Cannes 2025: Karin Rödlix – Creativity and AI strengthen iO
New Business Radio is broadcasting live this week from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Every day, Bas Vlugt and Peter Wybenga host leading marketing and media experts. In this hour, Karin Rödlix, Agency director bij Stendahls (part of iO) joins the conversation.
This year, Cannes Lions is extra special for Karin Rödlix and her team: iO won two Silver Lions in the Film Craft category for work with Stendahls, New-land, and Volvo Cars.
Karin Rödlix: “Just making the shortlist is already special—less than ten percent of entries achieve that. So, winning two awards makes me incredibly proud of the team, the client, and the creative collaboration.
With eight nominations in hand and a team of ten on site in Cannes, iO hopes to bring home even more Lions in the coming days.
Creativity and ROI go hand in hand
The awards are a great recognition, but for Rödlix, the focus is on the added value for the client.
Karin Rödlix: “The Cannes Lions are essentially the world championships of creativity. But in the end, it’s about delivering value. Creative campaigns generate visibility, and that leads to better returns. At iO, we strongly believe in that.”
Strong Roots in the Nordics and Benelux
Rödlix is Agency Director at Stendahls, iO’s creative spearhead in Scandinavia. The agency works with major brands like Volvo Cars, Husqvarna, and Alfa Laval, as well as local Swedish clients.
Karin Rödlix: “The Nordics and the Benelux are very similar in terms of culture and collaboration. The combination of creativity and technology is what makes iO so interesting for me.”
AI: Tool and challenge
Not surprisingly, AI is a key topic in Cannes this year. Rödlix is closely following developments and sees both the value and the pitfalls.
Karin Rödlix: “AI supports us in the sketch phase, research, and idea testing. But brands need to remain transparent. Trust is essential—without trust, a brand has no right to exist.”
She shares a quote that struck her: “AI sees tears as water and salt, people see tears as emotion.”
Karin Rödlix: “That perfectly sums up where AI ends and where human creativity begins.”
Continuing to invest in tech and people
The future of iO is all about maintaining a strong balance between technological excellence and human creativity.
Karin Rödlix: “Our client retention rate of 95% says it all. Whether it’s AI, marketing performance, technology platforms, or creativity—it always comes down to customer satisfaction and growth.”
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