What Execs Want to See and Hear From Cannes Lions' Return

Over the years, Ascential-owned creative festival Cannes Lions has developed a reputation—perhaps undeservedly—as a party week for mostly senior advertising personnel to catch up, seek out new jobs and neck copious amounts of booze. I did say “perhaps undeservedly” but, with three years since the event last took place in person, this could be a real chance for a reset and a refocus on the opportunities the event brings to those who attend. Gathered around the table to offer their expectations were Pip Hulbert, UK CEO of Wunderman Thompson, Trevor Johnson, head of marketing, global business solutions for TikTok, Nadja Lossgott, chief creative officer of AMV BBDO, Al Mackie, chief creative officer for Rapp and Karen Boswell, chief experience officer at VMLY&R EMEA. The value of the festival “It has to be different this year,” said Johnson, a former executive at Facebook and AOL, who begins the conversation by pointing out that he believes it is “unfair” to judge the entire week on what happens each evening—“beyond that, there’s a lot of great stuff.” He adds that it's an opportunity for companies and delegates to show themselves to be “a major player” in the industry and a time to talk to partners and review deals. “There’s some really good business that gets done there,” he continues, adding that this is the first time TikTok will showcase its capabilities to global advertisers at Cannes Lions. Hulbert adds that there should be a time for celebration too—of the award-winning work and the hard work put in. From her perspective, there is a lot of work and “multiple objectives” to achieve including “the immense amount” of client meetings and engagements throughout the week. “It really has changed. It’s almost like there's a business plan and a strategy for Cannes, with clear outcomes and objectives that we need to achieve,” she adds. If we don't talk about ... the world and where it’s going and how we're going to change and adapt as brands ... then it's a missed opportunity.Trevor Johnson, head of marketing, global business solutions for TikTok In terms of the Festival’s creative heritage, Lossgott believes that “the fundamentals of Cannes should never change.” In her view, that it means celebrating the creativity as “the ultimate art of persuasion.” She calls it “magical.” Lossgott also highlights that a growing number of clients had begun to attend the Festival in the years prior to the pandemic, as they have realized its value as a source of creative conversation. Mackie chimes in on the opportunity for delegates to see the work produced from the last year, “particularly when we’ve been stuck in our bedrooms, to actually go and see the problems that other people have been solving by bringing different creativity, is really exciting.” Growing limitations around access to the work However, there is recognition around the table that the Lions organizers have heightened the restrictions for access to attend and see the work—either in person or through its online platform, which was launched to enable the awards to take place virtually last year. “There’s almost a paywall followed by another paywall and then another, before people can see the work,” Mackie laments, adding that it has made sharing “what great work looks like” more difficult. You look at the case studies and you see … what has been effective. That should be open for everybody to be able to get their hands on.Karen Boswell, chief experience officer at VMLY&R EMEA Boswell, a vocal fan of Austin-based event SXSW, which she believes successfully “connects people," says the return of Cannes is a chance for organizers to “get rid of the sycophancy, get rid of the elitism and actually embrace inclusivity of people at the event. Not just the inclusivity of the work.” She believes the event is walking “a fine line” for people to gain access stating it to be “fucking expensive to be able to get access to what should be democratization of world class, creativity. And if that's what they stand for.” Those restrictions—including the attempt to limit access to the hotels for anyone without a delegate pass—was something that prevented attendees from experiencing “serendipitous moments,” Johnson said. He, too, laments the digital walls that restrict access to the work. “You look at the case studies and you see … what has been effective. That should be open for everybody to be able to get their hands on because creativity creates creativity,” Boswell continues. Safety and respect Another area of concern Johnson highlights is the experience of people of color who attend the festival, which he describes as “not a great experience”—particularly for women. This includes microaggressions and suppositions that are still prevalent in society, especially during events attended in the majority by middle-class white people. Discussing the issue of safety in Cannes, which is something the city itself claims to have been improving through the installation of a camera network, policing and local communications, Boswell revealed that the VMLY&R team will have a ‘safe environment,’ which anyone on the team will have access to 24/7. Meanwhile, Hulbert explained she felt the small contingent of ‘senior professionals” attending from WT would be together throughout and so general safety wasn’t an issue they had considered. “It’s always important and for us," added Lossgott. "It’s about looking after each other and never walking home on your own … it is important for the whole industry to be able to look after each other and—if you see something happening—to be able to intervene." The world's problems As to the conversations each wish to be engaged in during the festival—they vary around the table. Boswell wants to hear the industry focus on “people first” solutions from creative to or product experience, while Johnson hopes it will acknowledge and consider “the world’s ills” at the moment. What to Expect From Cannes Lions as the Festival Returns She also proposes that the organizers donate money to help Ukraine, which should be remembered during the event, while wondering if the war may get “lost in the noise.” Boswell said the conversation around sustainability is also one that needs to be ongoing. “If we don't talk about the world and where it’s going and how we're going to change and adapt as brands and organizations—and the stories we tell them through the creative tools we make or the influencers we utilize to tell those stories—then it's a missed opportunity,” added Johnson. Losgott adds that she wants to hear more empathy and consideration being made for consumers and across the industry for colleagues and staff: “At the end of the day that is all you have—your people—and to be able to nurture and give them inspiration will help them come up with brilliant solutions.” She also expresses her personal excitement around the return of the event: “Having something to celebrate and seeing people that you haven't seen in ages and actually properly connecting with them and having conversations that you haven't been able to have. Zoom doesn't replace real life. I think that it's just amazing to be able to sit down and have a couple of hours to discuss something that you haven't really been able to get into the nitty gritty about. That is something to keep doing.” Cannes Lions returns from June 20 through until June 24. Follow Adweek for continuing coverage of the Festival. Adweek Abroad in Cannes