Week long learning at 61st Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

Tuesday, 24 June 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sithum Walter reporting from 61th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2014 Day Seven: Today was our last day at the 61st Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and I’m feeling bittersweet about going home. I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to come to Cannes and be surrounded by so many creative and inspirational people, but at the same time I’m going to find it difficult to leave. This past week I have learned so many lessons, heard motivational stories, gained new insights, met so many people and partied the nights away. I firmly believe that the team and I have grown immensely and will take our newfound knowledge and experiences and share these with the rest of the Leo Burnett Sri Lanka team. Today, there weren’t any seminars or lectures until 11.00 pm so we had the chance to view some of the shortlisted screenings. All of the entries that were shortlisted were really exceptional and thought provoking. As I was sitting in the audience, I was in awe of all the creative ideas that were conceptualized and executed from all around the world and I wondered what it would be like to live and work in those different countries. I haven’t gotten the opportunity to travel the world as much as I’d like to but these adverts really did give me a sneak peak into different cultures and societies and I am very grateful for that.

At 11.00 pm, we were part of the audience for a session called ‘Teaching New Technology Old Tricks’ by Contagious, which was also broadcasted live. In the seminar, Nick Parish Editorial Director, Americas, Contagious and Will Sansom Director, Content & Strategy, Contagious, analysed the growing gap between what marketing aspires to be and what it really is. It is a fact that our industry’s original innovators know that marketing was about aligning every discipline in a company so that it could be accurately mapped into the lives of real people. However the more nuanced and complex the media landscape has become, the more marketing has been reduced to a mere commodity through which brands barter for a share of customers’ attention and wallets while we still dream of moonshots and silver bullets. What’s a moonshot? It’s a seemingly impossible and yet impossibly important idea that, through science, technology and creativity, can be brought to reality. In the seminar, Contagious explored the theory that true innovation is actually something that marketing was born to do but it seems to be just forgotten now. Next on the agenda was an incredible seminar that completely changed the way I perceive sound, music and colour. The seminar was called ‘Audio Network: Innovation Day: Synaesthesia’ and was-a creativity showcase held by Neil Harbisson, human cyborg/inventor, and Phil Sheppard, virtuoso cellist. In this exceptional showcase, Philip Sheppard demonstrated his theory that music is liquid architecture. Without the audience even knowing, Philip used state-of-the-art technology along with an electric cello and spontaneously composed a piece of music with the audience. It was simply amazing. The other speaker Neil suffers from achromotospsia, which means he can only see in black and white. Neil showed

the audience a unique antenna that he wears which allows him to see in colour. After watching this seminar I felt like we sometimes we take things for granted, especially ourselves. The body is a beautiful thing and we can come up with incredible inventions that can further enhance and brighten our lives. In the final session of the day, activist and rock star Bono was proudly presented with the Inaugural Cannes LionHeart Award for his pioneering AIDS Organisation (RED). The campaign is a creative fusion of branding, activism and philanthropy that has generated more than $250 million for the fight against AIDS in Africa since 2006. The Cannes LionHeart Award is presented to a person or organization that makes a significant and positive difference to the planet or its people. In the seminar (RED): A Conversation with Bono and Jonathan Ive, Bono and Apple Inc’s Senior Vice President of Design discussed the success of (RED) and it’s unique collaboration with iconic global partners such as Apple, Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company and Bank of America to name a few. These brands contribute up to 50 percent of the charity’s profits through the sale of branded goods and services which go towards a global fund that fights AIDS, TB and Malaria whilst providing HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services. (RED) has positively impacted more than 40 million people suffering from the HIV/AIDS virus which is unarguably an impressive feat. Bono and (RED) showed us just how much cause-related marketing can work. They picked the colour red because it’s the universal colour for urgency and emergency. The closing gala took place in the evening on the Carlton Beach with a breathtaking display of fireworks. The gala was the best way to end such a fantastic week. We got to dress up and mingle with other delegates and laugh over the memories we made. So what was our Leo Burnett tally at Cannes? In the Direct, PR, Promo and

Activation category we earned three Gold Lions for ‘Bentley Burial’ (Leo Burnett Tailor Made), Samsung’s Maestros (Milan) and ‘If Only For A Second’ for the Mimi Foundation (Paris). This was also our network’s first Gold Lion awarded for Samsung Electronics. In Media, Mobile and Outdoor Lions we received 11 Lions including a Network of the Year win at the Health Lions across five offices - Moscow, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Chicago and Paris. It was truly amazing that Leo Burnett Colombia won the Inaugural Grand Prix for Good. Cyber, Design, Press and Radio Lions added 16 Lions to our network tally with contributing offices from London, Sao Paulo (Tailor Made), Paris, Sydney and Chicago, earning accolades for clients such as Samsung, Procter & Gamble and Jeep. Film, Film Craft, Branded Content and Entertainment, Innovation, Titanium and the Integrated Awards saw us win 10 Lions. The show marked the first-ever Cannes Gold Lion in Film for MENA, as Leo Burnett Dubai took home the prize for ‘Du’. At this year’s Cannes Festival, Leo Burnett Tailor Made was the most awarded agency in the network, bringing in 22 Lions (including 5 Health Lions) for its outstanding work on ‘Bentley Burial’, ‘My Blood Is Red and Black’ and more. Leo Burnett Paris was also heavily awarded, with 12 Lions now under its belt for work on the Mimi Foundation. Great show from our network! It was also great seeing all the other creative work from agencies all around the world. Our congratulations to Ogilvy & Mather for winning The Network of the Year title and BBDO for winning the Asia Pacific Regional Network of the Year award. The Creative Marketer of the Year trophy was presented to McDonald’s in honour of their consistency in placing creativity at the heart of their advertising and communications. The company has continuously distinguished themselves by inspiring innovative marketing of their products! I have to conclude that the 61st Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the world’s largest advertising festival was better than I imagined. I could not have had more fun with my colleagues Ranil, Matt, Marsh and Shayani and this experience is one we will speak of for years to come. I must also add that I am so proud of Sri Lanka as we came to Cannes with our largest delegation ever with entries from Leo Burnett, TBWA/TAL, Saatchi & Saatchi and Mindshare and the nine Young Lions. I know next year we will hit Cannes bigger and better. With exposure to 37,417 entries within 17 categories, 300 speakers with over 200 sessions, lectures, forums, tech talks, master classes, workshops and parties I know I won’t be the same person going back to Colombo for all of these have impacted me in the best, possible way. The Cannes International Festival of Creativity is an experience I’ll never forget and regardless of winning or losing, I will always hold this week close to my heart and it will influence my future creative work. It’s time to say goodbye Cannes, Au Revior! A special thank you to the Daily FT for covering our journey here at Cannes.