Then there was the exclusive evening party that executives were jockeying to get into at the glamorous Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, where rooms cost upward of $1,000 a night. The event, which featured a performance by the Weeknd and refreshments like sushi and key-lime pie bites, was co-sponsored by iHeartMedia, the biggest radio broadcaster in the United States. The company, saddled with billions in distressed debt, has been struggling financially for some time, bringing to mind the phrase, “You have to spend money to make money.” Many guests continued the festivities on iHeartMedia’s yacht, where bartenders crouched to serve cocktails and wine from rowboats on the upper deck.

There were plenty of celebrity sightings throughout the week, with private performances offered by Stevie Nicks (courtesy of Oath), Ed Sheeran (thanks to News Corporation) and Solange (via Spotify). Elisabeth Moss, the star of Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” and an industry favorite from her “Mad Men” days, joined the party at the du Cap, where she chatted with Hulu’s chief executive and the founders of PopSugar as the sun set. Ryan Seacrest, Alicia Silverstone and Gwyneth Paltrow were also spotted — a reminder of how sprawling the marketing world now is. (To that point, the Cannes Lions themselves no longer distribute awards for advertising, but rather for “branded communications.”)