ft.com/techblog

Storm clouds are gathering over the advertising industry. But, this being Cannes, media folk are happy to ignore the rain and instead concentrate on the accompanying sound and light show. The strong Euro and economic gloom has not prevented the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival – run by GMG and Apax-owned Emap – from attracting thousands of delegates and 28,000 entries from 85 countries. That’s up 5.8 per cent compared to last year.

With even more parties promised this year, the ad world isn’t going to let anyone rain on its parade by pondering whether the cash blown on festivities can ever be recouped by the deals done between the Carlton terrace and the notorious Gutter bar.

Lightning has already struck twice for BBDO, the New York agency, for its “Voyeur” campaign for US TV network HBO. This huge video projection against the side of a New York apartment block, appearing to reveal the kitchen-sink dramas within, scooped a second Grand Prix in the Outdoor category, hot on the heels of yesterday’s Promotions gong. The talk of the Lower East Side prompted a million visits to promotional site www.hbovoyeur.com and, in ad-speak, strengthened “super-fans’ engagement” with HBO.

But even as the skies darkened and the thunder clapped above the gala party that formally opens the festival, any talk of recession was drowned out by fresh excitement about emerging markets. Not only providing the double-digit growth that now looks a long way out of reach in Europe and the US, India and China are fully fledged creative powers in their own right.

JWT, a WPP agency, won the Direct marketing Grand Prix for its campaign with the Times of India. The newspaper took the unusual step of putting agency work – a manifesto calling for a new generation to “lead India” as it celebrated 60 years since independence – on its front page.

Over 34,000 people went on to participate in a contest that ended with a 10-week TV talent show for political hopefuls. The winner will be supported in a real-life campaign to contest a constituency at India’s next general elections.

“The thing I’m most excited about is the fact that imagination, creativity and ideas can come from anywhere in the world now,” said Orlando Hooper-Greenhill, JWT’s director of global planning. “When you look at the Times of India campaign, you would never get that out of a conventional western creative centre.”

The Chinese advertising industry is also making a big impact at Cannes this year, bringing across new-media owners, hosting events and sponsoring awards. “This is the first year that China comes across in a significant way in Cannes,” Daniela Riccardi, Procter & Gamble’s Greater China president told the FT, after packing out the biggest theatre in the Palais on Monday alongside Pully Chau, chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi China, with their talk on “building lovemarks in China”.

Nigel Morris, chief executive of Isobar, the digital agency owned by Aegis, told the FT he was tired of people asking – as they have at many previous festivals – whether this year was going to be ‘Asia’s year’ at Cannes. “They’re charging past. Our philosophy is that we can learn from anywhere.”

Sunshine is forecast to return to Cannes for the rest of the week.

June 18th, 2008 in Uncategorised | Permalink