Cannes we kick it? Yes, we Cannt: Highlights from this year's alternative creative festival
We've had another successful Cannt week, and I'm continually surprised and elated by the energy and love people have for the event.
Highlights from this year's Cannt Festival
While Cannes Lions has established itself as the key event in the industry calendar, Cannt has developed its own position, as an affordable alternative for everyone who doesn’t get the chance to cruise the Croisette. It's the Cannt ethos to share the creative love with those starting out and to inspire them to do great things either through internships or folio crit. It gives them the opportunity to learn, network and meet inspiring industry experts.
The event also serves as a timely reminder to not disappear up your own exhaust pipe, to keep it real and remember to buy your own beer. Here are my highlights from the past week:
Monday 20 June
The week kicked off with the Young Creative Council’s ‘Cannt Be Replaced’. They placed talented intern teams at a number of leading agencies for the week, to fill the shoes of the creative hotshots living it up on the Cannes Croisette. Grey London took three teams for the week, who shared their experience in social.
Big up our all-female @YCC @Cannt2016 creative teams who are here all week covering for those enjoying #CannesLions! pic.twitter.com/imTiEIfXLf
— Grey London (@GreyLondon) June 20, 2016
Tuesday 21 June
Havas Helia and Creative Equals collaborated for ‘Cannt Speed Critique’. A folio crit with a difference: three minutes to share your book with an agency creative director, and then the decision to ditch or date. Several promising meet-ups happened and we look forward to seeing successful creative/agency relationships develop.
Wednesday 22 June
The Hospital Club hosted ‘Cannt Future of Influence’. A lively panel debate with experts from 3 Monkeys Zeno, Brave Bison, FinchFactor, Lost Boys and The 7th Chamber, who debated what’s next for influencers in marketing and what it means for the agency and content landscape.
Thursday 23 June
Salt.TV partnered with DigitasLBi and delivered an exciting view of Future Tech, with an immersive AV installation called Inference, a brainwave powered special effects prototype and a group VR experiment.
Friday 24 June
To end our Cannt week, we jumped the ocean, with a cross agency party hosted by Possible in downtown Seattle. Cannt Claim Credit, invited leading creative directors to share the work they wished they done over cocktails, food and questionable Euro attire.
So there you have it, Cannt has been such a success that it’s sprung out of London and now is also being held in Seattle and Costa Rica. Going forward the plan is to take Cannt global, so watch this space and see you next year.
Simon Gill, chief creative officer at Isobar and digital agency trade body BIMA exec founded the annual Cannt Festival in 2014 as an alternative to the Cannes Lions – for everyone who’s not fortunate enough to get an all expenses business trip to the French Riviera