The room fell silent. \u2018Would you like to introduce yourself?\u2019 \u2018Yes, my name is Brian and I didn\u2019t go to Cannes this year.\u2019 Sympathetic murmurings. \u2018In fact to be quite honest with you \u2026\u2019 Sounds of encouragement. \u2018\u2026 I\u2019ve never been, and I\u2019ve never regretted not going either.\u2019 Mumblings of \u2018well done \u2026 that must have taken a lot to admit \u2026 sit yourself down \u2026 here\u2019s a glass of rose\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
It’s all true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in the day, when I suppose I might have been persuaded to journey down to the South of France, Cannes was a creative festival, for creative people to celebrate their craft (and yes to give themselves awards, nothing wrong with that).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clients certainly didn\u2019t go, and as for media people, well we had our own events, one up the road in Monte Carlo, why would we want to gate-crash someone else\u2019s party?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And even if you could make the case for agency media folk turning up to drink overpriced wine at someone else\u2019s expense (something we were after all very good at) and to wallow in creative excellence, then you certainly couldn\u2019t make any kind of case for media salespeople, let alone (gasp!) researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me be clear. I didn\u2019t go so my thoughts are influenced by the posts and reports I\u2019ve read, nothing more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But with that said, I\u2019m just not sure what Cannes is anymore. I thought it was about the whole industry coming together to celebrate creativity \u2013 and if that is honestly the case, then great. But it seems to have become a festival for the ad business (in the broadest possible sense) to sell to itself whilst not tackling the huge issues the industry faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take the disrupters. You can imagine the planning discussion. Let\u2019s get Gary Vee. He\u2019ll draw the crowds especially if he can be persuaded to turn up with some influencer (how is Paris Hilton still a thing?). He\u2019ll get the agency guys frothing, he\u2019ll generate headlines and clicks and next year delegates will come in even greater numbers to howl at some new disrupter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How about Dorries \u2013 she\u2019ll sell tickets; or Trump? Or Musk?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why does any of this matter? Why not put Gary Vee on a platform; why not hold sessions featuring researchers explaining how to be creative; why not structure awards to guarantee participation and presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On one level it doesn\u2019t matter at all. If these guys think it\u2019s worthwhile going along and filling the Cannes coffers, then why not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n