The first two and a half days of the Festival have been a blur of activity. As in years past, the majority of attendees appear to be more interested in seminars, workshops, and screenings than the actual award shows. The days (and the auditoriums) are packed with discussion of digital, mobile, brand integration and the agency model of the future -- topics we have been discussing and debating over and over for years.

I would argue that the best conversations are the ones being had after a long day of these presentations. You can go to seminars and screenings all day, but nothing compares to the depth of knowledge shared this week through face-to-face communication. Which is why you'll find a great number of the more seasoned marketers hanging out on the Carlton Patio -- the center of the advertising universe during the Cannes Lions.

Early scuttlebutt has centered around the topic we have all been discussing as of late -- what method of communication is most relevant to consumers today? As my friend Chris Rossiter, director of production for Leo Burnett US, put it, "We are living the dream of Orson Welles -- reaching everybody in every form imaginable."

So, who's to say there is one best method? That branded content trumps a TV spot? Or that print is dead or digital is king? Maybe we should stop trying to name a winner and start coming up with more ideas worth talking about.

According to director, film-maker and creative genius Spike Jonze, "No one genre connects best with consumers. It's all about the idea." He believes that the idea must come first and then we can decide how best to communicate it. I don't think you'll find many people here that disagree with that. At least, I hope you won't.

Interestingly, that notion has led to a great deal of discussion around the kind of people we want to work with and that we want working for us. Maybe that's why Cannes feels like one long round of speed dating.

So, after my first few days here, the biggest reminder I am giving myself is that it all comes down to people. The people that develop the ideas, buy the ideas, and ultimately, the people that engage with our ideas, pass them along, buy our products and of course, talk about them with their friends.


Lisa Bennett
Chief Creative Officer of DDB West
DDB San Francisco


Posted on June 23, 2010 2:54 PM | Permalink

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