Cannes Lions is not just an awards show it is a cultural dissection. It provides tremendous insight into what matters to us. Creative is the canary in the cultural coal mine.
Covid’s tentacles were everywhere. Every speaker, session, and jury acknowledged it. Now we have hope and vaccines, but last spring we had neither. And you could traceCovid’s lifeline through the work.
Early ideas like Nike’s You Can’t Stop Us rallied our spirits. While Heineken’s Shutters helped small bars survive lockdown by paying to advertise on their shutters. it was a brilliant reinvention, and created a brandable moment.
Thai Airways turned isolation into rewards by rewarding people for staying home.
But there is permission to laugh again. The cheese dust-riddled Cheetos Can’t Touch This spot with MC Hammer won largely because people want to be silly again.
Brands are now expected to support social change. This year the juries mandated action over words. It’s an evolution whose time has come, evolving us beyond Lion bait. That is the magic of ideas like Michelob Ultra’s Contract for Change. It was a long-term commitment to farmers to convert to organic farming.
Cross-pollination is its own kind of magic. PR companies continued to morph into agencies, and it showed on the podium.
The juries and work are no longer one colour, creed, gender or sexual orientation. The murder of George Floyd shook the world and the subsequent rise of BLM led to the most stunning piece this year; Beats by Dre’s “You Love Me”. It posed the question: you love my culture, but do you love me?
The remaining “ism” is ageism. Given the aging population and power of the Boomer wallet we still aren’t seeing age reflected or talked to in a meaningful way by many brands. This is a real opportunity.
Gaming has risen sharply in importance. Fortnite reinvented itself to became a platform to help children recognize and report abuse. Will brands continue to flock to gaming? I am betting yes.
The use of deepfake resulted in #stillspeakingup, featuring a murdered journalist digitally resurrected to fight government corruption. Fiction and reality blurs yet again.
This year the most dominant themes are those that are keeping us all up at night: climate change, sustainability and a planet choking in plastic. The Credit Card Diet laid it bare in a way that you cannot forget. The biggest issues we face were woven through every single category.
Creativity can help save the world
Yes, we help people wash their clothes, clean their hair and choose the right bank. But creativity is a powerhouse that goes much, much further. It helps cure illnesses, fight wrongs, and change minds.
I believe creativity has the power to transform any obstacle into an opportunity.
Just look at the Cannes Lions winners. I rest my case.