models. What role do leadership, culture and collaboration play in times when creativity must be thought of more systemically than ever? A status report after 100 days as Serviceplan Germany CEO.

11:00-11:15

Break

11:15-11:30

CAMDOM feat Innocean Berlin: Behind the Titanium’s Pain

with Sebastian Pattis (CD, Innocean Berlin) and José Arnaldo (CD, Innocean Berlin)

What really happens when you step onto the Titanium stage at the Cannes Lions? Innocean Berlin’s Creative Directors, Sebastian Pattis and José Suaid, give us a behind-the-scenes look at their pitch for CAMDOM, the world’s first “condom for smartphones”. They share how an uncomfortable cultural truth – the rise of non-consensual sex recordings – became the trigger for an intense discussion about digital consent. And while the idea itself was groundbreaking, what happened behind the closed doors of the Titanium jury room was even more exciting: the challenge of condensing a whole year’s worth of creative work into just a few minutes on one of the world’s most prestigious and least-seen stages.

11:30-12:15

Re-Creating Sports, Culture & Fashion: How the global brand adidas activates its brand strategy in local and cultural contexts

with Robert Zitzmann (Managing Director & Partner, Jung von Matt SPORTS) and Thomas Sailer (VP Brand Central Europe, adidas)

How do you translate a global brand idea into local relevance without losing its impact? Adidas shows how it’s done. Since last year, everything has been built around “You Got This”. And in local markets and cultural contexts, the new brand identity is brought to life with iconic jersey campaigns with the DFB or Originals highlights for the Superstar featuring Nina Chuba.

In conversation with adidas brand chief Thomas Sailer and agency partner Robert Zitzmann (JvM), we learn what it means to stage a global brand locally and across multiple categories in 2025. What role does the much-courted Gen Z play? What matters more: sport or lifestyle? Or the combination of both? And what can brands and agencies learn from each other when they step onto the pitch as one team?

Got questions? Write them down – you can ask them on 16 October.

12:15-13:15

Break

13:15-14:00

The Cannes Lions 2025 Official Wrap-Up

with Marian Brannelly (Global Director of Awards, LIONS)

What does the world’s most prestigious creativity festival reveal about the state of marketing and creativity in 2025? In this exclusive session, the festival’s organisers summarise the key learnings from thousands of entries, jury discussions and festival highlights. Which campaigns have set new standards? Which topics are dominating? And what does this mean for brands and agencies? An essential overview for anyone wanting to understand what really matters in the industry right now. You will also learn how to bring yourself and your brand onto the Cannes Lions stage in 2026.

14:00-14:30

Community instead of crisis: Why we lack new narratives of cohesion

with Meinolf Ellers (Managing Director, UseTheNews gGmbH), Cordula Schmitz (Editor-in-Chief Digital, Hamburger Abendblatt) and Florian Weischer (Co-Chairman, Weischer)

Germans feel personally well-positioned yet consider the country broken. A paradox that points to a deeper problem: the absence of community. The current Rheingold study shows that pessimism, news avoidance and political radicalisation are less about facts and more about the loss of belonging and self-efficacy. What does this mean for brands, media and creators? This panel will discuss how communication today can provide orientation, make community visible and activate participation – locally, digitally and with the courage to tell stories. Because those who make community tangible not only strengthen trust in the future but also build the foundation for a resilient society.