Cannes 2008: From the frontline

It’s only the third day and I feel like it’s been a week. Hotel to Debussy Hall (where the seminars take place) Debussy Hall to Press Centre, Press Centre to Debussy…You get the drift? Gutter Bar is as far away from my imagination as I am from Mumbai right now. But it’s Cannes so what the hell! Shall get to Gutter Bar in due time. From what I have heard, Indian adfolks at Cannes celebrated the country’s first Grand Prix win with great aplomb at Gutter Bar last night, cutting across agency lines. It was great, actually, to watch the JWT team go up to collect their Grand Prix Lion last night, armed with the tricolor. I felt such a sense of pride myself, being in that hall, great stuff!  Look forward to more in the next few days.

The third day had some great sessions. Digital always gets full house attendance, if you are late for even five minutes, you have to stand for a while before someone walks out (if you are lucky) and you get the seat. There was a session by Diana Verde Nieto of Clownfish where she talked about how sooner or later companies will have to incorporate issues like sustainability into their corporate policies and how it actually adds to their bottom lines. The attendance was rather thin for the session, makes you wonder how nobody seems to want to hear or talk about sustainability though all companies claim they are concerned about it.

It rains for the first time since I have landed here and I am forced to buy an umbrella. I decide I shall buy a fancy one after all, not the ones available on the road and step into the first shop I have set foot into since I landed in Cannes. I buy a really cool beige umbrella which has the signatures of all the Hollywood stars(well, maybe not all…but suffice to say I am looking forward to the rains in Mumbai) Now it’s beginning to feel like a holiday, I linger on for ten minutes and then I must head back to my hotel room to my waiting laptop who sits expectantly for the words to pour out.

Hello Laptop, bye bye Daylight. And another day bites the dust.