McCann Paris’ Post

Stress is horrific and dangerous. It can cause an adverse effect on your health, your wellbeing and your relationships. But not all stress is equal. Because when it’s born from a desire to satisfy your own or shared vision - rather than succumbing to the pressure and isolation of others - it can, as Si points out below, be a sign of giving a f*ck. It may not be cool to talk about ‘graft’ these days (which is very different to the dangers of ‘hustle culture’) but it’s still the foundation of standing any chance to make, do or create something special. We don’t talk about that enough. Not because I ever want to advocate for stress, but because I do want to celebrate craft, creativity and care. Or should I say, I want the people who act/claim they have all the answers to respect and acknowledge it … given they’ve never made any actual work and haven’t got the faintest idea what it takes or costs to make something proper good. Commercially, creatively, emotionally or artistically. So well done to everyone who put their work out there to be judged and criticised, regardless of the result. Few do. Few would. Because even though it’s business, it’s always - absolutely always - personal.

Some gems here.

I usually say that Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is for network, not for inspiration. But this year I came home inspired. I had the great pleasure of speaking about the Sounds Right initiative (https://lnkd.in/eHkwDi8A) and how we made Nature an official artist alongside Katja Iversen, Cathy Runciman and Adam Cardew hosted by Stan Stalnaker at the beautiful Hub Culture garden. And later, participating in the awe-inspiring round table at the Goals House hosted by Earth Public Information Collaborative about The Most Important Brief (https://lnkd.in/d_q7WmTP).   Both of those sessions were filled with inspirational people who believe in the power of creativity to drive change for the better. Eager to make more brands and companies move from purpose and profit to impact and responsibility. And looking across the winners it seems like we’re not alone in this mission. Not only did a lot of the winners involve a cause. They have also moved from the more gimmicky way of activating against a cause to creating actual long term impact. It is obviously impossible not to mention our own Pink Chip initiative by the amazing Amsterdam crew. But I also love the Sol Cement SightWalks project by Grey Peru. As well as the Mastercard Room for Everyone campaign by McCann Poland. Just to name a few. I do agree with Karen Howe that it is concerning how many cases – especially in the Glass Lions category – are centered on female oppression. Who would have thought that in 2024 we would have such a high need for creative problem solving within this area? But creativity is there. Having an impact. And this year to a higher degree than we have seen in a long time. If awarding creativity really is like smelling your own farts as Mark Ritson said on stage, this year the smell doesn’t really bother me.

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 71st Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity concluded with the penultimate awards night. The awards were presented for the Film Lions, Glass: The Lions for Change, Sustainable Development Goals Lions, The Dan Wieden Titanium Lion, and The Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Good categories. Special awards were also announced to demonstrate Cannes Lions' dedication towards transparent and accurate results. Creative Company of the Year : 1. WPP 2. Omnicom Media Group 3. Interpublic Group (IPG) Network of the Year : 1. Ogilvy 2. Publicis Worldwide 3. DDB Worldwide Independent Network of the Year : 1. Rethink 2. Edelman 3. Serviceplan Group Agenturgruppe Agency of the Year : 1. Publicis Conseil, Paris, France 2. Rethink, Toronto, Canada 3. Ogilvy, New York, United States Independent Agency of the Year : 1. Rethink, Toronto, Canada 2. Edelman, London, United Kingdom 3. Klick Health, Toronto, Canada Palme d'Or : SMUGGLER, United States Creative Brand of the Year : 1. The Coca-Cola Company 2. The HEINEKEN Company 3. Apple Wieden + Kennedy | Superette | DoorDash | Marcel, Paris | Orange | The Monkeys | Accenture Song | Sydney Opera House | Ogilvy Singapore | Vaseline | Publicis Conseil Paris | Renault Group | INNOCEAN Berlin | Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Congratulations to all the winners! #Creativity #CannesLions #Advertising #Winners #Adtechtoday

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

OMG. Someone wrote something about Cannes without totally shitting all over it or saying "I remember when it used to be cool." (Me. I did.) Enter: 'Is everyone winning a Grand Prix except me? (A non-hating, pragmatic assessment of advertising and marketing awards.)' Here's that link now: https://lnkd.in/eKe6D4ms Here are some things they (I) said: "I’m not that into having affairs and licking MDMA off my hand. So I don’t tend to go to many industry events, period. But why does Cannes get all the shade when there are so many advertising and marketing award festivals playing a similar game? Is there anything more uniquely “broken” with Cannes than any of its competitors? Not that I’m aware of. I genuinely believe Cannes receives the hate and “I remember when it used to be cool” that it does because of the excess and debauchery of some of the behaviour that surrounds the festival. The world does not need more people hating on Cannes, or claiming they were there in the halcyon days. So, please, think of this as more as a ponder piece. Besides, I find it too convenient that most people berating awards and claiming they will never enter them, already have office shelves full of them. Award shows have always been great at distorting reality, making us wonder why we’re not all constantly writing award winning work that creates more impressions than 100x the population of planet earth. So, whilst I'm acknowledging that reality distortion, I’m not encouraging not entering. I’m just hoping I can inspire a slightly healthier mindset in people, that might in turn lead to less suffering and disillusionment. Perhaps go easier on yourself next year if you don’t win." #Cannes #Creativeagency #Advertising #Marketing #Creativity

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

It’s simple: Purpose is effective when purpose is done for a brand and company whose values and intentions are authentic.

An insightful take on the current state of #Cannes #advertisingawards and #multiculturalism I'm interested to hear more thoughts on this from the #linkedin #community