1. Creativity Transcends Covid
The attendance was down at Cannes Lions this year, but spirits were up. The 12,000 of us who attended from 78 countries were eager to talk about creativity for a change, instead of viral load. Even the notoriously hard-bitten Palais staff had a cheery disposition.
2. An Unexpected Appearance
Celebrities were brought to bear, Ryan Reynolds, Sir Patrick Stewart, Malala, Turana Burke and Paris Hilton graced the stages while Dua Lipa held sway over Spotify beach.
But it was President Zelenskyy who electrified the Palais. He appeared via video link and made his appeal for the most creative minds in the world to unite for the Ukrainian cause.
3. A Bag of Rocks
War and climate change dominated the headlines, as well as the work. Greenpeace scaled the front of the Palais in an anti-fossil fuel protest. A dinosaur bearing a sign saying “Don’t choose extinction” roamed about. Ryan Reynolds said it best, “We’re all carrying around a big bag of rocks these days.”
4. Brands and Social Change
Our collective expectation is that brands should champion social change, and it showed in the work. The issues were heavy, and they were many; from climate change, dying coral reefs, and depleting rain forests to plastic in oceans, domestic violence and child marriage.
The brilliance of the work was inspiring but emotionally draining in equal measure.
5. Inclusivity Redefined
Accessibility-driven ideas harvested Lions thus expanding the inclusiveness of “inclusivity”. Brilliant ideas found ways to include those with compromised hearing, low vision, or those facing challenges caused by Down Syndrome. A beautifully simple idea from Korea insured the safety of the elderly, again another aspect of inclusion.
6. Cue the Laughter
Humour was in short supply this year. Where it appeared, it was awarded. Skittles, and their abject grovelling 10-hour personalized apology for switching lime-flavoured Skittles to green apple was exceptional. The cleverness of personalization deployed on a mass scale made it truly Lions-worthy.
7. FOMO + The Metaverse
Session-driven FOMO abounded. As always there were dozens of speakers, panels and presentations. Tech talk was rampant. Brands are struggling to figure out their role in the wild west that is the Metaverse. For some, the white-hot buzzwords were NFTs and Web3, while others just rolled their eyes.
8. ROE – Return on Emotion
Josy Paul of BBDO India, a multi-Lions winner, describes our work as emotional archeology. Like an antennae picking up needs, thoughts and feelings he suggests deep listening skills to create relevant ideas. As humans, our universal currency is feelings. Brands that understand the power of emotion achieve far greater relevance.
9. The New Epidemic
Yes, with the lack of mandatory masking in the Palais, Cannes ended up being a 12,000-person global super spreader. But the new epidemic was Missing Luggage. Half of Cannes – like me– was doing without. I cadged clothes from friends and posted daily updates on Linked In. I simply got on with it but was buoyed by the support of 17,000 folks who chimed in with support and clothing to spare.
The Year Ahead
Cannes Lions lurched to its feet after a two-year hiatus. Attendance was soft, but inspiration flourished. I was so glad to be back to celebrating big, beautiful ideas. Bittersweet Symphony by U2 was the closing song of the Lions Festival. That was the perfect summation of the last two years for all of us.
It was a tough slog, it’s still going be tough – who’s kidding who.
But the Lions are roaring again, and they serve to remind us of the power of creativity for the year ahead.
MERCI TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL
