It’s that time again – Cannes Lions 2016 – the week where the good and the great across the advertising and creative industry hit La Croisette to discuss the trends and issues facing the industry. With the week well underway, we take a look at what’s stood out so far, what’s getting tweeters talking and what you don’t want to miss in the coming days. For those not on the ground, never fear, #BingThere.
Founder of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, got tongues wagging on Monday, speaking of his ambition to build the business into a platform for brand campaigns. Sound interesting? Well… Chesky exemplified his vision with a recent campaign run by The Art Institute of Chicago, wherein people could pay $10 to sleep in a room that had been transformed into a replica of Van Gough’s famous ‘The Bedroom’ painting.
Cindy Gallop took to the stage and set Twitter alight with her talk around diversity in advertising, critiquing the advertising world for its portrayals of women more often than not through a male lens. She encouraged advertisers to think about their duty to consumers, to “understand, analyse, acknowledge.”
With Cannes, comes rosé – and lots of it. A new initiative from Cannes Lions festival, in partnership with creative agency Karmarama, has seen a limited edition bottle of rose created with ten per cent of the proceeds made being donated back to the local Cannes area. Turning indulgent behaviour into something worthy – now that’s definitely something we should raise a glass to.
The first few days of Cannes Lions were inundated with celebrities, all staking their claim to the world of marketing and creativity. Top spots for us (so far!) include:
· Will Smith took to the stage to talk about how “smoke and mirrors in marketing and sales is over” and that in today’s digital first world, “people are going to know really quickly and globally whether a product keeps its promises,”
· Dressed to impress, Anna Wintour delivered a keynote presentation about the need to pursue big ideas in an increasingly digital age
· We spotted Usher and Ryan Seacrest catching up today before going on stage to discuss success, mentors and…Justin Bieber
· Gary Barlow, who partied the night away on at the Mail Online after party
And you thought it was too hot on the beach today – imagine how this guy felt! Taylor Herring went for furry and friendly this year, opting for a polar bear to saunter down the Croisette earlier in the week. That’s got to be one boiling bear – but he certainly stole the headlines.
Pop down to the Unruly camp to check our their emoji wall along La Croisette. Let them know how you’re feeling. All of the above? Check.
Need a quick fix to start your day right? Look no further than PRWeek!’s morning Fun Run on Wednesday at 8am. Meet in front of the Haymarket Hive Cabana, directly in front of the red carpet Palais steps. Don’t be late!
Back at base but keeping tabs on the #CannesLions action? Well, you’ll be pleased to know that you can grab a slice of the action with the return of the CANNT festival.
Finally, to finish as we started on the theme of a Dutch great, make sure to keep a close eye on The Next Rembrant project which is already making waves with the Cannes judging panel. Unveiled to Cannes audiences this week, The Next Rembrandt has brought the great artist back to life by producing an all new portrait. The project, produced by J Walter Thompson in partnership with ING Bank and several technology partners including Microsoft (Azure) is a great example of creative collaboration and technology redefining the art of what is possible.
Keep up to date with what we’re up to on the ground at this year’s #CannesLions on Twitter @BingAds or via our hashtag - #BingThere.