experience matters

From June 20 – 26 many of the most innovative global brands and communications leaders gathered at the Cannes Lions festival to discuss the latest trends in the ever-evolving advertising world. We decided to take an interview approach to share an insider look from our new friend at Contagious Magazine, North American Editor Nick Parish.

For those who are not familiar, Contagious is a leading global news and intelligence resource for the marketing industry that helps advertising professionals navigate their way through the new media landscape. Contagious was launched in London in 2004, covering topics like branded content, mobile-social-and viral marketing, and a bunch more. Essentially they’re most interested in all the ways ideas are transmitted outside of paid media. Nick helps steward Contagious NA from New York, where he’s worked in many forms of media since arriving in 2001. (Sports Writer for the New York Post, Silicon Alley startup Flavorpill’s Editor, Associate Editor of Advertising Age’s Creativity magazine, and most recently, Events Content Manager for Ad Age events like CaT: Creativity and Technology and the IDEA Conferences.)

We got together with Nick last week to discuss the week that was Cannes Lions 2010…

CM: Cannes is known for being the ultimate celebration of creativity. What was the most creative thing you came across?

Nick: Most creative thing? Single thing? Maybe people’s expense report strategies?

Seriously, it’s tough to nail down, and ultimately, even if you were to see all the work, that’s a really personal question. I enjoyed a lot of the Design work this year; that’s a group I haven’t paid much attention to since it was launched. But the category has only been around for a few years, so it’s pretty media-agnostic, and you get groundbreaking stuff that’s fundamentally aesthetically sound, like the Toyota IQ Font, which won Grand Prix.

Fundamental aesthetics will always be essential.

CM: What was a common theme running through the Cannes Advertising fest?

Nick: I think a common theme was re-building and re-thinking.

Everyone realized we had a bad run last year, and that undoubtedly affected things like resources and budgets, but the best projects, like Grand Prix winners Gatorade Replay and Best Buy’s Twelpforce, were ideas that became platforms that could stand on their own and grow.

In the instance of Gatorade, that’s changed the way PepsiCo structures that business, from a marketing sense, and Replay and Replay-esque things have become a serious part of their considerations. And it’s blossomed from episodic online content into events that are shot by Fox Sports Net just like they’d shoot any professional sport, in addition to a grassroots league and other side parts.

Another interesting theme is that we continue to see is the best work winning in multiple places. This happened last year with the Queensland Tourism Board’s “Best Job In The World” campaign, and again this year with Replay and Nike’s Chalkbot. All of a sudden we’re asking what each of these categories has to do with each other, and what applies best where.

Further, and this pains me a bit to say it, but the Cyber category feels like it’s really looking for direction. Digital is everywhere now—nearly every Grand Prix winner has a digital component, and most of them were really integral to their success. Even the ‘Film Craft’ winner, Philips’ “The Gift” from DDB London, was a webfilm. Cyber’s become a category for great websites, but now that everything moves digitally and lives everywhere it’s going to have to go through a bit of a renewal.

CM: So then do you think the trend of best work winning in multiple categories reflects a growing emphasis to create integrated marketing campaigns that can live across several different channels?

Nick: In a word, yes. Marketers realize it’s no longer acceptable just to shout something in people’s faces. There has to be something that can be transmitted because they’ve got merit, not only because you’ve bought the media.

CM: Alright, we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask this question. What was the titillating industry gossip at Cannes this year?

Nick: Nothing. Everyone was on their best behavior.

Well, not really, but marketers started coming to Cannes about four or five years ago and by now everyone’s got their clients in town, trying to introduce them to these big ideas, and share the ones they’ve had, and I think that curbs a lot of the totally wild stuff.

I did wrangle the budget for a large sports apparel company’s soccer tournament magnum opus commercial from someone. That was interesting.

CM: Fair enough, kudos to a well-thought-out and diplomatic answer. With all of the great minds that gathered to discuss these big ideas, what was the single-most inspiring part of your trip to Cannes?

Nick: I think I can speak for all of us at Contagious when I say our biggest inspiration is meeting the people from the ad industry thinking the really big thoughts and having discussions with them. We get one week to see everyone from around the world that has been doing the stuff we loved over the last year. Cannes is really just a big gathering of people who want to do the same thing, make great creative work. They get to talk about that work, and about what’s making them stoked, and about where it’s all going for a week straight. It just so happens to be in the south of France.

CM: It sounds like Cannes was a great experience this year. Overall then, do you think it lives up to the hype?

Nick: Yes and no. It’s not a constant wild crazy Advertising Ibiza, if that’s the hype you mean. Most people have to work too, which means late nights and packed days.

It does live up to the hype of being a great festival, still, and a great way to be exposed to new ideas and get a huge jolt of inspiration.

CM: Thanks a lot for all of your valuable insights into what went on at Cannes this year. Sounds like the key themes are characteristic of the rising trends within the digital space today. We’ll be keeping a close eye on what Contagious is up to moving forward in 2010, and we look forward to hearing from you again in the near future!

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