Campaign India Roundtable at Cannes 2013: A spectacular tally - and the cloud of 'scam'

Cyber and most often Radio have been categories that we have not managed to crack at Cannes 2013. I just feel that our strike rate would have gone up if we had better representation in those areas.

I don’t think it is just Asia (that sends in work created for awards). Overall, my sense is that work that has been created to win here is increasing, which is not a good thing. It is getting evident across countries.

At its very premise Cannes as a festival is created to celebrate ideas. I don’t think it is a festival created to celebrate the size of the execution or the scale of the campaign. It is fine, if it is a beautiful idea which is released even once.

You could create some buzz around these ideas, and use the validity of Cannes Lion, to make the campaign bigger. For example, the Coke Machine idea, which everyone is talking about. Probably, the brand could get the Home Ministers of both countries to touch each other’s hand rather than just keep it as a Lion-winning entry. The Western jury is thinking that the whole country is going nuts about the Coke vending machine, but it is just the advertising community.

The (Coke Small World) campaign was released only three months ago. Let us give them time for the roll out and see what happens. I am hoping they will (make it bigger).

I know that there are a lot of people who believe that there is one culture in the world, and that the biggest idea in the world can go across all cultures. It is not like that. Today, in advertising, all the big ideas have been taken. The nuanced idea is what is left. And, nuanced ideas belong to cultures and people. If you are going to look at this one place, and try to make an ad for that kind of audience, then you are basically not being true to what you are supposed to do for your audience.

I think the jury walks into the room to pick up ideas that are fresh, relevant, makes you feel smaller and sets a new standard in advertising. That’s what the juries are briefed (to do). It is the headache of the committee to determine whether it is a ‘scam’ or not. We have pulled up six campaigns in Print (at Cannes 2013) because it didn’t meet the criteria. Goafest is a huge learning for all Indians. I don’t think we will be that greedy and aggressive on awards next year.

More, from the discussion in the issue of Campaign India dated 28 June 2013. Watch out for the video on www.campaignindia.in - coming soon.