Day 1: Cannes Lions
It’s hot in Cannes both temperature wise and festival wise. It’s the 73rd year of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity that brings together people from around the world who share a passion for marketing, tech, and advertising…
The official conference activities started off at 10am in the Lumière Theater in the Palais, where Marcel Marcondes led the opening ceremony, while unpacking AB InBev being honored as Creative Marketer of the Year for the third time.
But, what’s eye opening this year are all the creators at the conference. Just a few years ago, there were only a handful of creators and this year there are over 1,000 official creators in attendance.
The sun was strong throughout the day but the crowds were out in full force. At 11am LinkedIn hosted a buzzworthy brunch that was aimed at celebrating and highlighting the Black community, particularly those in marketing. Arriving guests were bombarded with mimosas and Aperol Spritzes, and from there a crepe station with fruit and heavy hors d’ oeuvres. The space was packed, there was a line outside of those waiting to get in, and everyone networked, created content, and cooled down with hand held fans. LinkedIn staff took to the stage over three quick panels to discuss marketing and leadership. One such panel featured LinkedIn CMO Jessica Jensen and BECA CEO, Jerri DeVard.
Eva Longoria and Karla Pita Lore, Co-Founders of Hyphenate Media Group speak on the Female Quotient’s stage | Photo Credit: SEELE
We shimmied over to the Female Quotient, Founded and CEO’d by Shelley Zallis, an LA based advocate for gender equality in the workplace. With the glistening Mediterranean Sea stage left, FQ (as its affectionately known) had a packed-out house at their 12:30pm panel: The Multi-Hyphenate: Owning Your Story Across Every Role. Karla Pita Lore, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of Hyphenate Media Group moderated while Actor, Producer, Director, Activist, and Co-Founder of Hyphenate Media Group Eva Longoria was the sole panelist. Captivating every attention in the room, Longoria spoke on how women must advocate for themselves in the work place. Coming from a family of four girls, Longoria detailed how she found herself in LA after university and shortly after, on the set of Desperate Housewives for 10 years. Crediting the show as her acting school, she challenged women to own meetings, to have confidence when speaking in professional settings, and to show gratitude for all opportunities.
Chris Beresford-Hill and Mark Kirkham speaking on Canva’s stage | Photo Credit: SEELE
World Women Foundation’s AI and Sound panel at the Spendid Hotel featuring Ally Portee (Moderator), Jessica Afeku from Microsoft, Françoise Cardoso from L-Acoustics, and Rany Slavin from the AI Film Festival | Photo Credit: SEELE
Canva has a pretty decked out beach location filled with color, a wading pool, the most glamorous gift bags ever (we’ll be carrying ours around tomorrow), an ice cream station, and other interactive stations as well. They also have the most cooling space in the midst of the strong heat. On the rooftop of the Carlton Hotel, LinkedIn is hosted engaging talks on AI and what keeps shoppers coming back. And, the World Women Foundation, founded by Rupa Dash hosted day 1 of their Cannes Lions Summit, with a day full of talks and panels. Their panel with L-Acoustics on Algorithmic Creativity for Change: AI, Sound and Societal Impact drew a discussion the future of AI and sound with a panel featuring individuals from L-Acoustics, Microsoft, and the AI Film Festival.
FQ panel on connection | Photo Credit: SEELE
We closed out the day by attending FQ’s The Power of Experiential Connection. Moderated by Imani Ellis, the CEO and Founder of CultureCon and CultureCon Collective; Sheyna Bruckner, the SVP of Marketing for Sparks; Patricia Corsi, the Chief Growth Officer for Kimberly Clark and Founder of Good Latinas for Good; Judy Lee from Pinterest; and Juliet Scott-Croxford from Q5.
Day 1 Awards
On another note, the festival gave out its first awards, across the Audio & Radio (513 entries were received and 15 Lions awarded: 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 7 Bronze), Creative Brand (73 entries and 2 Lions awarded: 1 Creative Brand Lion and the Grand Prix), Creative B2B (355 entries 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 4 Bronze), Health & Wellness (889 entries, and 31 Lions were awarded: 5 Gold, 10 Silver, 15 Bronze), Lions Health and United Nations Foundation Grand Prix for Good, Outdoor (1410 entries 40 Lions were awarded: 7 Gold, 13 Silver, 19 Bronze), Pharma (236 entries 7 Lions awarded: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze), Print & Publishing (418 entries, 13 Lions were awarded: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 6 Bronze). “The body of winning work selected by our Jurors clearly demonstrates creativity as a growth driver for people, business and society, setting the global creative benchmark,” says Simon Cook, CEO of Lions in a statement. “Thank you to all our Jurors for your commitment, generosity of time, and depth of expertise in establishing the work that is raising the creative bar.”
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