inspiration overload
It is very difficult to sum up five days of inspiration, learning, networking, activating great brands and experiencing some of the best campaigns the world has to offer in the marketing/advertising space at Cannes Lions. We expected that the economic headwinds would curtail festival attendance, but we were wrong. The rest of the world welcomed the festival, perhaps because of the high airfare from Australia and the high euro exchange rate. I think the global community of CMOs is back in a big way. Previously it may have been his community of FMCG marketing, but this year he has been involved with many of his global CMO/Marketers in categories such as big pharma, retail and finance.
Happy 70th birthday Cannes Lions. I’m not an ageist, but I’ve grown more with experience.
Cannes Lions Awards:
Congratulations to all the winners who came home with Cannes Lions Metal. Either gold, silver or bronze are world feats, Grand Prix and Titanium are truly amazing.
Related item: The Monkees Win Tuvalu’s Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes: First Digital Nation
We are very proud that all the purple employees at Mindshare have won this year’s Global Media Network Award. Mark Green And the world class talent of the Monkees.
I would also like to thank Howatson+Company & The Special Group NZ for their honor.
Key takeaways:
• AI dialogues dominated Cannes this year, appearing on nearly every stage inside and outside the Palais and interspersed with every presentation and discussion.
• Creativity and human power are key factors that should not be underestimated. How do you make people feel, move their hearts, and inspire them to take action?
• Sustainability is also squarely on the agenda, and for the first time ever all award entries were required to estimate their carbon footprint and sustainable impact.
• Purpose remains a key factor, with Unilever/Dove’s Global CMO enhancing long-term ROI and brand growth. Again, many of the winning entries were about philanthropic or purposeful issues.
• Getting back to good basics, this really resonated with me when working with AI and more advanced data. You should always remember to get the basics right and not overcomplicate your approach.
Favorite session:
• AB InBev: In the opening session, we discussed our own brand issues and three great case studies (Budweiser’s World Cup pivot, China Lime production in Corona, Brahma when alcohol logos on sweaters were banned – they cut hair to recreate the unique beer foam)
• Inner Creativity Faye McLeod:Louis Vuitton Incredibly Inspiring With Amazing Outstanding Pieces, How Luxury Brands Turn Landmark Retail Buildings And Windows To Boost Brands And Sales Results It really showed how it can be turned into a work of art.
How star power works:
• Halle Berry For Bayer and Mullen Lowe
Halle Berry
• Eva Longoria For L’Oreal and McCanns
Eva Longoria
with Ogilvy Mike White black screen behind white lotus
Mike White and Liz Taylor, Ogilvy Global Chief Creative Officers
Best Brand Activation:
• Snapchat Celebrates Disney’s 100th Anniversary – One Word: Magical
• Pinterest – engaging and fun
Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham of Mediaweek Pinterest in Cannes
• Tik Tok – Creator workshops and participation
that’s cool:
• McFlurry Caravan in Makkah
• Sprites – Heat up customizable cans and unlimited sprites
Mediaweek’s Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham Joins Sprite Activation
• Hope – Dentsu water station (saves plastic bottles)
party:
On the beach, both TikTok and Yahoo had a throbbing party atmosphere and buzzing crazy crowds. deadmaw 5 Plus, there will be a very stylish and special soiree for LinkedIn on the roof of Cannes.
deadmaw 5
guess what:
This year I avoided the famous Gutterbar, but fortunately my most treasured memories are the incredible work presented at the Media Awards night and the work shared, discussed and dismantled all over the Croisette. A compelling and creative case study.
Related item: Cannes Day 1 Recap: AB InBev, Louis Vuitton, Snapchat, Reddit, and Cheeto Art
Related item: Cannes Day 2 recap: WeAre8, Dentsu, Yahoo, WSJ and a surprise drone show
Related item: Cannes Day 3 Recap: Havas, AI, GroupM, Sprite, and Real Humans
Related item: Cannes Day 4 Recap: Mindshare, Macca’s, Disney, Deadmau5
