Contagious’ Post

🌟 Reflecting on Cannes Lions 2024 🌟 What an incredible week at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity ! Watching the shortlisted and winners content has left me inspired and reminded of the timeless truth: people still love to be told stories. Whether it’s through a captivating ad or a heartfelt campaign, storytelling remains at the heart of what advertising agencies and creatives do. Here are my key takeaways: Go for Boldness: The most memorable work was often the boldest. It's the willingness to push boundaries and take risks that sets the best campaigns apart. Human Connection: Witnessing mankind at its best—creative, kind, clever, resourceful, and beautiful—was truly uplifting. The magic happens when creatives craft stories that people can relate to, transcending the mundane part of talking about a product and tapping instead into universal emotions. Partnership: The best creative agencies don’t just work for their clients, they partner with them. They delve deep to carve out a human story from a product or technical need, transforming advertising into something magical. In essence, Cannes Lions reminded me that creativity is the utmost human manifestation —to inspire, connect, and transform. Here’s to continuing to create magic in our industry! -Not written by IA, all errors mine- #CannesLions #Storytelling #Creativity #AdvertisingMagic #HumanConnection #Boldness #HERAW

Divided on Cannes My Linkedin feed has been stuffed full of updates from last week’s Cannes advertising festival - so this will be my last on that. What really struck me though, was how divided people’s views seem. One post gushing and full of praise for the fact that it felt different from previous years - more joyful, inclusive and celebratory. The next post incredulous that the world’s largest plastic polluter could pick up a Grand Prix award for telling people to recycle more. Then a post with a delighted group winning on stage. A big career moment. Followed by a post about how tone deaf the spending of the big brands and networks felt in a year when a huge number of people working in advertising and marketing have been laid off and are struggling to find employment. I guess what you make of Cannes comes down to where you’re standing.  What’s clear is that the place is not ‘together’. Cannes has always been a juxtaposition of advertising industry extremes.   On the one hand, creative, inspiring and exciting - and on the other hand, self-congratulatory, out of touch and with a serious lack of self-awareness. It is an industry where there remains an incredible amount of creative talent. Imagine if we could wean ourselves off the Pavlovian conditioning for awards and work beyond the old frameworks and institutions of advertising, to help create some real, positive change. I think that could be incredibly powerful. And is definitely doable too. What do you think?  #Advertising #Marketing #Cannes #Awards #Sustainability #ClimateChange #Purpose

I recently finished reviewing 50+ UK Young Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity entries and here's what stood out: Cannes Lions Judging Takeaways: Fresh Perspectives from Young Talent ➡️ Big agencies: While consistent in their "frameworks", some larger network entries felt a bit...uninspired and robotic. ➡️ Junior Power: The freshest approaches often came from the most junior roles. This made me especially happy! ➡️ Brand Brilliance: There's some serious talent on the brand side – are they being utilised fully in-house? ➡️ The Extra Mile Matters: The 12/10 effort entries SHINE. Don't be afraid to go above and beyond it really makes a difference. ➡️ Uniqueness is Rare: Truly unique ideas are gold, but don't come easy. There were a few entries with almost identical ideas. ➡️ Keep it Clean: Ditch the word clutter. Killer decks are concise and impactful. ✂️ ➡️ The Dream Team: Strong copywriting paired with exceptional creativity is a winning formula. ✨ Very grateful to have had the opportunity to take a look behind the curtains as a judge and very excited to meet some of the fresh talent at Cannes in June with the Spin team. #CannesLions #YoungLions #Advertising #Creativity

What’s #DeloitteDigital Creative Director Shamel Washington’s top advice for fellow jurors heading into the #CannesLions2024 deliberation room? 📣“Advocate for the work you truly believe deserves recognition because it can change someone’s life.” Washington, a 2024 Pharma Lions juror, shared thoughts about his upcoming judging duties with SHOOT Magazine / SHOOTonline : Q: What have you learned from your prior experience at Cannes that you will apply to this year's tour of duty? ✅ That no matter how much time you are spending reviewing a piece of work, keep in mind that the creators spent so much more time creating it. Q: What’s the appeal of serving on the Pharma Lions Jury? ✅ We are in the midst of a creative renaissance in the pharma field. Campaigns are getting bolder and the skill level is on par with any other category in the field. Q: What’s your take on the value of the in-person jury room dynamic? ✅ I love hearing how other jurors perceive work and how it aligns (or clashes) with my perception. Q: How does judging a competition like this inform you and your agency? ✅ It furthers my appreciation for the process of getting an idea to the award show level. We must always find new and innovative ways to keep jurors engaged and break through the clutter. Read Washington’s full interview in SHOOT Online ➡️ https://deloi.tt/4ebO2h6 See you soon at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity!

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has finally arrived! Here are some remarks you will hear every day around the Palais: 1. “Why the hell hasn’t anyone thought about this before?” – proven fact: great ideas make a lot of sense when they are mature and successful. The challenge is appreciating them when they are still young and fragile. 2. “I once had an idea just like this one!” – can I tell you a secret? The person behind this idea probably said that many times as well, about other ideas. So, keep trying until someone else says it about your idea. Also, remember it’s not just about the idea, it’s also about execution and delivery. 3. “Wow! How did they come up with that?” – answer: they weren’t afraid to look for it. They believed in it even when others didn’t. They found a way to sell and/or produce it. 4. “So simple, so smart!” – so hard to come up with! 5. “We would never be able to approve something like this at our agency / for our clients / in our market” – from my experience, people with a long-life span in advertising love the creative thinking process, not just the creative outcome. So… if you still enjoy the thinking part – you are fine. Also… maybe it’s time for you to decide: are you OK with thinking about solid ideas in a more conservative environment (which is not a bad thing) or is time to move to another agency or another market which can cater your hunger for more creative freedom (which is not a bad thing)? 6. “That’s a scam. It was aired maybe once.” – Creative Excellence is about real work for real clients which made a real impact. No argument here! However… there is a difference between “Creative Excellence” and “Creative Thinking Excellence”. “Creative Excellence” awards should celebrate effective creative ads which were approved by clients. “Creative Thinking” awards can also celebrate amazing original disruptive thinking in general. What if… Cannes Lions added a category for exceptional creative thinking? NO RULES. Pure creative thinking. About ideas which a jury believes should be produced, not necessarily ideas a client will approve. The prize: financing the winning idea and bringing it to life. And a Lion. Of course… 7. “Maybe next year…” – YES. There is always next year! Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity #CannesLions2024 #CL2024 #LIONS2024 #Creativity #CreativeThinking #CreativeExcellence MindscapesCreativity

A recurring topic at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity I believe deserves our attention was the growing disconnect between agency fees and perceived brand value. Many brands voiced concerns that agency fees are too high while they view a lack of value in the work delivered. On the flip side, agencies argued that they are not being compensated enough for their efforts and creativity. Where is this disconnect originating and what could be a proper solution forward? This disconnect seems to stem from several factors: 🚩 Expectation vs. Reality: Brands may have high expectations for the impact of creative campaigns, sometimes unrealistic given budget constraints. 📊 Measurement of Value: There is often a lack of standardized metrics to measure the true value of creative work, leading to subjective evaluations. 🧐 Transparency: A lack of transparency in how fees are structured and how the value is delivered can cause mistrust and dissatisfaction. To bridge this gap, both brands and agencies could benefit from: 🤝 Longer-term Partnerships: Stronger creativity stems from longer-term partnerships, if brands embark on this they can lock in their fees multi-year. 📈 Value Metrics: Developing and agreeing upon the right standardized metrics to assess the value of creative work effectively. 💸 Transparent Pricing: Creating transparent fee structures that both parties understand and agree upon for better or worse. Addressing these issues collaboratively can lead to more successful partnerships and better outcomes for both brands and agencies. What are your thoughts on finding a middle ground in this ongoing debate? #CannesLions2024 #CEOinsights #CMOinsights #Marketing #Branding

HELLO #creatives. Are you sparkling with inspiration from Cannes Lions or are you back to staring into your screen waiting for another kicker fix of creative genius? Worry not! We’ve got you. It’s taken us a hot minute (er, two weeks) to catch our breath, but Brands&Culture has launched its post-Cannes report, in partnership with We Are Social and WeTransfer. In our first report, we’ve deep-dived into the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity winners that listened to, responded to, made, shaped and created culture. This work met consumers where they wanted to be met, uninterruptedly entered their lives, added value and left more than a crumb of value. It made an impact. You’ll get to hear from some of the leaders behind the work, including, the brilliant: Youri Guerassimov & Gaëtan du Peloux, Joint CCO & CEOs,  Marcel Paris Susie Walker, Chief Creative Operations Officer, DDB Jamie George Cordwell, Global Executive Creative Director, Edelman  Marissa Eddings, Senior Director Of Brand, Advertising, Media, In-Store Marketing, and In-House Creative Agency, 7-Eleven Alex Nassour, Senior Creative & Art Director, Wieden+Kennedy  Luca Lorenzini and Luca Pannese, Co-Founders and Executive Creative Directors, SMALL and top quote from Leila Fataar Cultural relevance matters, for everyone: for individuals, for businesses and for society at large. There isn’t a “Culture” Lion yet (there is a cultural insights sub cat though), so we focused on Entertainment, Social and Influencer, PR and Creative Strategy Lions and kept an eye on the cultural pulse across all other categories too to unearth a few trends and natty stats. I really hope you find it useful/ valuable/ in some way insightful :) 🐶 P.s. Did you know that Cannes Lions winners prefer dogs to cats?  🎮 And that gaming and grub should be an entire new Lions category? Josephine Andrews, Vanessa Sawyerr, Michelle Graves, Mark St. Andrew #creativity #canneslions

It’s easy to live in a bubble in many industries, especially in advertising. What we see as important, many others will find odd or even ridiculous. I’ve been reading a number of posts about Cannes this year, many are saying it seems to have lost its way. Many have been saying it is now more an overpriced tech gathering than a celebration of smart advertising creativity. Also, many noted the lack of young people. Why is that? Are they not interested? Or can’t afford to go? Or their agencies won’t pay to send them. Seems odd for an event such as Cannes not to be flooded with the next generation of talent. Maybe it’s time for a new event. One that is purely dedicated to the creative craft of advertising. It doesn’t even have to include awards, maybe it would be better if it didn’t. Instead, focus on elevating and inspiring better creativity in the industry. No mega yachts, no overpriced hotels, and no bookends. Just creativity. #cannes #creativity #advertising

The theme at Cannes Lions was a strategic move. Hear me out. I was scrolling through my gallery just a couple of days ago, when I see a screenshot I had taken of the Cannes lions 2024 event which held in June. The specific panel I had screenshotted was on personal branding. How significant! My brain began to do the maths. I was trying to put two and two together (one of those perks of being a neurodivergent) like I was unraveling a puzzle. I remember I wrote about personal branding (check my previous post on this), but it was at that moment I saw the bigger picture. It’s a strategic move that positions Cannes Lions as a forward-thinking platform that addresses the evolving landscape of marketing and communication. #personalbrandandcorporatebranding #branding #Canneslions #branding #Marketing #Advertising #Creativity #InfluencerMarketing #DigitalMarketing #BrandBuilding #UniquePerspective #IndustryInsights #MarketingTrends

Cannes takeaways: the beach areas got bigger and better… As normal daily life resumes MoreAboutAdvertising spoke to various industry voices about their key insights from visiting Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024. Sophy Vanner Critoph, Head of Strategy, Culture & Communications, Amplify commented: “Brands stepped it up; the programming was far more interesting, and the experiences more engaging. The focus of the programming has shifted towards people and cultural relevance, prioritising why people care about advertising over mere creativity for its own sake.” More About Advertising also heard from Patrick Garvey from WE ARE Pi; Melis Adigüzel-Tripp from Jung von Matt; David Juul Ledstrup from Kubbco - Creative Agency; James Kirkham from ICONIC and Léoda Esteve from Marcel. “The competition is harder than ever.” “The creators are coming.” “If I don’t mention AI, have I even been to Cannes?” Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e6cvkxEF #creativity | #design | #community | #content | #brandexperience | #experiencedesign | #experientialmarketing | #Cannes | #Canneslions