Bonjour. I just landed in Cannes today via Brussels. I’m tired but excited about my 11th Cannes experience. First thing is to register, check in and get ready for a kick-off dinner with Bob Scarpelli and a few DDB friends.
While everyone seems to be debating the pulse of Cannes – or if you’re
Ad Age’s Bob Garfield, whether or not there should even be one – I am still looking forward to this year’s Festival, our prospects for winning, the clients and press that are attending, our many jurors and of course the seminars featuring some faces you know.
Follow me for all things DDB or if you just need to know where a vegetarian can find a decent meal in Cannes:
http://twitter.com/cheronis
If you’re not yet in the world of Twitter, you can always keep coming back to this post to see my latest tweets.
Wish us luck! Au revoir.
Amy Cheronis, SVP/U.S. Communications Director, DDB & Tribal DDB
Posted on June 22, 2009 10:03 PM
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Comments (11)
Grace Holdsmith
Oh boy, this is a load of tripe. Large agencies should be leading change not endorsing the status quo. Cannes has become absolutely irrelevant (if it ever was) given the times. Well enjoy your time there all congratulating each other for inertia and celebrating a business approach from the 1970's. Garfield is correct - name another industry that goes so far out of its way to make it seem valuable by awarding itself so much?
Posted by Grace Holdsmith | June 23, 2009 5:43 PM
Seth Greenberg
I am wondering how many less people would have been laid off in the industry if agencies refused to pay award show entries - not to mention sending teams of people to the events. Sorry you are finding it difficult to find a good vegetarian restaurant in France. Things are tough all over.
Posted by Seth Greenberg | June 23, 2009 6:30 PM
Jonston Okeche
I kind of agree with tjhe other comments but wanted to say that the Effies arent bad in concept. They try to get to what clients really need. Advertisintg is no longer about just being creative for the sake of creativity. Sure a big idea is fine as long as it results in awareness + sales = ROI. And part of ROI should be agencuies fees. Another commemt is how many awards shows do we really need? And do clients really care about them? AdAge should do a survey on that because they just did an article on Burger King and how sales have not gone up at all even with brand buzz.
Posted by Jonston Okeche | June 23, 2009 6:41 PM
Henrik Stennasen
There is only one award for an agency - a happy client. And the only way to make the client happy is to help them sell. Awards make the agency feel good, no more.
Posted by Henrik Stennasen | June 24, 2009 5:02 PM
Rebecca McMahon
Argggh I tried posting this 3 times. I hope this one works.
We all must remember that awards are big business. Cannes is not a nonprofit. Agencies who value Cannes are living in the past kind of like Mad Men. If it were to go away next year no one would care. Really think about it - we would all be fine. It is a cottage industry that has to go. I have never received a brief that says win me an award.
Posted by Rebecca McMahon | June 24, 2009 5:05 PM
The Ad Guy
Hey all you people hot under the collars check this out:
Jeff Goodby: 'We are Becoming Irrelevant Award-Chasers'
Creative Leader Calls for Focus on the 'Famousness' of a Piece of Work http://adage.com/cannes09/article?article_id=137525
But man check out the comments.
Posted by The Ad Guy | June 24, 2009 5:08 PM
Jo Campnelli
Hey wait everyone, I still want to know if Amy found her veggie restaurant. Poor girl.
It would be marvelous next year if one of the big agencies did not partake in Cannes or any awards show and trumpeted that fact - now that would be a leader. But off you go lemmings...
Posted by Jo Campnelli | June 24, 2009 5:13 PM
d steiner
We are german agency and awards do not signel any thing to our clients. We like when they happy when they have good turnover and financial result.
Posted by d steiner | June 24, 2009 6:03 PM
Dick Harnsted
Have you noticed AdAge's coverage of Cannes? It is way downplayed from previous years and almost takes the contrarian lead on award shows. This is awesome because we need to change the industry for sure.
Posted by Dick Harnsted | June 24, 2009 6:08 PM
Jess Chen
You know who is most interested in DDB's (or Crispins or BBDOs) awards? The pr people at those agencies so they can send out a press release that no one will read. How about one advertising award a year and it is people's choice. We have the technology! There are too many award shows and too many awards within each show.
Posted by Jess Chen | June 24, 2009 6:12 PM
Aamir Malik
Broadly speaking, there are two schools of thought that are working in this industry: One that works for awards and another that works for doing great advertising. I vouch for the second because the awards come naturally if you do great advertising. You don't have to WORK FOR THEM! While working for awards almost always deviates us creatives from the core objective and the focus is shifted from what the advertising should achieve to what we want to achieve as self-gratification. It's selfish, and to a certain extent grossly criminal. But I'm sure not many people would agree with me on this as the glitter, glamour and glory of such events, especially Cannes, is so blinding that oftentimes we tend to ignore the very purpose of our responsibilities and duties towards our trade. But to me it always sounds like making an ad, then making and ad of the ad and blowing the trumpet. My heart leaps when I behold a smile on my client's face. That's my lion. That's what I call my roaring success...
Posted by Aamir Malik | June 26, 2009 8:55 AM