I’m working, honestly: Paul Yole’s Cannes diary

June 28 2009, 12:09 pm | BY Martin Trevaskis | No Comments

Yole_Sunday.jpgDay 7, Saturday: Enough will be said elsewhere about the Film awards so I spent this morning sitting through every short listed entry for Titanium and Integrated Lions, the premier category here even though more glamour surrounds Film. What struck me most was that these entries seem to sum up what Cannes is all about:

1. An obsession with cool. Just because something is cool, does that make it great?

2. Wasted money on entries that don’t deserve it. Or worse still, entering a good idea then producing a crap entry video.

3. Great work still rises above everything else.

4. It’s fashionable to jump on the bandwagon of “that work is shite” or “that work is brilliant”

5. Despite everything there is still plenty to inspire anyone.

If you have time, look up the finalist videos. My favourites are:

• The Great Schlep

• Coraline

• Flora/SA Heart Foundation

• Best Job in the World

• Obama for America campaign (though their entry video was miles weaker than DDB’s intro for David Plouffe’s talk)

• NZ rugby “this is not a jersey”

Despitethe flawed entry, I still think the Obama campaign was a monster andwould get my vote. It is possibly the greatest integrated campaign inhistory. No, not possibly – it is the best ever. And I think T-mobileis over-rated, although popular opinion may go against me. See point 1above.

I was lucky enough to separately bump into two of the world’smost respected creatives this morning – Bob Scarpelli (Worldwide Chief Creative Officer DDB) and Mark Tutssel (Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Leo Burnett).Just hearing their views on the winners and losers taught me a lot. (Ialso bumped into Ted Royer, Craig Davis, Steve Back and others but it sounds likeI’m name dropping!)

I picked up lots of great tips for our Titaniumentry for The Box next year. (See, I’ve now started the PR), but I’mnot giving away any secrets – have a look at the work and draw your ownconclusions.

Kim Shaw and I had a great lunch at the Carlton Beach restaurant today. We didn’t want to leave.

That’s it for another year.

Just the Film and Titanium awards and closing gala tonight, then time to sleep.