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Cannes Lions ain’t what it used to be – creativity is evolving

By Mark St Andrew, associate editor

June 12, 2017 | 5 min read

Every year we ask people for constructive criticism about Cannes Lions, so we can try our best to improve the festival. When we do, I sometimes hear: 'Cannes Lions just isn’t as creative as it used to be.'

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All feedback is useful. But on this point, I’m afraid I disagree.

I believe the festival is actually more creative than ever. It’s just that our industry’s definition of ‘creativity’ is evolving, as the world around us profoundly and rapidly changes.

Cannes Lions was founded in 1954 and has obviously grown from its earliest years when it was purely attended by creative agencies. That’s not a bad thing, because the growth of the festival mirrors the growth in importance of creativity. Media is more fragmented than ever, so a great idea has never been more important for brands that want cut through. But that’s also meant that it’s not all about a great TV or print ad; we have to think more broadly about ideas that have a social impact and become part of culture – rather than just occupying space on TV or in a magazine.

As a result, Cannes Lions isn’t about creativity in isolation – ‘creativity versus the rest of the world’ if you will. It’s about how creativity fits into our world – and better still, can be a positive force for business, for change and for good.

Whatever the Croisette might look like in the 2017 edition of the festival, with the world’s largest tech companies keen to be involved, it’s genuinely great creativity and the people it which sit at the core of Cannes Lions.

Everyone expects the big chief creative officers to be at the festival, and this year is no exception. Colleen DeCourcy, Madonna Badger, David Droga, Mario D’Andrea and Bruno Bertelli are just some of the creative leadership talent on stage, and they’re joined by an army of creative directors and ECDs from all over the world – each with something inspiring and valuable to share. You might not know their names yet, but we’re confident you will do soon.

Creatives always have been and always will be the rock stars of our industry, which is why they will always be front and centre, but we’ve also developed new strands such as Lions Innovation to give a platform to the technology companies impacting the industry too.

The trick to getting the most out of Cannes Lions is a combination of planning as much as possible in advance, sticking to that plan, and knowing where to look for the experiences you’re after. There is far more to the festival than the two big stages in the Palais. For example, the Cannes Lions Beach hosts a panel of senior creatives from Monday to Friday, and in the basement of the Palais there is a packed programme of jury discussions and tours of the work.

One of the things I’m most excited about is on the closing Saturday. Dubbed 'We are the Creatives', this is an entire day devoted to creative people, and we’re not just talking about the big name global chief creative officers here.

On the final day of the festival, Cannes Lions gets personal: creative thinkers open up, share experiences and tell stories that will stay with you after the crowds disperse and the rose stops flowing.

From McGarrybowen’s Ned Crowley and his personal tales of blood, horror, humour and filmmaking, to world-renowned photographer Platon on how he captured revealing and iconic portraits of Muhammad Ali, Aung San Suu Kyi and Vladimir Putin, or Michelle Morgan’s honest account of mental burnout and recovery, the last day of Cannes Lions is going to be a chance to connect with the human side of creativity.

There will be no theories about audiences, or customer data. There will be no trend forecasting, corporate mission statements, boring case films or agency cred reels. So if you’re looking for some pure expression of the human experience of creativity, 'We are the Creatives' is your sweet spot.

Famously 'nostalgia just ain’t what it used to be'. Neither is Cannes Lions, creativity or our industry as a whole. It’s in a constant state of flux and all the more interesting for it.

In short, I can promise you that this year’s festival will be nothing like you’ve ever seen or heard before, and that the creative heartbeat of Cannes Lions is beating as loudly as ever.

Mark St Andrew is associate editor at Lions Festivals. The Cannes Lions 2017 programme is available to view here.

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