Insights from the Cannes jury
Löwenjagd I: Jury member Andreas Widmer reveals what entrants absolutely need to know.
Lion hunt I Jury member Andreas Widmer reveals what you absolutely need to know as a submitter This year, for the second time, I had the honor of helping to decide the winners of the Cannes Direct Lions as a Swiss: As one of 30 jury members from all over the world, I was able to spend five days (and sometimes nights) marathoning through 1689 submissions from 80 countries. My personal conclusion: even though it should be obvious, being one of the best in Cannes does not primarily mean having submitted a particularly effective work. What counts first and foremost in the awarding of prizes is creativity - which, of course, usually automatically contributes to the success of a work in terms of impact. However, the focus is primarily on the creative idea and not on the response generated.
The best works all had one thing in common: they did not buy the favor of the target group, but won it through attractive and relevant content. They were so irresistible that the viewer wanted to see the commercial form of communication. Vive la Creativité.
However, creativity was also decisive for a second time: the way in which work is submitted has become even more important if it is to stand up to global comparison. We had to painfully realize this ourselves. Or to put it another way: submitting a good work on the familiar presentation board is no longer enough in Cannes. A campaign for the campaign helps, and a submission film has the potential to make the difference between getting in and getting out.
Another development worth mentioning concerns the Direct discipline itself: It has once again changed massively in Cannes; one could almost speak of a convergence of disciplines. On the one hand, this development is enormously exciting for agencies: everything is DM. On the other hand, the blending is likely to lead to a dilution of the category, which is something to keep a close eye on.
The golden rulesIn order to have the slightest chance in Cannes, I believe it is essential to observe the following five most important rules for lion hunting:
1. Cannes is and remains a creative award; anyone who feels that a brilliant result alone is enough urgently needs to rethink.
2. the familiar rarely has a chance; in the protected environment of the global "best of", only the new and innovative have a chance to stand out.
3. "Scam" (fake campaigns) is recognized; not always, but often.
4. the preparation of the cases is extremely important; a brilliant idea must be prepared just as brilliantly - only then will it stand out. Submissions are also the responsibility of seniors; anyone who delegates this unpleasant task to juniors as a side job will have little chance of success.
5. submit only the best works - but in several categories; brilliant ideas have the potential to succeed in several categories. With this in mind: It is better to be a little stricter when selecting projects, but submit them in several categories.
If you look at the current lion's share of Swiss agencies in Cannes, you can see that at least a few of our agencies have followed rules 1 to 3. And the most successful ones have also taken points 4 and 5 into account.
Andreas Widmer is CEO of Wunderman and CEO of Futurecom interactive in Zurich
The best works all had one thing in common: they did not buy the favor of the target group, but won it through attractive and relevant content. They were so irresistible that the viewer wanted to see the commercial form of communication. Vive la Creativité.
However, creativity was also decisive for a second time: the way in which work is submitted has become even more important if it is to stand up to global comparison. We had to painfully realize this ourselves. Or to put it another way: submitting a good work on the familiar presentation board is no longer enough in Cannes. A campaign for the campaign helps, and a submission film has the potential to make the difference between getting in and getting out.
Another development worth mentioning concerns the Direct discipline itself: It has once again changed massively in Cannes; one could almost speak of a convergence of disciplines. On the one hand, this development is enormously exciting for agencies: everything is DM. On the other hand, the blending is likely to lead to a dilution of the category, which is something to keep a close eye on.
The golden rulesIn order to have the slightest chance in Cannes, I believe it is essential to observe the following five most important rules for lion hunting:
1. Cannes is and remains a creative award; anyone who feels that a brilliant result alone is enough urgently needs to rethink.
2. the familiar rarely has a chance; in the protected environment of the global "best of", only the new and innovative have a chance to stand out.
3. "Scam" (fake campaigns) is recognized; not always, but often.
4. the preparation of the cases is extremely important; a brilliant idea must be prepared just as brilliantly - only then will it stand out. Submissions are also the responsibility of seniors; anyone who delegates this unpleasant task to juniors as a side job will have little chance of success.
5. submit only the best works - but in several categories; brilliant ideas have the potential to succeed in several categories. With this in mind: It is better to be a little stricter when selecting projects, but submit them in several categories.
If you look at the current lion's share of Swiss agencies in Cannes, you can see that at least a few of our agencies have followed rules 1 to 3. And the most successful ones have also taken points 4 and 5 into account.
Andreas Widmer is CEO of Wunderman and CEO of Futurecom interactive in Zurich
