Is Cannes Lions Missing Out on an Opportunity to Address Sexual Harassment in Advertising?

There is little doubt that the atmosphere at this summer's Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity will be different than in past years. But how dramatic will the change be, and how much of a difference will it ultimately make? Over the last six months, sexual harassment and gender equality have been the most heated topics of conversation across the agency world as a series of high-profile men lost their jobs following accusations of sexual misconduct. The entertainment industry is still in the midst of its own reckoning, which started last October when Harvey Weinstein's accusers first went public. May's Cannes Film Festival subsequently turned into a referendum on harassment and inequality by way of a highly publicized hotline, a powerful speech in which actress Asia Argento accused Weinstein of raping her at the very same event years earlier and a red carpet protest demanding greater representation for female directors. Despite a parallel between the two festivals, many ad industry leaders—along with this year's program itself—suggest Cannes Lions will address the matter in a much more restrained way. Talking around the issue This five-day agenda includes one official panel, titled "Never Finished," in which #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Levi-Strauss CMO Jen Sey and FCB West CCO Karin Onsager-Birch will discuss female empowerment and "the power of authentic self-expression." Two other events concern the future of masculinity and the Miss America pageant "in the age of #MeToo." The Female Quotient's Girls' Lounge is also hosting an "Equality Party" sponsored by Deloitte Digtal on Monday, and CEO Shelley Zalis said, "We are completely supportive of every movement that encourages people to stand up, stand out and stand together." But Cannes Lions 2018 includes no panel dedicated to discussing sexual harassment in advertising—and some see this as a glaring omission. [kickout id="2"] "Cannes has long celebrated creativity, but it is time to also look at the culture from which it arises," said Kat Gordon, founder of The 3 Percent Conference. "At a time of deep disruption in our industry and beyond, the lack of formal programming at Cannes around #MeToo is a huge missed opportunity for agencies, holding companies, the brands they serve and the people they employ." Wongdoody executive creative director Pam Fujimoto, who has attended Cannes twice in her agency career, added, "It’s surprising—it’s almost ballsy, actually—that they would not address the biggest elephant in the room at the biggest industry event. I think it sends a message that they’re not recognizing the problem." Others were more equivocal. "I’m not sure if I was expecting them to do something, if I’m honest," said Wieden + Kennedy co-CCO Colleen DeCourcy. One reason Cannes Lions will never approach the matter as aggressively as its film equivalent, she said, is that "most of the people in the entertainment industry are on contract, so they do speak for themselves and their careers." Advertising professionals, on the other hand, represent both their employers and the clients—which makes it harder for whistleblowers to speak out. Regarding groups like Time's Up Advertising, of which DeCourcy is a founding member, the agency leader said, "It’s such a fine line that we’re asking these ladies to walk, and I’m super grateful." Cannes Lions executive festival director Louise Benson acknowledged that "gender and the many related discussion points around that" had "been brewing as a hot topic" since she joined the organization in 2014 before they "exploded" this year. But unlike its film counterpart, Cannes Lions prefers to avoid certain kinds of controversy. "There are broadly similar objectives we support: zero tolerance of harassment; encouraging the industry to be the best it can be; and ensuring every type of person is treated equally and with respect," Benson said. "But there appear to be schisms [within the movement], and we strive to be neutral." Growing organic conversations Referring to Tarana Burke's presence at Cannes this year, Benson said, "obviously, this is a discussion that will be aired formally on our platform as well as informally in and around Cannes." One such informal event is IPG's eighth annual Women's Breakfast in Cannes, which will include a conversation with Burke, Gloria Steinem and Deutsch president Kim Getty. Cannes' overarching goal, Benson added, is to "encourage debate to move forward in a tolerant way." [kickout id="4"] Tiffany R. Warren, Adcolor founder and svp, chief diversity officer at Omnicom, said the festival has made significant progress in the past five years. She cited Burke's participation and an increased focus on matters of diversity and inclusion, a contrast from a time when celebrities were hired to appear "as practitioners because they're black or Hispanic" even though they "had no relevance to those working in advertising." This year, Warren will help lead a panel discussing the business value of diversity with HP CMO Antonio Lucio, Westworld actress Thandie Newton and British Vogue editor in chief Edward Enninful. Regarding those who advocate for a more direct approach on harassment, she said, "The question is, how are you bringing the conversation, and will it be productive? Is it solution-oriented? I'm looking for more than just giving someone a platform." Warren added that Burke's presence all but ensures the issue will come up in some way. (Adweek contacted the #MeToo organization's listed press line but has not received a response.) "You can be sure conversations will be had by women AND men while we are all gathered there at Cannes to celebrate our industry," Gordon wrote to Adweek. "We wish those conversations were being had front and center at the Palais where we can collectively work to find solutions so ALL can thrive in the modern workplace." Is gradual progress good enough? For her part, Warren stated that industry advocates cannot rely on trade organizations to lead the way. "I get that there's a sense of urgency and respect that; I’ve had it [that urgency] for 21 years with diversity. If you want long-term change, it can’t just be about a panel here and there," she said. [kickout id="3"] Fujimoto of Wongdoody said these conversations will spring up naturally, but predicted Cannes Lions' decision to avoid drawing a line in the sand would become a topic unto itself—especially since "there are so many #MeToo stories that literally happened at that festival." Argento made a similar point about the film festival (which is not tied to the advertising festival) when she referred to it as Harvey Weinstein's "hunting ground." The organization has, by its own account, amplified the voices of female industry leaders. Cannes has not taken any specific pledges like those espoused by the 50/50 by 2020 organization, but Benson said the presence of women on Cannes Lions stages, panels and juries is "going up every year." In 2018, for example, the overall percentage of women on its juries went from 43.5 percent to 46 percent, although only nine of 26 jury presidents this year are female. "I don't work in the ad industry," said Benson, "but it would appear to me that these conversations are overdue."