The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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By Doug Zanger | Americas Editor

May 31, 2018 | 2 min read

As The Drum prepares to touch down in Cannes, we look back on last year. If you want to keep up to date with the latest news, insights and opinions from Cannes Lions 2018, sign up to The Drum's daily newsletter today.

For Sir Martin Sorrell, the news that Publicis was pulling out of Cannes 2018 was not necessarily surprising.

In The Drum's conversation with the WPP ex-chief executive, he pointed out at the time that four holding companies appeared to be having internal discussions about the value of investing in the festival, possibly sparking the organisers to take stock in its largesse and remit by announcing an advisory committee to “help shape the future of the festival”.

Despite the negative chatter, Sorrell has always believed that there is value in the award itself. The addition of public relations, data and healthcare are positives. Brands appreciate the recognition, creatives themselves see peer evaluation as a plus and all enjoy the convivial atmosphere throughout the week.

One year on and the mounting pressure we witnessed from holding companies in 2017 lead the festival to finally shaking it up for 2018, prompting Publicis to make a return in 2019. The Drum caught up with Jose Papa, the managing director of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, to discuss his year without Publicis and how he’s coping with being “at the eye of the hurricane" ahead of the event overhaul next month.

The Drum patiently waits alongside the industry as we anticipate seeing Cannes Lions in a new light this year, with the festival taking on a more simplified and modernised form.

To keep up to date with the very latest news, insights and opinions from Cannes Lions 2018, sign up to The Drum's daily newsletter today.

Creative Publicis Groupe Cannes Lions

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