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Creativity Cannes Lions Dave Trott

Dave Trott on Cannes: ‘Ad festivals prevent creativity’

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

June 25, 2015 | 2 min read

Advertising sage Dave Trott has claimed that industry festival such as Cannes Lions actually “prevent creativity”.

Trott, who has worked on memorable advertising in the UK for the likes of Toshiba, Holsten Pils and Ariston's, made the point that the public is the true judge of the best advertising.

Speaking with Advertising Week, Trott said: “Ad festivals prevent creativity. You’re not doing advertising for six million people in the street anymore, but for 10 people on the jury, and for a few clients.

“You win an award, because then Martin Sorrell will give you a raise, and Martin Sorrell can go and tell Unilever that he won an award, and Unilever will maybe give him another piece of digital business.

“How has that got anything to do with the job we’re supposed to be doing?”

Trott then offered a parallel with his passion for oil painting and his aspirations to become a fine artist, saying: “When I got to New York in the late 1960s, it occurred to me that if I became a fine artist, that would have nothing to do with people. Just with a very small group of rich people who buy paintings.”

Should you feel differently to Trott about Cannes Lions, you can keep up with all the latest festival happenings in The Drum’s Cannes 2015 Hub.

Creativity Cannes Lions Dave Trott

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