Thomas Kolster’s Post

Did you know that last Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity no one was awarded the 'Grand Prix for Good'? Indeed, it was the only category at Cannes not to have work deemed 'good' enough to win a Lion. We believe the industry can do better, and this year we aim to highlight some of the work that is trying to do 'good' with our 'Walk the Work: The Responsible Edit' tours. Spaces are filling up fast, so if you'd like to sign up to a tour, or indeed sit down and grab a coffee with Responsible Marketing Agency, please click on the link in the comments below. Alice Brady Aina Fuller #canneslions2024 #responsiblemarketing #responsiblemedia #sustainablemarketing

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is in many ways an exclusive and pricy event typically for senior #marketeers and #creatives, but there are programs such as #YoungLions inviting talent into the #festival experience. As a young, cash-strapped #creative, the #Palais was a place of #inspiration and last year, I was happy to initiate a program together with ACT Responsible, International Advertising Association (IAA), Cannes Lions and many other partners to open up the Palais for everyone to come and see the Act Responsible exhibition and encourage brands and others to open up their beaches for everyone. It's called OHFG - OPEN HOUSE FOR GOOD. This year it was our 2nd year and Microsoft also opened up their beach to a conversation about Responsible Growth with josefina casellas, MJ DePalma, Jemma Gould, and Brian O'Kelley. We need a space to discuss #climate and #sustainability - and how we can move from talk to action. I do hope others will join me in voicing this concern and really bring CLIMATE to the forefront of the discussion as urgent action is needed. And we NEED to have this conversation in Cannes - and how the industry can play its part. #creativity #advertising #experience #growth #talent #microsoft #event

🦁 Are you up-to-date with the game-changing updates coming to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Awards this year? 2024 brings a suite of transformative changes to the Cannes Lions, and understanding them is crucial for any creative professional or agency looking to make a mark. 🔍 From the introduction of the Luxury & Lifestyle Lions to the new additions to submission formats, every change has the potential to impact your strategy and success. But how exactly will these changes affect your entries? Are you prepared to navigate the new landscape of creativity and innovation these updates will bring? We've delved deep into each of these changes in our latest blog post, providing a comprehensive breakdown and insights on what they mean for you. This isn't just about staying informed – it's about gaining a competitive edge in one of the industry's most prestigious arenas. 🏆 🌟 And if you just don't want to think about it all but still shine at Cannes Lions 2024? We are here to guide you through these new waters. Let’s make Cannes 2024 your year of triumph - send us a DM and see how we can help you navigate Cannes. #CannesLions2024 #Advertising #CreativeStrategy https://lnkd.in/d2tgzwmP

It's my first year missing Cannes in well over twenty years. And I've noticed that there is a common refrain generated by those not attending that is essentially "I'm glad I'm not there". After all, it's easy to take jabs at Cannes. On its face, the reality of sending all these clients and agencies and technology partners to the south of France for a conference on creativity is inarguably an excessive expenditure. Hotel rooms that are the same cost for a day as monthly apartment rent. Flights that are jacked up to 10X their normal fares. The jeroboams of rosé that are so big, it takes three waiters to pour them. Thousands of advertising and marketing professionals from around the world, not sure whether they're dressed for the beach or for work. If an alien were to land there, they'd rightly be confused. Surely, if the Cannes Lions Festival weren't invented, no one would create it today as it currently exists. Cannes starts with a punch to the face, making U.S. Dads travel on Father's Day. If you wanted an event to make you choose between work and family, here it is! And, there's the sheer pace and mayhem of the week. Wakening to the high-pitched, crystalline symphony of the previous night's bottles crashing into the garbage trucks. Rushing from event to event to lunch to event to dinner to party. Ending the night, head pounding and feet swollen, after putting in 50,000 steps (at least your Apple Watch is proud!). But, I do miss it. I miss seeing my (current and former) WPP colleagues, catching up in real life and sharing what we'd seen and heard. I miss the serendipitous meeting of people I hadn't seen in years, walking up and down the beachfront. I miss sitting with my clients at the award shows, feeling the emotion of great work being recognized and the thrill of finding out our work was winning (go Colgate-Palmolive!). It's almost impossible not to leave the Palais with a real craving to do something innovative, to create something that touches the world. The caliber of speakers, the incredible array of creative work and ideas all find a way to worm their way into your consciousness, and make you inspired to do something, to act, to inspire. In a tough business, with demanding hours and ruthless pressure, it reveals why it's worth it in the end - to make a difference in the world, to change what needs to be changed, to evolve in a world that speeds ahead. I'll be there next year.

In a current world where there have been massive layoffs, marketing budgets squeezed, thousands of businesses struggling to hit their quarterly numbers and even some where their share price has tanked costing billions in lost shareholder value because of "not understanding their customers and being woke" (cough cough Bud...) do we really truly get any value from these global events? When candidates being interviewed are being kept in lengthy processes because "the line manager's schedule is super busy"...The reality is that the world today is very different from the "Mad Men" years and these huge, ostentatious events I personally believe are no longer relevant vs. the cost. Agree or disagree? #canneslions2023 #marketing #madmen #events

I’ve been struggling with whether or not to post this, but here goes nothing: I feel compelled to share my candid thoughts on the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This event has been heralded as the pinnacle of creativity and innovation in the advertising and publishing industries. It is no secret that the Cannes Lions Festival fosters an environment that promotes exclusivity and elitism. The gathering of agencies and publishers, though intended to celebrate exceptional creative work, often becomes a display of power dynamics and an echo chamber for a select few. The emphasis on lavish parties, extravagant yachts, and opulent accommodations tends to overshadow the festival's original purpose. One of the core issues lies in the high barrier of entry for small to medium sized agencies and publishers. The exorbitant costs associated with attending the festival restrict participation and disproportionately favor established players, perpetuating the dominance of the industry's giants. This limits the opportunities for emerging talents and innovative voices to be heard, reinforcing the status quo instead of encouraging fresh perspectives. In an era where diversity and inclusivity are at the forefront of conversations across the advertising industry, it is disheartening to witness such exclusivity persist within the event. We should be fostering an environment that nurtures creativity from all corners, irrespective of the size of agencies or publishers. I believe the Cannes Lions Festival should be more accessible avenues for aspiring creatives and emerging talent to engage, showcase their work, and gain recognition on an equal footing with the industry's giants. #canneslions2023 #advertising

Cannes Lions markets itself as the ‘International Festival of Creativity’, but I don’t understand how you can celebrate true creativity if creativity = the size of your wallet. I’ve never entered the Cannes Lions awards before, but this year I thought I’d give it a go. That is until I saw the extortionate entry fees and debated if the kudos of winning this so called ‘prestigious award’ was worth me selling a kidney. There are lots of small independent agencies that are creating ground-breaking campaigns, but they will never be able to financially compete with the larger more established beasts. As a result you have brilliant creative that deserves awards but isn't recognised due to the creation of these elitist and exclusive environments. Organisations like D&AD and The Gerety Awards recognise this, and they offer a 30% discount to small indies which proves that a more equal playing field can be created - you just have to want to do it. But when I asked Cannes Lions if they have a similar incentive, their response was: ‘As a completely neutral party when it comes to awarding, we are unable to provide any discounts or waive fees for any entrants.’ I’m sorry but offering discounts to small indies doesn't sacrifice your neutrality – and it should have no bearing on the judging process itself – what it can offer is a wider, more diverse selection of creative for judges to consider. Which can only be a good thing for the industry and for Cannes Lions itself. How will we ever celebrate fresh perspectives and underrepresented voices if these systemic barriers remain? And the award entry fee is just the tip of the iceberg – throw in the entry to the Palais on top and the extortionate travel and accommodation fees for the South of France in June, and there’s no point even considering it. And then there’s the judging itself. Apparently, you can only judge Cannes Lions if you have won a Cannes Lions. And that my friends is the vicious cycle of elitism at its finest. What should be the high watermark for creative excellence in our industry becomes a wealthy mutual back-slapping exercise between past winners and rich agencies. Maybe I’m alone on this, but I personally think Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity really needs to take a long, hard look at what its current structure is saying to the industry – because all I can see is the perpetuation of inequalities that already exist and the promotion of the same work by the same big agencies, judged by the same people every year. Thus closing the door on diversity. If you really believe in creating a more inclusive landscape that genuinely celebrates the best work that our industry has to offer, you need to put your money where your mouth is. Not ours. #canneslions #equality #diversityandinclusion #awardsandrecognition

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is already in full swing approaching the end of day two. How can attendees maximize the time they have left? “If you’re not having fun, you’re not winning… Remember that enjoyment is essential to success,” says Alessia Grosso, SVP of Communications Strategy at Havas Media Network Canada. Check out these expert tips on how you can make the most out of Cannes: #HavasCannes #CannesLions2023

CANNES WINNERS AND MEMORABILITY We’re still all reeling under Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity celebrations and the winners this year This year India won 25 awards and each one very deserving. While they won from a distinguished jury for their #creative aporoach, innovation, effectiveness and more the thing to perhaps note with the awards these days is that while they’re done for some incredibly fabulous work, after a year or two they will perhaps not have much memorability unless you’re from the #advertising or #media industry Consumers attention spans are shorter now, with the multiple channels and mediums it’s almost impossible for them to have memory of the ads that stay with them. It’s almost like music of today that has a short shelf life and you won’t perhaps easily remember most of the same songs 4-5 years from now no matter how good they are now And yet cut to say 25 years ago and this for us Indians was our first award at Cannes. The idea was simple and the execution phenomenal and this advertisement is one that stays with consumers : One Black Coffee is what millions of us know the advertising for and we’d have our own share of emotions seeing this one It’s strange that these #brands may perhaps not be available today too but in a time while it was created it had such a lasting impact, with the fewer avenues of playing our this communication and not in the days of YouTube and #socialmedia it still created impact on millions So what is it that creates this lifetime memory and I’d like to ask some of the best in our advertising and media industry and created some of the most memorable brands Pops KV sridhar Kiran Khalap Rishad Tobaccowala Shiv Shivakumar Sonal Dabral and each of these five gems have given us some amazing work in the last 25 years Happy to hear views from others too while I’m sure these stalwarts will have their own perspectives