By Kartik Smetacek
Day One at Cannes is a bit like stepping up to the Sunday buffet at the Taj Land’s End, where the only two questions running through your head are, ‘Where do I start?’ and ‘How much can I pack in?’.
On the menu today is a scrumptious line up of speakers, including one of my heroes John Hegarty with a talk on the business of creativity intriguingly titled Why Giants Can’t Dance. Looking equally appetising is the session by Marcel Marcondes from AB InBev about Building Brands in the Age of Experiences. Then there’s my favourite haunt, the work showcase in the basement of the Palais, a smorgasbord of the year’s best ideas from across the world, in every medium. Like I said before, where do you start?
The thing that sets the Cannes Lions apart from every other award show is how it’s always been ahead of the curve. When storytelling expanded beyond the 30-second TVC into experiences, culture and tech, so did the awards. Well before digital became the primary medium, it was quick to introduce categories for cyber, mobile and branded content. From celebrating purpose-driven work before it was mainstream to awarding breakthroughs in commerce and data, Cannes has made sure its definition of creativity keeps pace with the world.
Today, the festival has evolved far beyond an advertising award to a platform that champions the power of ideas in shaping culture, driving innovation and solving real-world problems. The biggest proof point of which is the festival that happens around the festival. Beyond the walls of the Palais, you’ll find every beach commandeered by a different platform, each hosting their own set of talks, workshops, meet-ups and expos. On my itinerary this year is Meta’s Reel SuperStudio, Microsoft’s Art of the Prompt AI showcase, Canva’s Sea of Ideas AI installations and Stagwell’s Sport Beach that’s hosting a talk by Serena Williams.
Creating equal amounts of buzz at festival is the newest celebrity to walk the Croisette, the ‘Unknown Lion’. This real-time campaign by the Publicis Groupe is a demonstration of the power of its vast network of 19 million creators, boosted by technology and AI, to deliver impact at scale. By the end of the week, it promises to deliver Super Bowl level reach at a fraction of the cost.
Of course, the other thing Day One brings is multiple reunions. Old colleagues you’ve been too busy to catch up with, or familiar faces you’ve nodded to awkwardly when exiting a pitch meeting. In this neutral ground, agency rivalries are put aside and holding company loyalties forgotten. For this one week, we’re all representing the same team – team India.
(The author is chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi India)