Pumpkin PR’s Post

Did you know that last Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity no one was awarded the 'Grand Prix for Good'? Indeed, it was the only category at Cannes not to have work deemed 'good' enough to win a Lion. We believe the industry can do better, and this year we aim to highlight some of the work that is trying to do 'good' with our 'Walk the Work: The Responsible Edit' tours. Spaces are filling up fast, so if you'd like to sign up to a tour, or indeed sit down and grab a coffee with Responsible Marketing Agency, please click on the link in the comments below. Alice Brady Aina Fuller #canneslions2024 #responsiblemarketing #responsiblemedia #sustainablemarketing

Cannes Lions has its own ‘walled garden’ – but is it a bug or a feature? In my final column covering this year’s festival, I ask why there is still a (very physical) disconnect between the creative and media industries here in Cannes - and why creativity isn't just a realm for the ‘big ideas’ visionaries. With even the Lions judges themselves saying that the standard of some entries “just wasn’t exceptional” and with creatively awarded ads now performing ‘average’ compared to previous years, do we need a rethink on what modern marketing creativity actually is? And is this a way to build a more joined up festival next year? Read my full column in the comments below, FREE TO READ today alongside my five daily travelogue articles written on the ground in Cannes Lions 2024. Just login or create a free account for early bird access to all 6 articles. Thank you to... Hugh Stevens, LiveRamp, Orlando Wood, System1, Sir John Hegarty, The Garage Soho, Charlotte Rawlings, Campaign UK, Andrew Tindall, System1 ...for their input and/or inspiration in writing this article. Joseph Arthur Jyoti Rambhai Reem Makari Celine Yaseen Samantha Johnston Jess MacDermot #performancemarketing #canneslions #marketing #creativity

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

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

🦁 Are you up-to-date with the game-changing updates coming to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Awards this year? 2024 brings a suite of transformative changes to the Cannes Lions, and understanding them is crucial for any creative professional or agency looking to make a mark. 🔍 From the introduction of the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions to the new additions to submission formats, every change has the potential to impact your strategy and success. But how exactly will these changes affect your entries? Are you prepared to navigate the new landscape of creativity and innovation these updates will bring? We've delved deep into each of these changes in our latest blog post, providing a comprehensive breakdown and insights on what they mean for you. This isn't just about staying informed – it's about gaining a competitive edge in one of the industry's most prestigious arenas. 🏆 🌟 And if you just don't want to think about it all but still shine at Cannes Lions 2024? We are here to guide you through these new waters. Let’s make Cannes 2024 your year of triumph - send us a DM and see how we can help you navigate Cannes. #CannesLions2024 #Advertising #CreativeStrategy https://lnkd.in/d2tgzwmP

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

What were the biggest trends at Cannes Lions 2024? 🌟 I personally didn't attend this year’s festival but stumbled across a short article by Lou Paskalis that outline some interesting takeaways: 📈 RMNs are booming: Retail Media Networks are capturing attention with premium experiences and first-party data. Demand set to outpace supply! 🔄 Publishers pivot: From content to commerce, publishers are now focusing on direct sales. (lower funnel) 🌍 Sustainability strides: New frameworks aim to reduce the industry's carbon footprint. At least a starting point... 🏀 Sports culture reigns: Stagwell’s "Sport Beach" underscored the power of sports in connecting with audiences. 📰 News resilience: Despite challenges, quality journalism seeks sustainable ad support. And his last point that I 100% agree with: ✨ Serendipity wins: Cannes Lions' magic lies in unexpected, valuable encounters. If you were at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this year, let me know if anything else stood out to you in the comments below (where I also placed a link to the article)! 👇 #CannesLions #Advertising #DigitalMarketing #Sustainability #Innovation

Cannes Lions markets itself as the ‘International Festival of Creativity’, but I don’t understand how you can celebrate true creativity if creativity = the size of your wallet. I’ve never entered the Cannes Lions awards before, but this year I thought I’d give it a go. That is until I saw the extortionate entry fees and debated if the kudos of winning this so called ‘prestigious award’ was worth me selling a kidney. There are lots of small independent agencies that are creating ground-breaking campaigns, but they will never be able to financially compete with the larger more established beasts. As a result you have brilliant creative that deserves awards but isn't recognised due to the creation of these elitist and exclusive environments. Organisations like D&AD and The Gerety Awards recognise this, and they offer a 30% discount to small indies which proves that a more equal playing field can be created - you just have to want to do it. But when I asked Cannes Lions if they have a similar incentive, their response was: ‘As a completely neutral party when it comes to awarding, we are unable to provide any discounts or waive fees for any entrants.’ I’m sorry but offering discounts to small indies doesn't sacrifice your neutrality – and it should have no bearing on the judging process itself – what it can offer is a wider, more diverse selection of creative for judges to consider. Which can only be a good thing for the industry and for Cannes Lions itself. How will we ever celebrate fresh perspectives and underrepresented voices if these systemic barriers remain? And the award entry fee is just the tip of the iceberg – throw in the entry to the Palais on top and the extortionate travel and accommodation fees for the South of France in June, and there’s no point even considering it. And then there’s the judging itself. Apparently, you can only judge Cannes Lions if you have won a Cannes Lions. And that my friends is the vicious cycle of elitism at its finest. What should be the high watermark for creative excellence in our industry becomes a wealthy mutual back-slapping exercise between past winners and rich agencies. Maybe I’m alone on this, but I personally think Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity really needs to take a long, hard look at what its current structure is saying to the industry – because all I can see is the perpetuation of inequalities that already exist and the promotion of the same work by the same big agencies, judged by the same people every year. Thus closing the door on diversity. If you really believe in creating a more inclusive landscape that genuinely celebrates the best work that our industry has to offer, you need to put your money where your mouth is. Not ours. #canneslions #equality #diversityandinclusion #awardsandrecognition

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.

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