Mullen's Liza Near and Kit Krugman
Attending the Cannes Lion Festival was like entering a parallel universe — and not just because we were looking at the world through rosé-colored glasses. At Cannes Lion, you are surrounded by the innovators, the legends, and the rising stars: 8,000 advertising creatives from over 90 countries, effectively transplanting the energy, culture and creativity of the industry to the South of France. Group Creative Director, Dave Weist, put it best when he said, “All of a sudden, you remember you are not alone. Someone in Australia is over there doing the exact same thing you are, just trying to come up with the best ideas.”
Arriving after about 36 hours without sleep, we attended a dinner hosted by Epoch/Human/MassMarket on the Baie des Anges across from the Old Town of Antibes. The assigned seating at the five tables enables attendees to meet industry leaders, clients and production vendors from all over the world. Hearing varied perspectives on the industry over an iPad-size slice of foie gras is nothing short of inspirational.
Throughout the week, my primary role was to scour both the work and the scene seeking creative talent. Within the Palais itself, printed work is set up in a make-shift museum (OOH, Media, Press, Direct, Promo & Activation Lions, etc.). You can also watch screenings of the shortlisted spots (including Mullen’s Planet Fitness and JetBlue). Some key trends: a lot of interesting work coming out of Sweden (specifically, digitally savvy, out-of-the box ideas), Brazil (specifically, super-high-level design work) and Japan (Dentsu Japan picked up 13 Lions alone). The culinary talent, unsurprisingly, was wholly French.
The many seminars and master classes completed the educational side of the festival, providing some unique insights from renowned advertisers and marketers.
One consistent theme was the importance of culture to the industry; this did seem particularly appropriate, considering the Cannes experience itself is a microcosm of agency culture. Regardless of the future of the industry, one thing that stays consistent is the importance of creative culture — in creating great work, in attracting talent and in pitching new business.
In fact, 72andSunny did an entire master class on the importance of agency culture and of choosing an agency whose culture and goals mirror one’s personal goals. Matt Jarvis, Chief Strategy Officer, observed, “If you aspire to greatness, attach yourself to an organization that aspires to greatness.”
The Mullen team enjoying a swim
Not only does a creative environment foster creativity, but it also attracts the most talented creatives. Supporting that culture, regardless of the size of the agency (and as an agency grows) was cited as essential to maintaining good work, and good work attracts talent, talent creates good work, etc. The industry may be radically evolving, but the importance of culture remains constant.
Rob Reilly from CP+B echoed this sentiment, citing the direct correlation between team chemistry and pitch success: “Don’t bring anyone to the meeting that you haven’t had a few too many beers with … When you walk in the room and there’s no chemistry, the clients can feel it … and it’s deadly.”
(Side note: Dana Anderson, who spoke during CP+B’s Master Class, is currently the Senior Vice President of Marketing Strategy and Communications at Kraft. She should, however, be a stand-up comedian, because her commentary about agency pitch faux pas was nothing short of hilarious. Watch it here.
Taking Rob’s words to heart, the Mullen contingent headed to the exclusive Google Sandbox Party. Google had Cannes (and pretty much everything else, ever) figured out. They even designed a mobile app that kept the pulse on where people were hanging and what the “hot” events were. The Google sandbox itself was a lounge right on the beach, hosting yoga, providing smoothies, and encouraging people to interact with some of their capabilities.
At the closing speech of the Film, Integrated, and Titanium Lion Award Gala, John Hegarty accepted the equivalent of the Cannes “lifetime achievement award” and quoted his partner Nigel Bogle: “None of us is as good as all of us.” That could not have been more strongly exemplified in the coming together of so many creative minds to toast “a votre santé,” a healthy reminder that this industry, at its purest, will always be about the relationships we build — with our clients and partners, between a brand and its consumers and especially within the agency itself.
