Indian entries at Cannes Lions 2011 soar to 1173

As the number of entries from across the world at Cannes Lions 2011 grew by 19% to reach an all-time high of 28,828, the number of Indian hopes saw a similar trend. Showing a 9% rise from last year, the entries this year for the coveted awards are 1173.

Terry Savage, chairman, Cannes Lions, said, "India has been a very strong entrant country in the past few years and 2011 was no exception - growth was behind the average but the volume was  still very strong. Other BRIC countries performed  strongly: Brazil increased 24% to 2631 entries, Russia grew 182% but by a far lower volume to 288 entries, and China grew 32% to 474 entries. This should also be seen in the context however that India is a very strong entrant country, historically being in the top  6 countries in terms of entries last year and the top seven countries this year."

Asked about whether there are any categories that have seen more Indian entries this year, Savage said, "Yes, but there are also categories that saw less entries. Decreases in particular categories were marginal. Radio grew by 43  entries, Design by 50 entries, Titanium & Integrated grew by 7 entries to 11, and Effectiveness, a first time category, saw 7 entries from India." In categories like Cyber and Film Craft which India traditionally hasn't done well in, he said that one was down marginally and the other was up marginally.

Commenting on the number of entries received from around the world, Philip Thomas, festival chief executive officer, said, "As a global event, Cannes Lions reflects the advertising and communications industry around the world. The record entries show that the industry is bouncing back from the financial crisis. Entry numbers from emerging countries are significantly up, and Asia has a strong presence this year with large increases especially from Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Malaysia and Singapore. We’ve also seen a significant increase in entries from Latin America, especially Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Chile and the Central American nations. Russia has more than doubled, and there is growing confidence in the Middle East, despite its current problems, with many more entries from Bahrain, Lebanon, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The USA remains the top participating country, followed by Brazil, Germany, the UK and France.”

“Having spoken to many agencies and clients over the last year, there is no doubt that creativity is becoming a critical business driver for many organisations," continued Thomas. "I'm sure that once again the winners at Cannes will point the way forward for what creativity in communications can achieve.”