Words by: Katrina Olan, University of Asia & the Pacific
When you say CANNES LIONS, you’ll probably think of the glitterati of advertising, the most coveted metals in the world, extravagant yacht parties and a week of insane and brilliant creativity. As a young cub who’s just entered into the world of lions, I can tell you: you’re not wrong.
The festival is a melting pot of breakthrough ideas, a commune for the best and brightest, and an incubator for tomorrow’s creative movers and shakers. One could imagine my face when I was told that I’d be representing the Philippines at the Roger Hatchuel Academy. Only thirty-five students from across the globe were chosen. I felt like I had won the golden ticket!
It had always been my dream to enter the Academy. For years, I was relentless in my effort to merit that slot. Five years ago, I remember writing in my personal journal, “One day, I’ll win that slot to Roger Hatchuel!” I even mounted a cut-out of a Young Lions print ad above my bedpost, saying I could win that in a few years, too. Five years later, I’m hopping on a plane to the greatest festival of creativity in the world.
The scale of Cannes Lions is massive. There’s so much going on from the convention hall to the beaches and neighboring hotels. One could easily get lost…which explains why I was almost late for the first day. Whoops!
The first day of training was intensive. We sunk our teeth right into the module, kickstarting it with the Pop Up Agency’s talk on their success story and business model. It was pretty inspiring, knowing that a couple of kids from college launched an entire career through a side hustle. Their brand proposition was a totally new idea: crack a brief in 48 hours, and do it on a per project basis. Mega-agencies would say it couldn’t work because of the volatility of their entire system—but years later, they’re still running it and traveling all over the world!
The day also continued with more talks from Alec Dudson, EIC of Intern Magazine, who gave us tips on how to network and pitch our personal brand to others and Michael Conrad, president of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, who discussed a very particular way to rank advertising effectiveness.
There were also workshops that tested our leadership skills. One included a social experiment called the Marshmallow Challenge, where we had to built the tallest marshmallow tower using only uncooked spaghetti noodles, string and tape. Another module, which I found really interesting was the activity headed by Raven of Mad Cow Films. Here, the class had to tell a complete and cohesive story using pictures, but there’s a twist: you can’t show anyone your picture—you’ll have to describe it to them. Here, the different types of personalities came out: the leaders who’d take charge and boss people, the silent one who’d take in the situation before giving a call to action, the observers and followers. After trying to figure out the sequence, we had to lay down the pictures face flat on the ground. The big reveal happened then after—we’d an almost perfect story!
What I learned from the leadership workshops was the importance of prototyping: being able to iterate your way to improving your quality of ideas, strategies and executions. In both the marshmallow and picture-story challenge, our great plans eventually hit bottlenecks. We were faced with multiple dilemmas: the flimsy tower fell, crushed by the weight of the marshmallow…the picture story didn’t add up because there was a lack of communication…However, it’s all about agreeing that the system isn’t working, and finding a way to improve that system. We eventually found ways to strengthen the marshmallow structure. The class put their heads together to create a streamlined framework to make out the entire story. We improved, and evolved our processes over time.
This same concept of prototyping is evident in the field of advertising. Cannes Lions is a testament to that. This year, a lot of the talks are focused on tech and the future of creativity. Our industry is entering the cusp of a renaissance. The world is quaking with brilliant breakthrough ideas that threaten the old ways and systems. Technology, disruptive business models and sociocultural consciousness powered by social media have changed the playing field. Those aspects will also dictate the way in which the creative industry will move forward. It’s definitely a scary time for those who would rather play it safe. There is a new reality all practitioners should face: innovate or die.
It is no longer safe to stay in the comfort zone. One aught to get on the digital train before it leaves the station, else get stuck in the same place forever. And once you’re on that train: innovate, iterate and improve. Hack technology to learn from others, meet others and inspire others. It’s a constant process of evolution, and there’s no shame in admitting you have the perfect equation for success.
As for the cub with the lion dreams, Cannes is a way to prototype who I am: to discover my strengths, to grow out of my own creative silo, and to connect with other great minds who share the same future-driven vision. I still have a lot of days to go, but so far Cannes is living up to everything I imagined.
