Cohn & Wolfe Sweden wins the Young Lions PR competition in Cannes

/in , ,

cannes-logo

sweeden winners

coh and wolfe winners

 

 

Joseph Borenstein and Linnéa Rinäs from Cohn & Wolfe Sweden have received Gold Lions awards as the winners of the Young Lions PR competition at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, sponsored by ICCO.

The Young PR Lions PR competition saw 18 countries send their selected teams of two PRs under the age of 28 to Cannes. On Saturday 20th, the teams were each given a brief from Greenpeace and on the following day had 12 hours to create a creative and effective campaign for the charity.

Francis Ingham, ICCO Chief Executive, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of this year’s winners at the Young PR Lions Competition. The judges were incredibly impressed with the standard of work put forward by the entrants, all of whom should be sincerely proud of their work.

“I would also like to thank each of our sponsors, as well as the Festival, for allowing us to showcase such astounding talent. We look forward to celebrating again next year.”

Greenpeace’s brief required the competitors to prepare a PR campaign around sustainable agriculture, with the aim of raising awareness of the environmental impact of meat and motivating consumers to change their consumption habits.

The jury included: David Fine, Global Creative Strategist, Edelman; Joe Benarroch, Head of International Ads, Corporate Communications, Facebook; and Steve Barrett, Editor-in-Chief, PRWeek US.

This marks the second time that the Swedish team have represented their country in the PR competition, having won the local competition twice. They also won the Eurobest Young Creatives integrated competition this year.

 

The Gold, Silver and Bronze winners are:

Gold

Joseph Borenstein and Linnéa Rinäs

Cohn & Wolfe, Sweden

 

Silver

David Gomez and Juan Alba

Ogilvy & Mather Colombia, Columbia

 

Bronze

Hsin Chi Tsao and Xiao Yi Yu

J. Walter Thompson Always, China

Boilerplate

About ICCO

The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. The ICCO membership comprises national trade associations in 31 countries across the globe in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australasia. Collectively, these associations represent over 2,000 PR firms.

Contact Binta Kristin Hammerich, ICCO Global General Manager

Francis Ingham's postcard from Cannes

/in ,

500_francisingham2Print@PRCAIngham   So it’s all over bar the boasting, the excuses, and the analysis. And maybe the odd hangover. Cannes has presented its awards, and agency heads are left to work out what if means for them and what it means for the industry What are my observations? First, the number of PR practitioners here keeps on growing. Partly because more agencies are entering and partly because PR people simply feel more at home here. There are more PR wins. MSL walked away happy last night. But so did plenty of other PR agencies. The old lament of ‘PR agencies don’t/can’t win at Cannes’ simply doesn’t hold true any longer. But equally…. Lines really are blurred now. OK. That’s not an original observation. But it’s blindingly obvious when you’re here and when you see the work on display. Is this a bad thing? No. For the simple reason that PR agencies are better placed to eat into rivals (previously larger) territories than they are to eat into ours. The campaigns that won were the integrated ones that told a compelling story. And more often than not spoke to a higher purpose than just profit or just fulfilling a brief. And yes, #likeagirl ticks all of those boxes. And finally, the future really is bright. ICCO sponsored and made possible the Young Lions. Bigger than last year, and attracting entries from 18 countries, it was a fantastic showcase of the industry’s future. And showed, incidentally, that for all that the UK and the USA are the most advanced markets, our two countries have no monopoly on talent. The winning team came from Sweden. Last year, It came from Japan. And on that note go and open up the ICCO House of PR. There are a lot of sore heads to tend to this morning…..

Francis Ingham’s postcard from Cannes

/in , ,

Written by Francis Ingham

500_francisingham2Print@PRCAIngham

 

So it’s all over bar the boasting, the excuses, and the analysis. And maybe the odd hangover. Cannes has presented its awards, and agency heads are left to work out what if means for them and what it means for the industry

What are my observations?

First, the number of PR practitioners here keeps on growing. Partly because more agencies are entering and partly because PR people simply feel more at home here.

There are more PR wins. MSL walked away happy last night. But so did plenty of other PR agencies. The old lament of ‘PR agencies don’t/can’t win at Cannes’ simply doesn’t hold true any longer. But equally….

Lines really are blurred now. OK. That’s not an original observation. But it’s blindingly obvious when you’re here and when you see the work on display. Is this a bad thing? No. For the simple reason that PR agencies are better placed to eat into rivals (previously larger) territories than they are to eat into ours.

The campaigns that won were the integrated ones that told a compelling story. And more often than not spoke to a higher purpose than just profit or just fulfilling a brief. And yes, #likeagirl ticks all of those boxes.

And finally, the future really is bright. ICCO sponsored and made possible the Young Lions. Bigger than last year, and attracting entries from 18 countries, it was a fantastic showcase of the industry’s future. And showed, incidentally, that for all that the UK and the USA are the most advanced markets, our two countries have no monopoly on talent. The winning team came from Sweden. Last year, It came from Japan.

And on that note go and open up the ICCO House of PR. There are a lot of sore heads to tend to this morning…..

2015 Cannes Lions Cheat Sheet

/in

By MitchCommGroup 

bright-thoughts-logoPrint@mitchcommgroup

This week is the 2015 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Cannes Lions recognizes and awards the year’s best creative ideas across 16 categories, covering everything from traditional print and film communications to technology and product design.

Cannes Lions believes creativity is the driving force for business, for change and for good. Like Mitchell, the Festival honors and inspires creative bravery to change the course of communications. The awards set a global benchmark for good creative, and the Festival connects those with a similar vision.

Whether you are walking the streets of Cannes or following from across the globe, have a look on Mitchell Communications Blog to find out more about the cheat sheet to get the most out of Cannes Lions.

Meet The People Who Want Your Job

/in

By Barri Rafferty, CEO of Ketchum, North America

barri raffertyPrint@barrirafferty

They are younger than you.  They studied relentlessly and they fizz with creativity.  The internet has always been part of their lives.  They are highly motivated to achieve success.  Basically these people have your job in their sights, and mine for that matter, and I’ve little doubt that soon they will get them.  They are the next generation of marketers and in a few days I will meet their elite.

This feisty group are the Young Marketing Lions that I will help judge at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.  In order to get to Cannes each team of two has won a hard fought national competition run against the clock.  All the Young Lions taking part in Cannes (Print, Film, Design, Cyber, Media, PR) are 28 years of age or younger.  They come from in-house teams from across the world and represent some of the globe’s biggest brands.  This year sees entrants from PepsiCo*, Samsung*, Diageo* and P&G* to name but a few.  Already many are running multimillion dollar campaigns, managing large teams and making business critical decisions.

Gold, silver and bronze medals will be presented to the winners.  The gold winners will collect their medals in front of their peers at the prestigious Cannes Lions Award Show.  When doing so they will also collect two free registrations and accommodation for next year’s festival.

But winning the Young Marketers competition is not easy.  Each of the 18 teams will be asked to produce a brief answering a global non-profit challenge.  They will have just one day to create a campaign around their company’s brands.  And they will present their ideas to a jury in just 5 minutes.

I will serve on that jury with Joanna Peña-Bickley, of IBM and Mailine Swildens of Google.  We’ll be looking for ideas that ignite our imagination, but also concepts that are deliverable and sustainable.

Ketchum is sponsoring this competition because it allows us to invest in up and coming talent.  It will be a little intimidating to face the next generation’s elite marketers, but ultimately I like to think that this is what Cannes is really all about.  Beyond the Rosé, the glamour, the big name talks and client dinners, I think the actual purpose of Cannes is to inspire the next generation of communicators – so they are empowered to change the world.

So if this week you’re enjoying the festival from near or far, I’d encourage you to think of these young professionals fighting hard to breakthrough creatively.  Ponder their festival or career experiences and how valuable moments of learning happen each day, and how important these experiences can be for building confidence and encouraging risk taking.  Consider the pivotal role you can play in the careers of younger professionals and how you can help unleash their creativity in your own organizations.

* Note: Ketchum clients

Marilyn Manson, Shakespeare, stand-up, erotica, Jung & Harry Potter. Just another day at the office at Cannes Lions 2015

/in ,

By Claire Bridges, Founder Now Go Create and Cannes Lions Mentor 2015

claire4Print@nowgocreate

 

 

 

 

If you’re headed down to Cannes, then no doubt the big name creative rock stars (and maybe the actual rock stars) are grabbing your attention. Here are some picks including workshops and talks across the week from the edges too. If you’re not going but you want the inside skinny I’ll be sharing some of the best bits from Cannes via podcasts and blogs throughout the week too from the ICCO House of PR.

Get warmed up Ease in to the Festival gently and embrace the clichés early by unleashing your inner child with the Lego workshop on Sunday morning exploring co-creation from 11:30.

Get inspired Cannes is all about inspiring new lines of thought and exploring topics you probably wouldn’t otherwise consider. On Tuesday Professor Brian Cox is going to be talking through some of the key scientific principles that help us unlock some of the mysteries around us. The session will then attempt to show how these laws also apply to advertising. Sounds right up my street.

Get out of your comfort zone There aren’t many occasions where you’ll be permitted, nay, encouraged to talk erotica at work and this workshop looks fascinating. No idea how to apply it back at the office but that’s kind of the point. Erotica Before Internet – how muscles changed the world. Sunday 16:45.

Braille celeb culture – camera-phones at the ready…..Monday sees Marilyn Manson take the stage for the Grey annual music seminar – expect provocation and ‘outrage’. The music business is well represented at Cannes across the rest of the week with Will.I.Am, Mark Ronson, Natalie Imbruglia, Pharrell Williams and David Guetta all featuring.

Wednesday is an action-packed and celeb-tastic day with Kim Kardashian talking digital, Kenneth Branagh talking Hamlet to Harry Potter to The Guardian and the talent from HBO’s hit comedy VEEP discussing why political satire is a timeless form of comedy. Richard Curtis is in conversation with legendary ad man John Heggarty about the new UN campaign and that’s bound to be rammed. Jamie Oliver, Samantha Morton and Adrian Grenier also all featuring in workshops during the week. It’s not always immediately obvious what the celeb is bringing to the creative smorgasbord but it’s fun to rubberneck.

Channel creativity as a force for good 2014’s theme continues with many of the seminars leveraging this topic including Monica Lewinsky, the oft-described “Patient Zero” of online shaming, calling for an end to cyberbullying – Thursday 1230 Partnerships that galvanise social change sees Entourage’s Adrian Grenier and Aimee Mullins taking part in a debate about how celebrities and brands can work together to tackle society’s biggest problems and the opportunities this presents for both sides.

Get practical Whilst Cannes is all about sharing extraordinary creative there’s also a chance to hear from the strategists behind some of the leading campaigns on this year’s Warc 100 ranking to correlate that with what delivers commercially. Find out what they learned, and how they’ve applied those insights elsewhere.

Ideas in a hurry Given time is always an issue for PR folk it’s got to be worth spending 90 minutes at the ‘You only need 48 hours to solve a brief’ workshop between 11:30 – 1pm on Monday and at other various times during the week.

I’ll take up the invitation to ‘Become an ass-kicking copywriter in 25 minutes’ too. Thursday 1230 – 1300 and other times Lions Lounge.

Hear the client view Creative agencies may lead the way but clients are increasingly getting in on the action. Get an insight into the client’s perspective from brands including Nestle, Mars and airbnb in Wake Up With The Economist daily briefing 10:30.

Last year Heineken won 2015 Creative Marketer of the Year. Hear from 2 of their global team what principles the company is using to drive creativity and what we mere mortals might learn. Thirst for creativity 1700 – 1745.

Allow wiggle room Whilst you do need to plan if you really, really want to get into something, my advice is to leave wiggle room. Some of my most memorable bits have been things I stumbled upon or decided to go to at the last minute.

Make it last Keep a journal throughout the week to help remember what inspired you and to reflect in the weeks afterwards about what you learned and what you can take into your day-to-day work life post-Cannes.

Claire is founder of the UK’s leading creative training consultancy www.nowgocreate.co.uk and is the only PR professional globally working as part of the training faculty at Cannes 2015 a mentor for the Masters of Creativity 2015 programme alongside world-class industry experts following a stint on the PR Jury last year. Claire is an ex-WPP Consumer MD and Creative Director with over 20 year’s industry experience as a creative leader. She is the only person in the UK PR industry to hold an MSc in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership from City University London. Claire runs Unleash Your Inner Creative training for ICCO/PRCA.

For more information- www.nowgocreate.co.uk

Marilyn Manson, Shakespeare, stand-up, erotica, Jung & Harry Potter. Just another day at the office at Cannes Lions 2015

/in

claire4Print@nowgocreate         If you’re headed down to Cannes, then no doubt the big name creative rock stars (and maybe the actual rock stars) are grabbing your attention. Here are some picks including workshops and talks across the week from the edges too. If you’re not going but you want the inside skinny I’ll be sharing some of the best bits from Cannes via podcasts and blogs throughout the week too from the ICCO House of PR. Get warmed up Ease in to the Festival gently and embrace the clichés early by unleashing your inner child with the Lego workshop on Sunday morning exploring co-creation from 11:30. Get inspired Cannes is all about inspiring new lines of thought and exploring topics you probably wouldn’t otherwise consider. On Tuesday Professor Brian Cox is going to be talking through some of the key scientific principles that help us unlock some of the mysteries around us. The session will then attempt to show how these laws also apply to advertising. Sounds right up my street. Get out of your comfort zone There aren’t many occasions where you’ll be permitted, nay, encouraged to talk erotica at work and this workshop looks fascinating. No idea how to apply it back at the office but that’s kind of the point. Erotica Before Internet – how muscles changed the world. Sunday 16:45. Braille celeb culture – camera-phones at the ready…..Monday sees Marilyn Manson take the stage for the Grey annual music seminar – expect provocation and ‘outrage’. The music business is well represented at Cannes across the rest of the week with Will.I.Am, Mark Ronson, Natalie Imbruglia, Pharrell Williams and David Guetta all featuring. Wednesday is an action-packed and celeb-tastic day with Kim Kardashian talking digital, Kenneth Branagh talking Hamlet to Harry Potter to The Guardian and the talent from HBO’s hit comedy VEEP discussing why political satire is a timeless form of comedy. Richard Curtis is in conversation with legendary ad man John Heggarty about the new UN campaign and that’s bound to be rammed. Jamie Oliver, Samantha Morton and Adrian Grenier also all featuring in workshops during the week. It’s not always immediately obvious what the celeb is bringing to the creative smorgasbord but it’s fun to rubberneck. Channel creativity as a force for good 2014’s theme continues with many of the seminars leveraging this topic including Monica Lewinsky, the oft-described “Patient Zero” of online shaming, calling for an end to cyberbullying – Thursday 1230 Partnerships that galvanise social change sees Entourage’s Adrian Grenier and Aimee Mullins taking part in a debate about how celebrities and brands can work together to tackle society’s biggest problems and the opportunities this presents for both sides. Get practical Whilst Cannes is all about sharing extraordinary creative there’s also a chance to hear from the strategists behind some of the leading campaigns on this year’s Warc 100 ranking to correlate that with what delivers commercially. Find out what they learned, and how they’ve applied those insights elsewhere. Ideas in a hurry Given time is always an issue for PR folk it’s got to be worth spending 90 minutes at the ‘You only need 48 hours to solve a brief’ workshop between 11:30 – 1pm on Monday and at other various times during the week. I’ll take up the invitation to ‘Become an ass-kicking copywriter in 25 minutes’ too. Thursday 1230 – 1300 and other times Lions Lounge. Hear the client view Creative agencies may lead the way but clients are increasingly getting in on the action. Get an insight into the client’s perspective from brands including Nestle, Mars and airbnb in Wake Up With The Economist daily briefing 10:30. Last year Heineken won 2015 Creative Marketer of the Year. Hear from 2 of their global team what principles the company is using to drive creativity and what we mere mortals might learn. Thirst for creativity 1700 – 1745. Allow wiggle room Whilst you do need to plan if you really, really want to get into something, my advice is to leave wiggle room. Some of my most memorable bits have been things I stumbled upon or decided to go to at the last minute. Make it last Keep a journal throughout the week to help remember what inspired you and to reflect in the weeks afterwards about what you learned and what you can take into your day-to-day work life post-Cannes. Claire is founder of the UK’s leading creative training consultancy www.nowgocreate.co.uk and is the only PR professional globally working as part of the training faculty at Cannes 2015 a mentor for the Masters of Creativity 2015 programme alongside world-class industry experts following a stint on the PR Jury last year. Claire is an ex-WPP Consumer MD and Creative Director with over 20 year’s industry experience as a creative leader. She is the only person in the UK PR industry to hold an MSc in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership from City University London. Claire runs Unleash Your Inner Creative training for ICCO/PRCA. For more information- www.nowgocreate.co.uk

The Many Faces of Cannes Man

/in

Written by Bill Reihl, Director of Ketchum’s Global Brand Practice

Ben ReihlPrint@billyreihl

 

The Cannes Lions Festival is where the world’s top communicators come to share ideas, gather inspiration and compete for awards.  Cannes Lions, like the creatives who are drawn there, is complex and sometimes contradictory.  The hidden depths, nuances, and surprises of the festival and its participants are a big part of what make the festival a success.

 

There has been much focus in recent years around equality for women in the industry with organizations like the 3% Conference; and many campaigns that aim to improve the lives and portrayal of women and girls have deservedly received awards and accolades for their creativity and impact. Indeed this is the inaugural year of the Glass Lion which recognizes work that addresses issues of gender inequality or prejudice, through the conscious representation of gender in marketing – campaigns that in some way represent a shift towards more positive, progressive and gender-aware communication. The odds makers are also predicting victory and buzz for campaigns like Procter & Gamble’s Always brand #LikeAGirl and Under Armour’s “I Will What I Want” featuring Gisele Bündchen.

 

So it may seem odd to stop and think about how men are evolving and changing as society advances and whether or not they are portrayed accurately in marketing today.  Are we still using the same old stereotypes for guys and are those messages resonating with the target consumers or are we presenting men as shallow archetypal figures short on complexity and big on classic clichés?

 

As with women, things are starting to move in the right direction.  Last year the NFL Superbowl was called the Superbowl of “Dadvertising” because of the more evolved portrayals of men in numerous campaigns from brands like Tide showing a dad playing Princess with his daughter (and cleaning her dress) and the Cheerios father setting the example with #HowToDad.  I am hoping to see this trend continue at Cannes and see an evolved and more accurate portrayal of real men in marketing.

 

In our multi-year “Language of Men” study, we found that while some basic tenants of how the media portray men are still true, the male consumer is a sophisticated animal.  On the Dad side, he is not playing Mr. Mom, he is Dad with a capital D!  For those men without families it’s not all about beer, babes and sports (although those themes are still relevant) modern man has more diverse interests, passions and viewpoints.  He has as many female friends as he does male friends and sometimes he needs emotional support and understanding.  He is not, and does not aspire to be, Alpha Male 24/7/365.

 

Some of this is driven by how as the gender gap has begun to close, more men have stepped in to take on household duties.  We believe that by 2020 these “new roles” will be normalised and men will no longer be balancing “traditional male roles” versus new ones.  Helping at home, raising children and being emotionally available to friends and family will all be authentic masculine traits. I hope the evolved portrayal of women can act as a lightning rod for a revised portrayal of men.

 

Ultimately the risk for marketers is that if consumers can’t see themselves in the work they will turn away and ignore our campaigns.  I believe marketers have to think about, not just gender and demographics, but also life stages and today’s psychographics.

 

The Cannes Lions Festival is a magnet for creatives from around the world because it is multifaceted and a reflection of what is happening in society at large.  Perhaps it’s time for the gentlemen to shine at Cannes too?

Pride of the Lions

/in

Written by Emily Andrews

EmilyPrint@thatsmeemily

 

The Cannes Lions Festival has a storied history of recognising the best in advertising and marketing. In recent years, it has honoured more work in the PR, brand and corporate communications space. Emily Andrews reports.

Once an awards festival that was predominantly geared toward the advertising community, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in its 62nd year, now caters to professionals from across the creative communications industries. These days, public relations professionals receive greater recognition by the organisations that they operate and collaborate with. Because of this and because of the increased integration of communications disciplines, the PR industry is also beginning to receive due representation and recognition at the prestigious Cannes Lions event.

Cannes Lions offers a packed, week-long programme of awards and events including workshops, exhibitions, screenings, masterclasses and seminars. Sam Lythgoe, MD at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, says, “The Cannes Lions Festival is unique because it goes beyond being just an awards show, it builds a community for a whole week that allows creativity to be shared between people from all kinds of backgrounds who ultimately share the same goal.” The festival is truly global with over 13,500 delegates attending from around 90 different countries.

Cannes_Lions2.jpegFor some, the networking opportunities available are the main draw, and around a third of those in attendance don’t actually go along to the scheduled talks. The event allows industry leaders from brands and agencies around the world to meet and share ideas. David Gallagher, CEO at Ketchum Europe and ICCO president, says, “Some come to be inspired, others to network. For me it’s a little bit of both, plus an opportunity to peek at great work from other disciplines and agencies.”

This year delegates are looking forward to the inaugural Glass Lion award. The award recognises work that implicitly or explicitly addresses issues of gender inequality or prejudice. The winning campaign should represent a shift towards more positive, progressive and gender-aware communications. Lauren Crampsie, worldwide chief marketing officer at Ogilvy & Mather, says, “I am most looking forward to the inaugural Glass Lion award, which I hope will eventually broaden its focus from gender inequality to all cultural injustices we face as a society. Marketers have a responsibility now, more than ever, to lead the charge for global change.” In its launch year, the Glass Lion category has received 166 entries.

Also new this year is the Lions Innovation Festival, a two-day event which will explore data and technology as catalysts for creativity. Fenot Tekle, senior corporate communications manager at LinkedIn, says, “This year, I’m expecting to hear about the intersection of technology and creativity. At LinkedIn, we consider this the core of our own business, so we’re excited to learn about how others in the industry are thinking about it.”

Cannes_Lions3.jpgAt this year’s Cannes Lions, the best place to network will be on the new Official Cannes Lions Beach, directly opposite the renowned Carlton Hotel. In the morning, delegates will be able to hear the CMOs of major global brands in conversation with the Economist, and at five o’clock in the evening, ‘Meet the Winners’ sessions will take place. Cannes sponsor, ICCO, will, for the first time, act as a host and convener for the PR and communications community at its House of PR on the beachfront.

ICCO will also be sponsoring the Young Lions PR Competition for the second time this year. The competition sees teams of young PR professionals briefed by a charity or non-profit organisation acting as the ‘client.’ The entries are judged and winners will receive tickets to next year’s Cannes Lions as well as the invaluable exposure that the festival provides.

The Cannes Lions programme covers a wide range of topics. The highlights for PR professionals will depend on the sector they operate in, whether their clients are mostly B2B or B2C, and other factors, however, a yearly favourite is the Saatchi & Saatchi presentation, which surprised people last year with heart rate monitors and a screening of hugely creative video content. The event, which celebrates new directing talent, is celebrating its 25th year at the festival.

Cannes_Lions4.jpgCannes Lions also has its fair share of celebrity speakers with this year’s line-up including Pharrell Williams on ‘creativity through collaboration,’ David Guetta on ‘authenticity and influence through celebrity endorsements’ and Marilyn Manson at the ninth annual Grey Music Seminar. These talks add to the glitz and the glamour of the event which takes place in a part of France that has long been associated with celebrity and luxury.

Many of the PR agencies in attendance will contribute to the packed festival schedule by hosting their own talks and panels, and many more have entered into at least one of the 17 Cannes Lions awards categories and will be hoping to take home a prestigious Lion trophy. Ketchum, the most awarded PR agency at Cannes, has entered 23 projects this year. It is also hosting three different sessions, including the Young Lions Marketers Competition, where some of the globe’s best young talent will compete to develop a creative brief for a worldwide charity.

Across Cannes Lions, Lions Health and Lions Innovation, the prestigious awards have received more than 40,000 entries. At the festival, entries are judged by over 300 creative leaders before winners are awarded in five separate ceremonys. Shortlisted work is showcased in exhibitions and screenings for the duration of the event. A Cannes Lions trophy is a symbol of quality around the world and in every creative industry.

Cannes_Lions5.jpgThe main Cannes Lion festival is preceded by Lions Health on 19-20 June, it is a mini festival, launched in 2014, that is exclusively for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. The event was introduced to give due recognition to the previously overlooked health sector, an area with a wide range of unique communications challenges and one where strong creative strategy has the power to change lives. The inaugural Lions Innovation mini-festival will run on 25-26 June, overlapping with the main festival which runs from 21-27 June.

Each brand will come to Cannes Lions with separate motives and ideas about what it wants to take away from the event, whether it’s making new connections, learning from peers or gaining recognition for good work. The breadth of the festival programme and the variety of attendees offers a veritable feast for those that are passionate about communications.

Lythgoe says, “Apart from the great opportunity to be inspired by the work, the events and the people there. Cannes offers the chance for PR pros to be included in the conversation with the ‘traditional’ creative agencies – to be celebrated for the creativity that we also produce. But we’re still the new kids on the block, and need to do a better job of selling the idea, versus the execution.”

While PR at Cannes Lions remains largely overshadowed by advertising behemoths, the growing inclusion of PR professionals contributes to the strength of the event as it embraces more creative disciplines. As communications becomes more integrated in the post-digital age, there is less need to differentiate between disciplines. It is far more lucrative to celebrate outstanding, innovative work that achieves what it sets out to, whatever shape the creative process behind it takes.

Karen Strauss, partner and chief strategy officer at Ketchum, says, “The Cannes Lions Festival is the purest celebration of great ideas. No other marketing services gathering honours the blurring of the lines between disciplines like Cannes, with the most original work rising to the top.” This year’s event will offer some new attractions, but overall the principle intention is the same as ever; to exhibit and share the world’s most extraordinary creative work.

 

Article extracted from Communicate Magazine.

Getting ready for your first Cannes Lions?

/in ,

by Gabriela Lungu, integrated creative director & Cannes Lions veteran

gabriela lungu

@GabrielaLungu

 

 

Congratulations! Your firm is sending you to Cannes Lions!  It’s the most important International Festival of Creativity for the Marcom industry, so you should be very proud that you were chosen (the pass for the festival, plus the transport, the accommodation and other expenses, are quite a significant investment for any company; and yours is investing in you!).

The best thing to do now is to make the most out of this awesome experience. But the truth is that going to Cannes Lions for the first time can be quite intimidating.

This is no small event. It’s one who practically takes over an entire city for a full week. Huge main venue, and many other smaller ones. 12,000 people attending. Lots of things, all very interesting, happening in parallel. Amazing superstars, from the industry and beyond, to see and meet at the different gatherings – some official and some not so official. And all the temptations of the French Riviera at walking distance. What to choose? How to make sure you’re not missing out?

As a Cannes Lions veteran, I’m asked lots of questions every year.

Here are my top 7 tips:

  1. Download the official Cannes Lions App. This app is your best friend. Read what’s happening at this year’s edition and start planning. Decide who you want to see, where you want to go and put together a personalized agenda. Make a plan A, but also a plan B. You’ll have to be flexible to fully enjoy the week
  2. When you get there, take the official “HOW TO CANNES DAILY TOUR” to find your way around the Festival’s main venue, Le Palais des Festivals. After you know your Grand Audi from your Debussy, you’ll instantly feel more confident.
  3. From the Palais, take a walk on the Croisette and maybe even a little sightseeing tour around Cannes. Remember where the biggest hotels (especially Majestic, Carlton and Martinez) and the beaches are. Many events, especially the evening ones, are happening outside the Palais, in one of these locations.
  4. Keep in mind that you’ll be one of the 12,000 people who come to be inspired at Cannes Lions. If a seminar sounds very interesting to you, chances are the other 11,999 people will think the same. If you really want to be in the same room with an inspiring speaker, make sure you are in that room really early (with 2-3 hours in advance) and you don’t leave it. Not even for bathroom breaks.
  5. If you can’t get in for one of the big seminars, don’t be disappointed. Go to a workshop instead. Many times, the most valuable and practical information are shared in the smaller sessions.
  6. Go to the parties you’re invited to. There are amazing networking opportunities. Go to the after-parties too; there are many planned and unplanned ones all over the city. Enjoy the rosé (they call it ‘the Festival’s water’). But make sure you’re up and running again early in the morning. There must be parties all the time where you’re coming from; but there’s only one Cannes Lions Festival every year.
  7. Go to The House of PR (Grand Palais Beach, Cabana 11), a fun and comfortable meeting space for the PR community. Get involved with the scheduled activities from Monday 22nd June to Wednesday 24th June, from 9am till 6pm. Throughout the festival the House of PR will play host to interviews, live streaming and much more. Look out for the live updates – twitter: @ICCOpr, #WELOVEPR.

Of course, the most important thing is to… relax. If you ever feel confused, remember that even the smug veterans had their first Cannes Lions once. Enjoy it to the maximum, let yourself be inspired, and then share this inspiration with your colleagues back home.

See you there!