Cannes Called. Gonna Have to Call Back.

“Did you go to Cannes this year?”

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Welcome to the start of seemingly every industry conversation the past few weeks, as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity just wrapped at the end of June.

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Alas, the answer is no.

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Not because we don’t see value in interacting with wildly creative people in the sparkling French Riviera sunshine, because really, who doesn’t want that?

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But…for a lot of other reasons.

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Maybe we’ll go next year, or the year after, or the year after that. But this year, our clients needed us here, with the sharpest pencils on estimates, all hands making campaigns, and our full attention during the show weeks. Building in travel, yacht parties, copious Royal Vespers, and hours of DJ sets just didn’t fit into the ability to give our clients the pricing and quick turns they simply have to have right now.

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Clients used to be impressed by the razzle-dazzle of our industry. Awards, expensive trips, extravagant dinners and holiday gifts were hallmarks of the business. But now? Brand-side marketers are looking for brilliant work that legitimately impacts business, and they need it done faster, and more efficiently than ever before.

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Many brands are building internal agencies that can handle a lot of the heavy lifting, and looking for flexible partners that can bring in big thinking or fresh executions on demand. Even giant organizations, the ones that used to only work with the biggest and most expensive agencies, are turning to boutique shops that can make things happen quickly and with less BS for smaller budgets. Our friends on the brand side don’t have time for hand holding or mountains of pushback. They need thoughtful messaging and super polished pieces without requiring a 9-month prep phase and the budget of a small country.  

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So, nope, we didn’t go to Cannes this year. But we did make a whole lotta good work for clients that we love. And that was pretty great, too.

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