R/GA’s Post

ICYMI: Cannes may be over, but the Adland is still buzzing with insights and debriefs on the groundbreaking work showcased at the festival this year. Ben Essen has shared some thoughts on how creativity thrives on reimagining the past, featured in his piece for Campaign. He states, "...all the ground-breaking Grand Prix winners contain recognisable fragments of great ideas that have come before." He continues, "A [better] question for any creative review is: "We know this worked before, so how do we twist it for a new context?" This lets us leverage the proven effectiveness of past campaigns while infusing them with contemporary relevance." Read his analysis and explore the trends and winning work that filled the Croisette conversation: https://lnkd.in/ecYZXVfn #CannesLions #Creativity #Adland

But what did we actually learn? It's been one month since Cannes Lions and we have analyzed the major trends that define the experiential side of the festival. Read the full report here: https://hubs.ly/Q02HcBMd0

🎨 Whether you're planning to visit the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity next year or just curious about the buzz it's creating in the media, we've got you covered with the essential information you need. Here, we delve into the basics of Cannes and spotlight some of this year's award winners. 👉 P.S. Don't forget to check their official website for detailed information about the festival itself, registration for next year, and a comprehensive list of those shortlisted and the winners from this year. #CannesLions2024 #AdvertisingAwards #FestivalOfCreativity #MarketingNews #MarketingTrends

' Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is still the only truly global celebration of the absolute best work that our industry is capable of, and in my view it’s a must-attend for everybody. I coach and advise a number of leaders of small to midsize agencies and holding companies, and for their business development and agency growth goals, I always recommend attending Cannes, even (and especially) if they’ve never been. It’s the one week of the year where you can find pretty much everybody in our industry and everybody on the client side all in the one place, so for biz-dev goals, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Plus, you don’t have to rent a beach to get noticed. Demonstrate precisely what Cannes celebrates -- extremely ingenious strategy + highly creative execution -- and you can impose yourself on the landscape of Cannes to generate buzz, chatter and media coverage to further those goals.' I talk to Barbara Lippert for MediaPost: https://lnkd.in/eBHPavim

While everyone (looking at you Michael Thill) is off enjoying the sun and creativity at Cannes Lions, here I am, not jealous at all. Seriously, not one bit jealous. Not even a little. For those unfamiliar, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is a premier event in the advertising and communications industry. It runs from June 17-21 this year and features over 150 hours of content with around 500 speakers from across the globe. Icons like Deepak Chopra, Jay Shetty, and representatives from top companies like Google and P&G are sharing insights and innovations that are shaping the industry. https://lnkd.in/gv7s3rQH Why do we flock to events like this? The draw is in both the recognition and the opportunity for professional growth. From a behavioral science perspective, humans have a deep-seated desire for validation and acknowledgment. Awards like the Cannes Lions provide a platform to be judged and, hopefully, celebrated for our creativity and hard work. But why do we want to be judged? The answer lies in the psychological satisfaction of recognition, which can enhance self-esteem and motivate continued excellence. Beyond personal satisfaction, there are significant business reasons for pursuing these accolades. Winning at Cannes can enhance a company’s reputation, attract new clients, and justify higher fees for services. In essence, these awards are a tangible marker of success and a powerful marketing tool. However, at Havas Edge we believe that the best award is the trust and loyalty of our clients. While it's great to be recognized on such a prestigious stage, our ultimate goal is to consistently deliver value and results for our clients, day in and day out. That, to us, is the most meaningful accolade of all. Still, would be nice to be there.

The ShowHeroes team is currently at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and CEO Ilhan Zengin has thoughts on this year’s atmosphere. This year’s Cannes Lions is very different from last year’s, where caution was the dominant feeling. But is it roaring excitement this year, or something more nuanced? Read his thoughts alongside other industry leaders in Digiday. 👇 https://lnkd.in/edYn9KD9 #Cannes2024 #CannesLions #digitaladvertising #digitalmarketing

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity countdown is ON, and I am so excited to attend for the first time! I am attending: ✔ Self-funded (no sponsors or cohorts) ✔ I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T (no company or agency affiliations) in my Webby voice. (IYKYK) This industry experience started with a split decision and a lot of planning! Last year while sitting in on a virtual "Cannes Recap" at my former agency, I was desperately uninspired by the report back. Last year there was so much culture to be experienced and shared back to aspiring advertising talent young and old (which would have proven inspirational and educational for the entire agency), including the induction of Spike Lee as the first ever Creator Maker of the Year. Yet, not a sentence about culture, DEI, or diverse initiatives. As the national #ERG lead for Onyx, I was embarrassed and as a Black employee, I was disappointed. Fueled by my desire to know more and experience Cannes for myself, and with the help of some close colleagues hyping me up in the Teams chat, I decided before the 60-minute event concluded that I would get to Cannes in 2024 to curate the experience I desired....and I am 2 days out! For those not going and feeling FOMO, I will be sharing my hot takes from culture-shifters in the industry but use this post as motivation and as a CTA to start planning your Cannes 2025 RIGHT NOW! Support is always great so be ready to apply for initiatives like The Black Network and Cannes Can: Diversity Collective next year. However, my PSA for life (career opps included): don't wait for anyone to pick you, send you, or get you where you need and deserve to go! Who else is going? Let's meet IRL. (The first timers What's App is LIT!) #diversityinadvertising #powermoves #inclusiveadvertising #DEIisNotDead #BlackCreatives #representationmatters #seeitbelieveit #timingandpositioning

Five days until kick off for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This will be my 12th consecutive Festival and each year there are more and more ‘Top Tips’ from the Jurors, team, and repeat festival attendees on how to “do Cannes”. Of course it would be remiss of me to offer anything other than the most #Effective tips - so here are my Top Tips on how to have an Effective #CannesLions. 1. Plan your diary - arrange breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffees, afternoon cocktails, post dinner drinks, early morning swims, parties, Festival sessions (and of course don’t forget to diarise 15.15-15.45 Thursday 20 June https://lnkd.in/eBthy4yb) - its not everyday you will get to see me taking on the role of an Inglorious B***ard CEO (seriously), whilst we unpack brand new findings from a comprehensive study into levels of alignment across the CEO/CFO/CMO trifecta… 2. Get ready for your diary to not go at all to plan. 3. Carry portable phone charges - see point above - everybody's day becomes fluid (some fluidity more down to rose consumption than others) - get ready to reschedule, rebook and reset. 4. Plan at least two days post #CannesLions to do your follow up, not just resetting your liver, but your reaching out to those new and old contacts you bumped into on the Croisette and nailing those potential new business opportunities. 5. Flat comfortable shoes are a must - its been said before, but that doesn’t make it any less effective. The Croissette is just under 1.5miles long, and whilst you won’t need to head to the end of it, and back, every time.. you will be making multiple trips up and down throughout the day. Day in day out. Comfortable shoes, trust me… 6. And as a corollary to the above, a bike is even bigger win…. 7. Check out the work in the basement - when else do you get time to see the BEST creativity from all over the world in the one place. Take it - and question it, what worked, how do you think it worked, review and learn. 8. Check out the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity #CreativeEffectiveness Awards show - I’m honoured to be a Cannes Lions Effectiveness master, and to have helped pull the criteria together for its launch back in 2011. Fast forward to 2024 and its an effective way of seeing at a glance commercial creativity at work. 9. Talk to everyone, The Effectiveness Partnership is a UK-based business and we have built our worldwide client base through sometimes serendipitous conversations on the Croisette. 🌍 10. Talk to me. We have helped deliver hundreds actually frankly 1000's of effectiveness cases across #CannesLions, #Effies, WARC, IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) and more. And we do this by upskilling your team and embedding cultures of effectiveness in clients and agency teams. Message me - it will be the most effective thing you do across the 5 days of the Festival.

🌟 My Post-Cannes Reflections 🌟 I love Cannes. It’s a week of conversation, connection, and collaboration - a ‘creative mecca’ if you will. But now that the dust has settled and everyone is posting their top takeaways, I’ve been doing some reflecting. And I think something was missing from Cannes this year. In amongst all the awards and big name talks, our industry’s ability to do good got lost. So, here are my top takeaways from Cannes 2024: 🤖 Everyone is obsessed with AI. It’s no surprise that AI dominated the conversation again this year. As an industry, we’re still obsessed with chasing the latest shiny thing, especially if it makes us money. Sustainability has been completely deprioritised. A smattering of brands and agencies made nominal gestures in the right direction, and (embarrassingly) few took the train instead of flying. But aside from that, there was barely anything of note on sustainability at all. 😔 Change has arrived, but not on the main stage. The whole festival felt more diverse and inclusive than ever - WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ) had its first real presence in its 101-year history, and lots of interesting conversations took place outside the Palais. But it was a conversation that mainly took place in back streets and small cafés. Meanwhile, the line to watch Elon Musk snaked around the block. 🤑 We need a reframe. AI took centre stage because it has been framed as a driver of growth. Sustainability and D&I remain fringe conversations because they have not. The exception might be women’s sport, which (quite rightly) received a lot of airtime this year because of its demonstrable commercial value. Growth is how you get attention at Cannes.   💚 You can do good and make money. The new Alt Text awards category next year (created by Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in partnership with RNIB and MullenLowe UK) is a great example. The inclusive practice allows brands to target an additional 2.2 billion blind and partially sighted people globally. So next year, let’s make doing good while making money a Cannes priority on and off the main stages. ✊🏼   #CannesLions #Sustainability #DiversityandInclusion #AI #WomenInSport #CreativeIndustry #Advertising

On Cannes, Part 2. To get the most out of your Cannes experience, a few pointers from someone who has been there, done that, many times (me below, keynoting on my favorite topic - brand narrative and storytelling, in the world of the ephemeral web): 1. Look at the Work - take a day, or two, to really look at the work. It's a trope to believe that all the inspo, comes from listening to panel discussions about how long walks on the beach fuel someone's creativity. No doubt, it does. But, pass on a few and take the time, to really look at the work. Absorb it, study it, learn about how it was made. Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity does an amazing job of exhibiting all of the award entries, so take the time to explore. 2. Schedule Key Meetings, Ahead of Time - Cannes publishes a list of all the attendees. Rarely are most key players in our industry, gathered in one place for so long. Do take the time to set up one on one meetings, with the folks that really matter to you. Equal parts, business and inspiration. 3. Avoid the Gutter Bar - yes, I've been there. I know the scene. If you do go, leave by 22:00. Late nights and hangovers, are better left for your time back home. Make the most of Cannes - and the dollars being spent on you to attend - by being on your best form, well-rested and clear-eyed to properly digest all that Cannes has to offer. 4. Take Notes, Share Notes - if you take notes as if you're in Uni, you'll better absorb the material being shared. You'll be more present in the moment, engrossed in the creative discussions happening all about you. Yes, your friends and colleagues back home will delight in seeing you holding a Rose at a beach party...but they'll be forever indebted, if you impart some wisdom and help them better understand, what was discussed. SHARE your notes. Nothing creates better absorption of material, than sharing your pov and takeaways, with your colleagues and mates. Record to share, and apply your pov - because your take on the event, is value-added indeed. Ok...more soon! SOCIALDEVIANT #Cannes #Creativity #Lessons #Advertising #CreativeAwards