Elon Musk is flying to Cannes in an effort to win back advertisers, despite being known for his staunch criticism of them.
According to the Financial Times, the X and Tesla boss is looking to reassure ad groups and big brands and bring them back on side after many took their support away following Musk’s comment in support of an antisemitic tweet.
Brands that have left the platform included Disney, Apple, IBM and many more.
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UPDATE | Programme change
Please note that this session is now on Wednesday 11:45-12:15, not Tuesday.
Be sure to update your plans so you don’t miss it. 👀@WPP | @elonmusk https://t.co/yxWxxCSRKv
— LIONS | The Home of Creativity (@Cannes_Lions) June 11, 2024
The tech billionaire is expected to speak alongside WPP chief executive officer Mark Read today with the discussion set to include AI, and X’s plans for more long form video like features.
Agency bosses anonymously told the FT that advertisers still have concern around X and being seen to endorse Elon Musk, “I think he suffers from that much more than other media platforms,” one said.
In April, Musk also cut his entire Tesla marketing team just a month after its formation, describing the ads as “far too generic”.
His speech will no doubt draw in the Cannes revellers…
Public service announcement: If you weren’t in line well in advance of an hour before the Elon Musk and Mark Read show at #canneslions you”re not getting in. pic.twitter.com/HqUieATNYK
— Jack Neff (@jackneff) June 19, 2024
2 Comments. Leave new
Yeah his “FU” comment was specifically aimed at Disney and the activist cancel culture smear merchants, probably quite a few work for this publication?
Bob Iger’s comments were specifically pointed at a tweet that Elon described as “one of the most foolish if not the most foolish thing I’ve ever done on the platform.”… Bob’s concerns are that Elon is allowing Twitter / X to become a Hotbed of right wing extremism… and regardless of political or religious leanings, Hate doesn’t make people buy as much as people would think it does. Thats why Advertisers in general have moved from the platform, because at the end of the day… advertising is there to make people buy stuff.