Cannes Lions: Don’t say something, do something

Cannes is overwhelming. In the best way. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of ideas, so let’s focus on the theme on which all the events and talks seem to converge. That our industry–-agencies, clients and everyone in between–has one mandate in common: Don’t say something, do something.

Cannes is all about finding new and innovative ways to communicate ideas that people cannot just see but also experience. Nowhere is that more clear than in the Cannes Lions Promo and Activation Award competition. In recent years, it has become arguably the biggest and most diverse category.

Even traditional advertising has found its way into this space. No one leads a conversation on creative brand work by saying they merely did a print ad. Or if they did a print campaign, it’s something interactive–it gets ripped out, folded and used in some way; it leads you to the next step in the experience.

No longer are people talking about the words and the pictures as the endgame; they are talking about how they used those elements to get people to engage further. To go beyond a purchase transaction and build memories and, as a result, build their brands.

The industry’s work is pointing towards activation and brand experience. So while the competition is fierce, the opportunity to bring creativity to the brand experience space is bigger and more exciting than ever before.