Pumpkin PR’s Post

With Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in full swing, check-out my latest PRWeek op-ed on why we need to continue to double down on the importance of #DEI at a time when diversity initiatives are losing steam across our industry. The Sway Effect #SwayEffectCannes #CannesLions2024

I attended the D&AD festival last week with TwentyFirstCenturyBrand and I initially came away a little nervous about the state of commercial creativity. Some of the judges shared that the creative was lacking this year. One judge noted ‘I rarely saw something that felt new and disruptive’, another talked about how contrived brand and artist collaborations had become. A few of the talks themselves were so shameless in their self/brand-promotion, I’m pretty sure A.I. had written them. Overall, it felt like the festival was not just a reflection of our uncertain times, but of our paralysing anxiety and fear of the uncertainty. I understand the feeling. I’m scared too. And I know it can be hard to go up on stage and offer a truly new perspective when all the balls are up in the air. The talks that stood out to me though were the ones that highlighted how to take advantage of moments like this. The people and brands who saw the swirl, conflict, and chaos as invitations to imagine something better. Like Lisa Smith from JKR and Leslie Sims from Impossible Foods, who repositioned plant based meat to ‘meat from plants’ and demonstrated how challenging dominant narratives in culture can unlock limitless innovation. Or Sinéad Burke from Tilting The Lens who questioned why ‘accessibility’ is even the end goal for brands attempting to be more inclusive. Why can’t products for people with disabilities function and deliver on craft, beauty, joy? Or the great Peter Saville who acknowledged the everlasting tension between commercial and creative, but urged us all to follow the brief, not the rules. We are undergoing a heightened amount of stress and trauma at the moment. These speakers (and many others) sought to remind us that we are all capable of creating awesome things in times of crisis. They instilled in me a renewed hope for the future of commercial and creative excellence, and I’m very excited to see where we go from here. #twentfirstcenturybrand #brandstrategy #creativeexcellence #marketing #commercialcreativity

🌟 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

Business Insider is gearing up for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. From June 17 – 21, we’re convening top CMOs across the industry to address a key question: How do you build a durable brand in a performance-driven world? Learn more — https://bit.ly/49RTemR #CannesLions #CannesLions2024

Is this infusion of celebrity culture good for the creative community? 🌟 The last word you'll see here from me about the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, but this pivotal shift is unmistakable. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝: This year, it wasn't merely about groundbreaking campaigns or inventive strategies. The festival spotlighted the significant role of celebrities, transforming them from mere attendees to central figures in creative discourse. Celebrity involvement is bridging the gap between content creation and personal branding, making creativity more accessible. 𝐘𝐞𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Does it enrich our creative landscape, or could it overshadow the pure artistic and strategic endeavors that have traditionally driven our industry? As we embrace this blend of fame and creativity, we must not forget that at the core of every impactful campaign is a creator whose distinct voice and perspective captivate audiences. So... is celebrity culture enhancing or diluting our creative community?

THINKHOUSE ON LINKED IN ↗ Thanks for following me. But do you follow THINKHOUSE on Linked In? That's where all the action is. Give us a follow if you don't already. Less 'Books I've never Written' more Work we've Done, Jobs up for grabs, Agency news etc... THINKHOUSE WORK ↗ I don't share all of THINKHOUSE's client work here on my Linked In. But this (https://lnkd.in/etZrYW2u) is where we share a lot of our FAME and PLANET work. Our TRANSFORMATION projects tend to be confidential projects that we undertake with business leaders to transform their organisatons, communications or culture (by looking at the world through the lens of the next generation - a unique way to future-proof). #transformation #planet #fame

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.

Cultural intelligence — understanding consumers and how to genuinely tap into culture — is not only transforming marketing strategies, it’s driving business growth. That is why the ‘Business of Culture’ is more than a content track at POSSIBLE. It’s a priority for the 3,000+ C-suite marketers, brand leaders and innovators who are joining us in Miami Beach in 3 weeks. And it’s a priority throughout our entire event ecosystem. And for me and my team! Here are some the ways the ‘Business of Culture’ is coming to life at #POSSIBLE2024: ➡️ Google, our premiere partner, will be unveiling their new Human:Human experience at POSSIBLE, during a special addition to our immersive event on Thursday, April 18. This initiative will set the stage for the future of DEIB in the marketing industry. More info and to RSVP: https://lnkd.in/geA-Vn5X ➡️ Through our various partnerships that are as diverse as the stories they tell. Group Black, TelevisaUnivision, She Runs It, digilearning, and The Female Quotient are some of the most important and inclusive marketing pioneers that will be at the forefront of our event. ➡️ In our programming – the keynotes, sessions, masterclasses and more – that will dive into the changing social, economic and demographic trends that are impacting the future of marketing. Our evolving agenda is available here: https://lnkd.in/gcyq-kQP Culture is about inclusion and diversity, representation in media and marketing, sustainability, consumer behaviors, and more. It’s not one size fits all. We’ve designed a dynamic, comprehensive event that takes all of these complexities into account. POSSIBLE is April 15-17 at the landmark Fontainebleau Miami Beach. If you haven’t already, NOW is the time to register, before it’s too late. GO TO 👉 https://lnkd.in/gVH3RcXQ #POSSIBLE2024 #FutureOfMarketing #DEI #Culture #BusinessOfCulture Steven Wolfe Pereira ⚡️, Donna Speciale, Bonin Bough, Travis Montaque, Shelley Zalis, Talia Bender Small, Lisa💫 Goodchild, Cheri Carpenter

In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic. - Howard Schultz

'Behind the Screens' Cannes edition is back! What are the main content categories that are leading the charge this year and next? Discover Mark Garner's opinion in this regard!