Liam Brennan的动态

OMG. Someone wrote something about Cannes without totally shitting all over it or saying "I remember when it used to be cool." (Me. I did.) Enter: 'Is everyone winning a Grand Prix except me? (A non-hating, pragmatic assessment of advertising and marketing awards.)' Here's that link now: https://lnkd.in/eKe6D4ms Here are some things they (I) said: "I’m not that into having affairs and licking MDMA off my hand. So I don’t tend to go to many industry events, period. But why does Cannes get all the shade when there are so many advertising and marketing award festivals playing a similar game? Is there anything more uniquely “broken” with Cannes than any of its competitors? Not that I’m aware of. I genuinely believe Cannes receives the hate and “I remember when it used to be cool” that it does because of the excess and debauchery of some of the behaviour that surrounds the festival. The world does not need more people hating on Cannes, or claiming they were there in the halcyon days. So, please, think of this as more as a ponder piece. Besides, I find it too convenient that most people berating awards and claiming they will never enter them, already have office shelves full of them. Award shows have always been great at distorting reality, making us wonder why we’re not all constantly writing award winning work that creates more impressions than 100x the population of planet earth. So, whilst I'm acknowledging that reality distortion, I’m not encouraging not entering. I’m just hoping I can inspire a slightly healthier mindset in people, that might in turn lead to less suffering and disillusionment. Perhaps go easier on yourself next year if you don’t win." #Cannes?#Creativeagency?#Advertising?#Marketing?#Creativity

Cannes Lions has its own ‘walled garden’ – but is it a bug or a feature? In my final column covering this year’s festival, I ask why there is still a (very physical) disconnect between the creative and media industries here in Cannes - and why creativity isn't just a realm for the ‘big ideas’ visionaries. With even the Lions judges themselves saying that the standard of some entries “just wasn’t exceptional” and with creatively awarded ads now performing ‘average’ compared to previous years, do we need a rethink on what modern marketing creativity actually is? And is this a way to build a more joined up festival next year? Read my full column in the comments below, FREE TO READ today alongside my five daily travelogue?articles written on the ground in Cannes Lions 2024. Just login or create a free account for early bird access to all 6 articles. Thank you to... Hugh Stevens, LiveRamp, Orlando Wood, System1, Sir John Hegarty, The Garage Soho, Charlotte Rawlings, Campaign UK, Andrew Tindall, System1 ...for their input and/or inspiration in writing this article. Joseph Arthur Jyoti Rambhai Reem Makari Celine Yaseen Samantha Johnston Jess MacDermot #performancemarketing #canneslions #marketing #creativity

While everyone (looking at you Michael Thill) is off enjoying the sun and creativity at Cannes Lions, here I am, not jealous at all. Seriously, not one bit jealous. Not even a little. For those unfamiliar, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is a premier event in the advertising and communications industry. It runs from June 17-21 this year and features over 150 hours of content with around 500 speakers from across the globe. Icons like Deepak Chopra, Jay Shetty, and representatives from top companies like Google and P&G are sharing insights and innovations that are shaping the industry. https://lnkd.in/gv7s3rQH Why do we flock to events like this? The draw is in both the recognition and the opportunity for professional growth. From a behavioral science perspective, humans have a deep-seated desire for validation and acknowledgment. Awards like the Cannes Lions provide a platform to be judged and, hopefully, celebrated for our creativity and hard work. But why do we want to be judged? The answer lies in the psychological satisfaction of recognition, which can enhance self-esteem and motivate continued excellence. Beyond personal satisfaction, there are significant business reasons for pursuing these accolades. Winning at Cannes can enhance a company’s reputation, attract new clients, and justify higher fees for services. In essence, these awards are a tangible marker of success and a powerful marketing tool. However, at Havas Edge we believe that the best award is the trust and loyalty of our clients. While it's great to be recognized on such a prestigious stage, our ultimate goal is to consistently deliver value and results for our clients, day in and day out. That, to us, is the most meaningful accolade of all. Still, would be nice to be there.

A Carrot named Cannes ! First of all, Congratulations to every winner, every shortlist and every entrant at Cannes 2024. The festival of creativity is not what is celebrated at The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. It starts the moment you get that one thought that sprouts as a potential idea which you want to share and wait for it to be accepted. And then when you take efforts to sell the idea to your client. Making sure the idea is executed, refined and crafted to perfection. When you spend days and nights perfecting the case presentation. Then eagerly wait for the competition to be thrown open for entry. Finally looking for the right category to be entered in and then looking forward to the shortlist announcement. From the day you get the idea to the day you get the results, every moment is a celebration of creativity. From ideation to appreciation to acceptance to approvals to execution to submission, every milestone is a celebration. And just after the festival, the race will start. To hunt the Lion next June. No matter how many Lions you bring to your shelf, the Lions never cease to attract you. Every Lion home is a reason for bringing the other Lion home. It’s not about why you didn’t get the Lion this year, It’s about how long can you feed the Lion in you and keep it alive. Because the blood you tasted will keep on feeding the Lion of your dreams. It will never dry. The Lion will chase the ideas in your veins and get it out without waiting for any brief. The Lion will roar and get the approvals. The Lion will not let you sleep. As long as the Lion is looking for it’s prey inside, you’ll continue to hunt. It takes a Lion to hunt a Lion. So keep the Lion on its paws and be ready to rule the jungle. #canneslions2024 #cannes #canneslions #cannes #advertising #AdvertisingAwards

Along with the other 99.9% of people and brands in the marketing-advertising industry not represented at the event, the Cannes festival passed me by last week. Which is a shame, as I didn’t even get round to designing my annual t-shirt. So, it's a bit of an afterthought this year. Not my best work by some distance, a bit cliched and derivative, to be honest. However, this entry does give me a chance to reflect on my milestone 27th consecutive year not attending the festival. Which, given the number of categories and winners this year, you would think would be worthy of a metallic lion-shaped prize of some kind. While I have nothing against these or any other awards, what has bugged me for a number of years is how agency groups can spend millions of dollars on an elite party and entertainment schedule, go home with paid-for awards of various descriptions, making sure they have bought enough replica statues to display in global offices that had precisely nothing to do with the ‘winning work’, and then go back to HQ to issue directives to their regions and markets as to how many people they need cut in order to balance costs and deliver annual synergy targets. I never bought into the trickle down economics of these events. In my experience it is an event for the few, paid for by the many. Nothing ever trickled down to the people or the clients in most markets. No benefits, no rewards, no investment, just costs and redundancies, because those flights, hotel rooms, parties and award entries don't fund themselves. Of course this is just my experience, other experiences are equally valid, I am sure. Happy Monday. Peace??

Meet us in Cannes! We’ve set up our townhouse to provide a calming, yet engaging atmosphere juxtaposing the hustle and bustle of the festival. The atmosphere of the townhouse symbolizes our vision for a clutter-free online experience through ad filtering, embodying the principle that less is truly more. We look forward to discussing how our technology, along with our solutions for advertisers and publishers, can provide more incremental revenue, more impactful ads and more brand trust, all while improving the overall user experience. Located in a peaceful area of Cannes about an 8-minute walk from Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, our townhouse will be open Monday through Friday for various meetings, panels and apéros, offering a place for guests to “filter out” the noise. Here's a quick look at some events you may not want to miss: Tuesday 18 June - Women in ad tech breakfast from 10 AM - 12 PM to discuss practical steps to keep important initiatives like privacy, sustainability and DEI in focus even as priorities shift. - Conscious advertising breakfast for brands and advertisers from 10 AM to 12 PM to present findings from a pro-bono campaign with WildAid, using advertising to drive positive behavior change and applying green media best practices. - Open apéro evening from 4 PM - 6 PM to connect with other Cannes attendees, drinks and snacks included. Wednesday 19 June - Panel on media quality (or lack thereof) and if we zero in on this one issue, we may be able to improve a myriad of others from sustainability to brand safety (and more) 4 PM - 5 PM (with panelists from TAG, Good-Loop, The NAI). - Open apéro evening from 5 PM - 7 PM to continue the conversation. Thursday 20 June - Last chance for an apéro evening from 4 PM - 6 PM to network and recap the week’s events and insights. To get in touch or secure your invitation for one or more of these events, please use the link below. https://bit.ly/3XrsQh9 P.S. Note that the Olympic Flame will be passing through Cannes on Tuesday between 11 AM - 1 PM so you may want to factor that into your travel time as the roads will be closed. #Cannes2024 #Cannes #eyeoXCannes #AdFiltering #Sustainability

Having let the train take the strain, Stuart Button, our Executive Creative Director, shares his first impressions of Cannes 2024: “Cannes is here again . . . as adland's hopefuls descend on southern #France for some much-needed vitamin D. “The commercialisation of this 70+ year old creative festival continues with more brands showing up than ever before. “Judging by the fringe event talks, AI is still top of the agenda - only this time, it's less: 'We're all doomed!' and more 'we're all going to be rich!'. “As well as AI and D&I, sports is sticking its hand in the air for some much-needed attention (Stagwell's awesome sports beach by Cheerful Twentyfirst is now double the size). “What with the #Euros and #Olympics coming to #France (although you wouldn't know it - it's pretty mute from what I've seen),?they’re even parading the old torch thingy down La Croisette tomorrow. “The other topic that's still going strong, is that dirty word 'effectiveness'. The thing that all clients want and creatives struggle to care about. “With stuff like ‘advertising value chain’, ‘digital waste’ and ‘closed-loop attribution’ being thrown around . . . If I didn't know any better, I'd say marketeers were making up stuff just to sell more things. Sneaky little buggers. “Is it any wonder that advertising has only just dropped off the top spot of the UK's LEAST trusted industry for the first time in a decade. “According to Simon Stone, of LoopMe GM International: ‘There is no point in creating the next Guinness Surfer if fragmented viewing habits, skippable ads, and decreasing attention spans prevent it from being seen. Creative remains essential to branding, but only when supercharged with data-driven media placement.' “I mean, I'd love to write the next Guinness Surfer ad - effectiveness be damned! “But then, what's the point in doing what we're doing if absolutely no one cares? And,?according to Mark Ritson, no one does. “Hey ho - off to my first event I go.” #cannes2024 #canneslions #events #festivalofcreativity

The Croisette is calling, and soon the creative world will descend on the Riviera for the annual pilgrimage that is the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. But with all the buzzwords, sponsored beaches and rosé-fueled networking, it's easy to lose sight of what really matters: standout creative work that delivers results and inspires. Whether you're attending the festival this year or, like me, back home watching the action from the virtual sidelines, I believe it's important to approach Cannes with intentionality. The week is noisy, and it's easy to get distracted. (IYKYK.) But this event is still about spotlighting the best creative output of the past year. At the end of the day, we ought to rise above the racket and focus on the work—work that pushes boundaries, sparks dialogue and connects with people on an emotional level. Of course, the top minds in the business will be there, and as always, I look forward to hearing what they've got to say. With all the conferences that have sprung up in our business, Cannes remains an unparalleled platform for addressing the most urgent issues facing marketing, media, tech and the culture. For one week every June, you can bet all eyes and ears are trained on this town. Cannes is ultimately what you take away from it. As for me, I plan to follow all the coverage I can devour and come away a little smarter and a whole lot more inspired. #CannesLions #Creativity #Innovation #Marketing #Advertising #Media #Tech #Inspiration #Impact

One of the boldest presentations at the Cannes Festival was Mark Ritson's. In a packed room, Ritson questioned the true importance of creativity in advertising. His standout chart was bold: Cannes-awarded creatives from the past three years, measured by System 1, haven't outperformed the market average. This highlights a critical lesson: we often award creativity for its own sake, not its business impact. Cannes celebrates creativity, but Ritson's analysis challenges us to rethink our priorities. Creativity is important, but it's only one element of an entire marketing strategy and, when measured, is not one of the leading factors of success. #CannesFestival #MarkRitson #CreativityInAdvertising #BusinessImpact #MarketingInsights #RethinkPriorities

Away from the Sun and the Sand sculptures Away from the yacht parties on the French riviera Away from the red carpet at the Palais des Festivals But, not away from the action! When the world is familiar with remote working, we at BE could give a shout out for Remote Reporting. Over the last five days of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity the team of ETBrandEquity across print and online teams published nearly 45 stories (and counting) about the latest developments in advertising and marketing. When we were planning for the festival, our target was an ambitious 25 stories in this week. This post is not to tell how great ‘BE’ are! It’s to acknowledge the contribution of corporate communication teams from agencies and corporations who worked well into the late hours every day for the last five days (including today) to ensure that ETBRANDEQUITY.com brings out the best of action from Cannes to your computing devices, fresh from the oven. Many marketing leaders wrote out daily columns, some CMOs conducted daily calls with our teams at EOD. Others responded favourably after a request via social media. Some agency CEOs gave us a direct download, almost immediately after their sessions on the Cannes stage, others spoke to us early in the morning (7 AM Cannes Time) after barely catching up on sleep for a couple of hours! We have certainly done some good karma to deserve all the love that came our way! I do not want to call out specific names and risk leaving out others. But if you helped us during the Cannes Lions week, you certainly know who you are! A giant hug from our side for sparing your precious time, despite the Rosé and the Cafés that were competing for your attention. Together, we roar! #CannesLions2024 #advertising #marketing #canneslions