Everyone at Cannes has an AI pitch. Almost nobody survives a direct question about it. In this Q-Series episode of The Sixth Suite — live from the Croisette — Nikki Stone and Clare Ravenstreet sit down with two people who don't do vague: Hadrien Bailly, Managing Director of Locala Canada (11 years in), and Grant Gudgel, Locala's new CMO — formerly SVP Marketing at Verve and Head of Teads Studio, here on his eighth Cannes. Hadrien's mission this week: ask the direct questions, cut the bullshit, and find out who's actually building with AI versus who just found a prompt. It's the backdrop for Locala's sharpened positioning — using AI as the concrete bridge from insight to activation, so brands can adapt as fast as the market moves. Grant calls it now: after a decade of "the year of mobile," we've entered the 10-year year of AI — and the smartest things at Cannes aren't being said on stages. They're said one-on-one. Then it gets personal: two pieces of life advice that have nothing to do with adtech and everything to do with how you build a life. Keep fighting. And never confuse keeping your options open with being free. 💗 THIS SERIES SUPPORTS NABS CANADA Our Cannes Q-Series is part of our campaign to raise funds and awareness for NABS — the National Advertising Benevolent Society, the only Canadian charity dedicated to supporting media, marketing and communications professionals through financial assistance and mental wellness support. @NABS_Canada ► Donate + learn more: nabs.org • How to tell real AI capability from a rebrand with a prompt — ask direct questions • Locala's new positioning: AI as the bridge from insight → activation • Why the smartest Cannes conversations happen one-on-one, never on panels • The 10-year year of AI — and the discrete applications that actually matter • NABS, the BEC, Volley BEC & Le Bal En Noir: how industry community builds careers • Hadrien: "Keep fighting" — a deeply personal story of hope • Grant: optionality is not freedom — commitments give life its meaning ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ► CHAPTERS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 00:00 — Live from Cannes: welcome to the Q-Series 01:27 — Meet Locala: Hadrien Bailly & Grant Gudgel 02:00 — Real AI vs. buzzword theatre 03:15 — Eight Cannes in: the magic is one-on-one 05:00 — NABS, the BEC & community that builds careers 07:35 — Life advice: keep fighting, commit like you mean it ► GUESTS: Hadrien Bailly — Managing Director, Locala Canada, Grant Gudgel — Chief Marketing Officer, Locala Locala — AI-powered advertising, from insight to activation → asklocala.com · LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/ask-locala ► HOSTS: Nikki Stone — Founder, YQ → thinkyq.com · @YQ_growonpurpose · Clare Ravenstreet — @Clareravenstreetteam The Sixth Suite is brought to you by YQ → thinkyq.com ► SUPPORT NABS CANADA NABS Canada is the safety net for Canadian media and advertising professionals — from financial assistance to mental wellness support, when our community needs it most. 🌐 nabs.org · 📸 IG: @nabs_canada · 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/nabs-canada · FB: @nabsCanada 💗 Every view, share, and dollar helps. Donate → nabs.org ► FOLLOW THE SIXTH SUITE ▶️ YouTube: @thesixthsuite 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5oBGB4Ig2dzaZOVfurpQTc?si=2593024656d843b5 🍎 Apple Podcasts: search "The Sixth Suite" 📸 Instagram: @thesixthsuite · 🎵 TikTok: @thesixthsuite 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-sixth-suite ►IF YOU LOVE THIS EPISODE 🔔 SUBSCRIBE — more Cannes drops are landing all week. 💬 COMMENT: what's the most concrete use of AI you've actually seen this year? 🔁 SHARE this with someone drowning in AI buzzword bingo. 💗 DONATE to NABS Canada → nabs.org #TheSixthSuite #QSeries #CannesLions #Locala #AI #AdTech #Marketing #NABSCanada #NABS

Contextual AI, brand safety, and the Kids Help Phone campaign that won three Cannes Lions in 2026 — live from Cannes, this Q-Series episode goes inside "Defining Help," the campaign built to find the exact content every other advertiser is built to avoid.

Nikki Stone sits down with Jeff McCann, Regional Vice President, Canada at Silverpush, the contextual AI company that ran its targeting technology in reverse for Kids Help Phone, McCann Canada, and Epitaph Group. Instead of avoiding "brand unsafe" videos about self-harm, depression, and eating disorders, the campaign found them — and served hundreds of creative variants to young people in crisis, region by region, powered by 50+ million anonymized, real-language data points from real youth conversations. Kids Help Phone has connected with young people over 22 million times since 2020 — and 75% of youth tell them something they've never shared with anyone. The result: two Gold Lions and a Silver at Cannes Lions 2026 — and kids picking up the phone.

Jeff also covers what breaking your own adtech product unlocks (broadcast-quality YouTube inventory, premium podcast targeting), the Lumen attention research proving contextual ads cost less and perform better, and his life advice for the Sixers: be consistent and thoughtful — it's a marathon, not a sprint.

This Q-Series raises funds for NABS Canada — the safety net for Canadian media, marketing and communications professionals. Donate: nabs.org

If you or a young person you know needs support: Kids Help Phone — call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.

Watch on YouTube: [YT EPISODE LINK]

▸ CHAPTERS (Spotify — verified against final cut)

(00:00) Live from Cannes: Q-Series + NABS

(01:13) Meet Jeff McCann (Silverpush)

(01:38) Defining Help: breaking brand safety to reach kids in crisis

(05:18) Breaking your own product & why context wins

(13:00) Life advice: marathon, not a sprint

▸ GUEST

Jeff McCann — Regional Vice President, Canada, Silverpush · linkedin.com/in/mrjeffmccann

Silverpush → silverpush.co · linkedin.com/company/silverpush

▸ HOSTS

Nikki Stone — Founder, YQ Advisory → thinkyq.com · @YQAdvisory · @Nikkistone

Clare Ravenstreet — @Clareravenstreet

▸ FOLLOW

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5oBGB4Ig2dzaZOVfurpQTc?si=6169081aa0884967

▶️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thesixthsuite?si=BeqqPjUhOS4KUQEh

🌐 thesixthsuitepodcast.com · IG/TikTok: @thesixthsuite · LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-sixth-suite · Apple Podcasts: search "The Sixth Suite"

⭐ Enjoying the Q-Series? Rate the show and share it with three people you want to see succeed.

💛 Support NABS Canada → nabs.org

🎙️ The Sixth Suite Podcast | Episode 6 with Paul Gittens of The Who Project Podcast In this episode of The Sixth Suite, we sit down with special guest Paul Gittens from The Who Project Podcast for a powerful conversation about identity, resilience, purpose, leadership, and the stories that shape who we become. Paul shares thoughtful insights on self-discovery, personal growth, and what it means to ask deeper questions about who we are, how we show up, and how our experiences influence the way we lead, connect, and grow. This episode is for anyone interested in meaningful conversations, podcast storytelling, leadership, resilience, personal development, and the power of understanding your own identity.