Cannes you see the point in getting annoyed?
Here’s an article about Cannes that makes quite a few points about why it’s losing its way, but the main one is that no one seems to know or care about the actual awards.
And here’s another that says Marin Sorrell is ‘maybe…maybe… maybe…’ thinking about considering contemplating entertaining the idea of perhaps quitting Cannes.
Golly!
Apparently it’s turned into a big networking exercise that’s full of talks and celebrities and costs a lot of money.
Also: bears defecate in wooded areas and the Pope is a big fan of Catholicism.
So I’m not sure why this year has led to more of these articles. Cannes has always been a colossal booze-up masquerading as an expensive networking exercise masquerading as some sort of celebration of the best advertising has to offer. I believe different people get different things out of it and those things are clearly valuable enough for the attendees to take the time and expense to fly in from LA or Sydney or Tokyo.
Has it lost its ‘relevancy’ (and more to the point, when did the word ‘relevance’ transform into ‘relevancy’?)? Is the data side of the business being sufficiently represented? Is it worth listening to Richard Littlejohn and/or Katie Hopkins talking about anything other than their imminent plans for suicide? Is Cannes a topical allegory for the bloated EU?
If people care less and less about actually seeing the awarded work then there’s a very simple reason for that: unlike 10-15 years ago much of the work can be seen on several global websites that collect the best work throughout the year. The work that is enjoying a surprising debut on the Croisette is almost certainly the kind of depressing scam that feeds into the tedious circle-jerk that leaves many of us cold.
Have a watch of Rory Sutherland for some fine wisdom on the subject:
So it’s the same as it always is: plenty to complain about if you’re that way inclined, but I kind of see it as a version of Chelsea FC or the films of Michael Bay: many people see the appeal, many do not, but neither are going away anytime soon, so what’s the point in getting your knickers in a twist?
The tide of the Platform People is rising ever higher.
YT, FB, Twitter etc started up by the Palais.
They’re now half way along the beach.
They have very deep pockets.
Next year they’ll own the place.
I’m not sure they give a tuppeny toss about what happens inside the Palais.
Maybe that’s important. Maybe not.
But then again the last time I looked they don’t actually make stuff.
So perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised.
Cannes is a very flagrant example of what happens when you consciously and very obviously sell out your cachet. It’s gone now. Even Sir Martin Sorrell thinks you’re too big and boring.