The curtains came down on the 57th international advertising festival at Cannes, with a gala dinner at the Carlton beach. A grand fireworks display caught the eyeballs of all the delegates, with many a camera shutters blinking to capture the moment. As I step out and head towards my hotel, I know that the night has just begun for these delegates from across the world, as they take time to bid adieu to old acquaintances and new friends.
Earlier in the evening the Lions were announced for the Film, Film Craft, Titanium and Integrated categories. Not a great show for India, with only a campaign from Ogilvy Mumbai staking claim to two silvers for the Film category.
How did India fare this year? Could we have done better? What more needs to be done to ensure that we take our rightful place on the world stage of advertising? These are some of the questions the Indian contingent will take home with them, I am sure. But it was apparent that four categories especially offer great opportunity and potential for us – Media, PR, Direct and Cyber.
And tomorrow is another day.
Next year the Cannes festival promises to introduce new categories – the Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lion, to honour the link between creativity and effectiveness and a Black Lion to a person or company who has had a lasting impact on the industry. Also, next year the festival will don a new name…so, a lot of continuing excitement to look forward to and to work towards.
Something I heard from a regular – if you happen to visit the Palais a day after the festival, it looks like a ghost town – not only because all the people are gone, but also because they clean up everything so fast – there remains no evidence of this mega event.
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