Rich Levy’s Highlights: Great Work Doesn’t Always Win at Cannes

Last week was insane. More than any other year at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, this year’s festival was crazier than any I had attended before. Crazy because I made the decision that I was going to immerse myself in the work more than in past years. I would walk the stacks of work every day. I would listen to as many “Inside the Jury Room” talks as I could. And I would talk to as many people as possible about what they were seeing and what they loved. Being surrounded by so much great work is exhausting. And at the end of it all, here are five observations from this year’s festival.

1. Great work doesn’t always win at Cannes. The Cannes stacks held hundreds and hundreds of unbelievable campaigns that were shortlisted but didn’t win. That’s how hard it is to win at Cannes—just being great isn’t enough. It needs to have it all: great idea, great execution and a sense of surprise to win. A memorable example is the Outdoor Campaign “Sketchy Animals” for The Gramby Zoo in Montreal from LG2. I love the before/after idea of this campaign. The craft is perfect. And for an outdoor campaign, it is perfectly simple. But why didn’t it win? We’ll never know. But it’s a great piece of advertising that did its job really well. Congratulations on the shortlist.

1. Networking is everything. Some people say “Cannes is all about the work.” That’s not true. Cannes is all about networking. Cannes allows you to talk about content with hundreds of people. I met planners from other agencies and swapped ideas on how to make work better. I met partners from all over the world to thank them for their commitment to our client’s campaigns. I met clients to talk about their business problems. I met students from the University of Florida to talk about their experiences. And mostly, I met with writers, art directors, designers, content creators and people who love what they do. Anyone who says that we don’t work in a people industry doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

1. Going on stage is a lot of fun. I was lucky enough this year to go up on stage three times to collect Lions in three different categories: Pharma, Entertainment, and Innovation. And even though you know you’re going up in advance—it still feels like a dream when it’s happening. When they call your campaign, play your work, and invite you to the stage, you remember very little about the experience except that you want to do it again. You feel the love from the audience. And when you come off the stage, your peers are just as excited as you are.

2. You can’t do everything. No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to do everything. There are too many speakers. Too many stages. Too much happening all at the same time. Cannes is a lesson in planning and execution. What’s next? Where do I go? What time is it? Do I have to line up in advance? The trick to Cannes is planning the “must-see” events and filling in the rest of your day with the “nice-to-see” speakers. You must choose wisely. And you never know which event will be the most beneficial. (You can’t go wrong—they’re all good).

3. Pay it forward. The best part about going to Cannes is bringing back the knowledge to your co-workers. Share the campaigns. Share the excitement. Share the wisdom. Share the victories and defeats. Share everything you saw and make sure that translates into better work for you and your agency. Because the entire point of Cannes is to make better work. To be immersed in what it takes to be great. And to love the work like never before. 

Rich Levy has made his mark on healthcare advertising over the past 15 years. As one of the most awarded creative leaders in healthcare, Rich led Klick Health to unprecedented creative success. In 2023, Klick won over 160 major international awards. Klick is currently ranked as the year’s Most-Awarded Independent Agency and Second-Most-Awarded Overall Agency for AdvertisingHealth's World Top 10 Agencies, #1 Independent Healthcare Agency from the Clios, Global Independent Health Agency and Regional Independent Health Agency Of The Year from the London International Awards, #2 Healthcare Agency & Healthcare Network of the Year from Cannes Lions & the #5 of all Independent Agencies from the One Show. Major recent awards include Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, D&AD, One Show, The Art Director's Club, The Creative Floor and an amazing 44 Clio Health Awards.