I came to Cannes a bit apprehensive about being on the Film jury. A few colleagues had warned me that it would be an ego-laden, political-agenda ridden, “bloody awful” experience. I’m happy to report that my time spent on the jury was in fact one of the best experiences of my career.
Now, that’s not to say that the week wasn’t filled with a good deal of debate, a fair amount of jeering and the occasional “cough, cough, crap” over well, crap. But, that said, two weeks after the fact members of the 2009 Cannes Film jury are still asking each other how a completely disparate group of individuals from all four corners of the world could have been thrown together in a dark stuffy room with bad French coffee for seven days and walk away not just a better creative, but a better person.
Importantly, a good amount of our discussion during the week centered on the strategic idea, the role the product played in the work and the role the work played in evolving the category. Jury favorites such as “Pure Waters” (for James Boag’s Draught out of Publicis Mojo, Sydney), “Day in the Life of Chennai” (for The Times of India via JWT India) and “Love Distance” (Sagami Condoms out of agency GT, Tokyo) rose to the top. Two ideas that we elevated from Bronze to Silver were “John West Row” (for John West Row Fresh Fish from U.K. shop Cheetham Bell JWT) and K-SME Credit (the spots “Long” and “Quick” out of Ogilvy & Mather, Bangkok). Both had simple strategic ideas at the core, were focused on the product benefit and were a fresh approach in their respective categories.
Of course, one entry that received a good deal of discussion was Philips’ “Carousel” (Tribal DDB Amsterdam). A fantastic film in and of itself, but what made it truly amazing was that it was created specifically for the Philips Cinema 21:9. The lighting in the film was carefully executed in order to affect the TV’s ambient light. The film was viewed in the context of the product on the Philips site. Further, films within the film showcased the product features allowing viewers to experience 21:9. Although the film went viral and took on a life of its own, it was ultimately a brilliant product demonstration that took the idea to a whole new level. And for that reason we unanimously voted it the Grand Prix.
We also flat-out dismissed ideas if they appeared to be “scam”. If we had never heard of the product or if a jury member from that country was confident it never ran, that had serious implications on the outcome. The Wassup True Vote film was one of the best we viewed and yet we elected not to award it a Lion. It was well executed and obviously a crowd-pleaser, but it was not a client-commissioned film and therefore did not adhere to the entry rules that everyone else had to abide by.
We lowered a few Bronze back to Shortlist, raised a couple of Silvers to Gold and when it was all said and done our decisions and the show that resulted from them was incredibly rewarding. More of a reward than any piece of hardware could ever be. The ultimate goal of this group of 22 people was to recognize a body of work that would hopefully inspire our peers and our clients to take risks, and to put work out into the world that makes people talk about and see the product in a whole new light. That gives me hope. Hope that at least a portion of our industry is being led not by jaded, award-hungry creative leaders, but by individuals who are passionate, honest, respectful and determined to give our clients work that reflects these values.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More