The grandeur of Cannes Lions 2023

I had heard about Cannes Lions before I even became a copywriter. A festival in the South of France that inspired the next generation of creatives. The Mecca of advertising. This was my first time both at Cannes Lions and as a Cannes Lions jury member. While the first week is filled with amazing discussions in windowless rooms, today I finally got to see the creatives behind the work I spent hours (and I do mean Hours) debating with my jury members. And I finally got to experience the festival, instead of catching the digital version of it while eating Maggi Noodles after a long day of work.

Cannes Lions is a beast of its own for a first-timer. You’re a bundle of nerves and adrenaline. So, I started my day by spending some time in the Connections Lounge, practicing introducing myself in case an industry icon happened to walk by, and preparing for press questions. Today was going to be the day that the Print & Publishing results - a category I had grown to love even more over hours of debating - were going to be announced. While the highlight of my day was undoubtedly watching the winners we so carefully chose walk on the stage, the hours that preceded that were filled with lessons in creativity.

Any Cannes Lions veteran will tell you that while the parties are great (and they really are), the real reason to be there are the talks and live judging sessions that you get to attend. The ‘Hip Hop and Science Turned Kids Into Sugar Experts’ talk by Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, DJ FLO, Lori Rose Benson, and Tim Hawkey was proof that a 45-minute lesson in creativity can be more fun than bottomless brunches. The talks at Cannes Lions exemplify the festival - they’re insightful, designed to entertain, and can quickly turn into the highlight of the festival.

The Titanium Shortlists Live Judging sessions made me feel jealous of the creatives who got a chance to go up there and present infront of stalwarts of the industry while also giving young creatives a first-hand experience of what world-class ideas and packaging look like. It also gave me an insight into the trends the judges were looking for - right from tangible impact to brand authenticity, it became clear that every Titanium Shortlist was anything but a ‘scam’.

And then, finally, after a day of press conferences, conversations, debates, and analysing the best creative work in the world, the time had come to award it. Pharma, Health & Wellness, Radio & Audio, Print & Publishing (my category), and Outdoor were being awarded today. The work awarded was impeccable, and sitting in the room, watching the creatives who put countless hours behind it get their due was a joy.

My personal bias will always be the amazing work awarded in Print & Publishing - whether it was the hilarious NotMilk ‘We Didn’t Write This Campaign’ campaign that got a Gold, or the moving Grand Prix winning ‘Newspapers Inside The Newspaper’ edition by IMPACT BBDO for AnNahaar. The Palais was bursting with celebration at this time, making it clear that this was just the beginning of the festival. Brand authenticity and impact stood out with every category - whether it was Skinny’s ‘Phone It In’ that won a Grand Prix in Radio & Audio (a pure business-led campaign) or Dentsu Creative’s Scrolling Therapy that won a Grand Prix in Pharma.

There’s a new, more inclusive age of advertising upon us. And day 1 of Cannes Lions got me very excited for what’s to come.

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