Another Cannes Lions has swept through the south of France, leaving exhaustion, inspiration and a flurry of awkward emailed apologies in its wake.
As the Adweek team emerges from the haze, here are some of the issues we're still talking about:
Power of the press: Admittedly, we work for a media outlet, but it was still a clear and laudable trend that the press was central to so many winning concepts at Cannes this year. Obviously The New York Times and Droga5 were big winners with their "The Truth Is Worth It" campaign, which took home Grand Prix in Film Craft and Film—a rare combination in recent years. In Print & Publishing, a newspaper's blank front page won Grand Prix for dramatically drawing attention to Lebanon's stalled government, while the Glass Grand Prix went to VMLY&R Poland for its effort to buy a longtime pornographic magazine only to shutter it—after one last issue dedicated to an accurate and respectful view of women. And those were only a few of the campaigns that put publishing and the press front and center.
Finding real purpose in cause marketing: No topic was more prevalent throughout the week than cause marketing and the bigger concept of embedding purpose in a brand's messaging. But knowing when and how to take a stand? That's no easy feat for many marketers, and Cannes provided a perfect backdrop for candid discussions about striking the right balance. And as strategist Benjamin Lord, a member of our Brandweek Innovators Council put it, support for issues like gender fluidity and unfettered self-expression must become "an always-on strategy for all brands across all industries."
Will 'microhabits' have their moment? At Cannes Health, the portion of programming dedicated to wellness-oriented marketing, P&G and Thrive Global proposed one novel way of bringing intention and thoughfulness to everyday interactions with products. They're partnering to encourage "microhabits," small moments of self-improvement or mindfulness such as thinking of things you're grateful for while brushing your teeth. They say they have an impressive 750 microhabits already in mind and will be encouraging them through social channels and connected devices.
But did cleverness still trump causes? For all the talk of cause marketing, the week's biggest winner wasn't tied to any greater social message. In fact, it practically reveled in its own silliness. "The Whopper Detour" from Burger King, which offered a 1-cent whopper to those who would download the brand's app and activate the offer at a McDonald's. The FCB New York campaign broke all the rules of common sense and yielded spectacular numbers—namely 4.5 million downloads of the BK app in the months since going live. "Whopper Detour" won Grand Prix in Direct, Mobile and Titanium, putting it above Nike's "Dream Crazy" (two Grand Prix) and The NYT's "The Truth Is Worth It" (also two). It also won BK the new honor of "Creative Brand of the Year"—based on total points from awards earned at Cannes.
Speaking of which, where was the climate change discussion? Protesters from environmental group Extinction Rebellion might have been more effective than they thought with their efforts outside the Palais. Their demands for more urgency by the global marketing community sparked a lot of conversation among industry leaders who are certainly positioned to have an impact. Per Pedersen, global creative chairman of Grey, called it "a wake-up call in this setting of rosé, big ships and helicopters."
And, of course, one lingering controversy: At Cannes, inspiration may come from the golds, but the best arguments always seem to come from the bronzes. Work created on the margins of legitimacy can sometimes work their way into these third-place lists, and this year was no exception. A Hyundai campaign from MullenLowe in Colombia was flagged by an artist as being both similar to his own work and an example of questionable craftsmanship, given that it was basically just a piece of stock art plopped into an ad with one line of copy. One juror told Adweek that had the panel known it was a "lazy" use of stock art, "it would have altered our rating of the piece."
Back home? Time to catch up on podcasts: For a fun and fascinating way to revisit some of the most interesting discussions at Cannes this year, be sure you're subscribed to our podcast, "Yeah, That's Probably an Ad." In addition to our preview and wrapup episodes, we talked to Sir John Hegarty, Kate Stanners and the team behind Westworld's "The Maze," and there's a lot to learn from each.
OK, we're off to catch up on sleep and hydration. Oh, who am I kidding? We still have at least a dozen more articles to write from everything we learned at Cannes. So keep an eye on Adweek's Cannes coverage and, while you're there, go ahead and browse for any stories you might have missed.
What were your reflections on the 2019 Cannes Lions? Drop me a note at the email below and let me know!
—David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
[email protected]
