The 53rd annual Cannes International Advertising Festival, slated for June 18-24, has seen its entries increase 12.5 percent as compared to last year. Fueling this growth have been a high level of submitted work in new media as reflected in the Cyber Lion and Titanium categories which went up a whopping nearly 32 and 52 percent, respectively.
Indeed grappling with new ways and varied outlets to break through creatively to audiences is the lynchpin of the Titanium Lions competition. Titanium jury president David Lubars of BBDO North America related, “The Titanium is for creative people who’ve thought of something so unique and pure, it cannot be labeled in a conventional way. It recognizes and rewards the brave thinkers who are reconsidering the way forward, who are breaking the rules–even rules set down by famous award shows.”
There were 2,502 Cyber Lion entries, 605 more than in ’05. Titanium entries went from 133 in ’05 to 202 this year.
Meanwhile the Cannes film competition held its own, with a slight decrease in entries of about three percent. Still there were 4,860 film entries this time around, signaling that broadcast/cinema outlets remain viable. David Droga, creative chairman of Drogafive, is the president of both the film and press juries.
Handicapping the Lions derby is an annual ritual, with assorted spots on preview lists, such as work for Honda out of Wieden+Kennedy, London (“Impossible Dream,” “Choir), Carlton Draught from George Patterson Y&R, Sydney (“Big Ad”), adidas from TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco (“Hello Tomorrow”), Xbox 360 via McCann Erickson, San Francisco, and 72 and Sunny, El Segundo, Calif. (“Jump Rope,” “Water Balloons”), Sony Bravia out of Fallon, London (“Balls”), Hummer from Modernista!, Boston (“Monster,” “Three Bears,” “Giants”), and Guinness via Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, London (“noitulovE”).
Beyond the awards, several sessions of interest are on the Cannes calendar, including: a discussion about brands building relationships with prospective consumers in the gaming sector. Featured speakers will be from Reza Ghaem-Maghami, director of Proximity, Paris, and Simon Bond, head of international clients (Asia), from Proximity, Singapore. Also on tap are: a presentation by the Screen Advertising World Association on 3D digital cinema; a digital media discussion with panelists such as Nick Brien, president/CEO of Universal McCann, New York, and Alastair Duncan, CEO of MRM Worldwide, London; an exploration of Web opportunities by Farah Golant, chief exec of Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, London, and Leslie Dance, VP, global marketing, Motorola, among others; a Heads of Production session moderated by Tim Mellors, chief creative officer, Grey, New York, with such panelists as Wiliam Gelner, creative director, BBH, New York, and David Rolfe, head of branded production, DDB Chicago; Saatchi & Saatchi’s New Directors Showcase presentation; and a new agency business model discussion featuring Bob Greenberg, chairman/CEO/chief creative officer, R/GA, New York and London.
Stars Among Those Who Lost Their Homes In L.A. Area Fires; Jamie Lee Curtis Pledges $1M To Relief Effort
Fires burning in and around Los Angeles have claimed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Jeff Bridges, and R&B star Jhené Aiko, and led to sweeping disruptions of entertainment events. Three awards ceremonies planned for this weekend have been postponed. Next week's Oscar nominations have been delayed. And tens of thousands of Angelenos are displaced and awaiting word Thursday on whether their homes survived the flames — some of them the city's most famous denizens. Thousands of structures have been destroyed but damage assessments are just beginning. More than 180,000 people are also under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt. Late Wednesday, a fire in the Hollywood Hills was scorching the hills near the famed Hollywood Bowl and Dolby Theatre, which is the home of the Academy Awards. That fire had been largely contained without damage to Hollywood landmarks. Here are how the fires are impacting celebrities and the Los Angeles entertainment industry: Stars whose homes have burned in the fires Celebrities like Crystal and his wife, Janice, were sharing memories of the homes they lost. The Crystals lost the home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that they lived in for 45 years. "Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can't be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this," the Crystals wrote in the statement. After her learning her Pacific Palisades home was lost in the fires, Melissa Rivers says she was... Read More