How many times do we hear old folks like me saying in the corridors, “Advertising mein ab woh mazaa nahin hai bhai?” Well, take my word for it, it is not the case. Cannes Lions Festival is the perfect place to rejuvenate ourselves, even while grappling with modern-day advertising problems.
We were not very hopeful about Cannes this year and therefore not winning anything is not coming as a surprise. But we are having the best of time here. Cannes has always been the place to interact and share lovely stories. So how are we spending our time here?
Yash and I are not very good listeners. So, we decided to avoid the academic sessions as much as possible, and concentrate on what we do best – have free-flowing creative conversations with people we know or would love to know. The sessions at the Palais are undoubtedly very enriching and mostly attended by the agency team of speakers, but the most interesting sessions happen outside, at the bars. If you are here for the first time, please attend a few, but also step out as much as you can.
Being an avid beer lover, Cannes is the only place where we love to experiment with new recipes. Do you know there is a drink called 'Minutu Rose'? It’s awful. But how the hell would we know if we didn’t try it?
Along with the fun outside the sessions at the Palais, we are also deeply inspired by the work of independent agencies who are killing it on the global stage. It is always satisfying to see them win, with limited resources, business pressures, and without the clout of a large network backing. The work that Small won today or the work from Tgthr and many others from around the world are making us jealous and hungrier to come back with a bang next year.
Written by: Abhik Santara, Director; CEO, ^ a t o m network
