Cannes Lions 2016, Festival of Inspiration

Cannes Lions 2016, the International Festival of Creativity, attracted some 15,000 delegates in search of inspiration in the evolving creativity world of brands communication.

Cannes Lions 2016, the International Festival of Creativity, leading advertising festival worldwide, attracted from 18-25 June, 2016, the creme de la creme of creative agencies, tech companies and media. Either at the Palais des Festivals or on the beachside, height days of stellar content provided by some 550 high-profile guests speakers delighted some 15,000 delegates in search of insight, new trends on marketing and advertising, inspiration on the future of storytelling or how to engage customers on social media.

Séminaire au Palais

The consecration of hard work

On the Lions awards side, more than 43 000 campaigns from 93 countries were submitted to win the prestigious awards in 24 categories. A lot of work for the 387 members in the different juries! The awards ceremonies take place in front of packed audiences in the Lumiere Theatre, and the winners come to collect the coveted awards with sometimes a tear in their eyes, as the ad industry’s largest award ceremony is recognizing the best campaigns of the year and its Lions awards are praised by the communication and marketing world.

Recipes of good communication for brands

Boasting huge successes in their different industries, star speakers coming from different background delivered their insights and recipes for good brand strategy. A line-up with the Hollywood touch, here come the stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Will Smith, cinema mogul Harvey Weinstein, multi-Oscar winning film director Olivier Stone. David Copperfield, the “King of Magic” gave magic iconic ideas and Anna Wintour (Vogue) explained how she has driven Condé Nast into the digital age. Rock star Iggy Pop talked to Voodoo priests, as he call the ad guys. Jonathan Midlehall (Aribnb), Jessica Brillhart from Google, Oscar-winning film director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Channing Tatum (launching his own vodka label, Born and Bred) complete the stellar line-up of major personalities, among many others like Usher, who spoked at Cannes Lions 2016.

Gwineth Paltrow

Revolution in conceiving ads

Cannes Lions 2016 festival seems to more and more celebrate the fusion between creativity, storytelling and tech. Twitter was promoting his new #GoLive button, offering a video opportunity for a live connection to culture and to let know what’s happening in the world. On the Hotel Majestic beach, Facebook was showing that everything becomes possible when brands are getting connected with people worldwide via their mobile devices. On the Google beach, for the first time named YouTube beach, YouTube showed its was establishing its leadership role in reality virtual. Snapchat, Spotify, Accenture and Oracle were there too…
Samsung also demonstrated its impressive expertise in VR technology at the Palais and at the Maison Samsung. Improving the users’ experience, VR technologies are revolutionizing our way of communicating and conceiving ads.

Several events in one

Through the week in Cannes, Cannes Lions 2016 also hosted Lions Health for health and pharma commercial, and Lions Innovations, showcasing how data and technology are redefining creativity. A newcomer: Lions Entertainment, dedicated to unskippable creativity, was launched this year, featuring speakers like (among others) director Martin Campbell (Golden Eye and Casino Royale), DJ & producer Mark Ronson, singer and songwriter Poo Bear.
Between the seminars at the Palais des Festivals, the results of the competition, the breakfasts and lunches and meetings, creative life is busy! Fortunately, the Havas Cafe, celebrating its 10 years as the meeting place of creativity in the middle of La Croisette offered its luxurious and airy space in the lush gardens of the Grand Hotel to the participants for a moment of relaxation and refreshments.

The agencies committed to great causes

At Cannes Lions 2016, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, initiated the Common Ground and sought at Cannes Lions the help of the creative industry to achieve 17 sustainable development goals to transform our world and help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. The the world’s six biggest advertising and marketing services groups – Havas, Publicis Group, Dentsu, IPG, Omnicom and WPP – agreed to bridge the gaps to define a Common Ground in a collaborative initiative for the global common good.

Cannes Lions 2016 is the genuine creativity’s playground, a jubilant event full of insight and inspiration, that leaves your brain afresh with new ideas.

www.canneslions.com