The Roar of Creativity at Cannes Lions '22

One young Ukrainian creative Kateryna Kononenko shared how being included gave her the energy she needed to keep going quotI never imagined being invited to Cannes Lionsquot she said quotIt is giving me hope that one day peace will comequotEvery evening we were enthralled by the sheer talent and audacious spirit of Awards night Bronze Silver Gold Grand Prix and Titanium a metallic celebration and toast to the gilded regal and ferocious force that drives creatives to a higher echelon of riveting and always human storytellingHere are my reflections on the moments that mattered from this glittering gathering of story alchemists who shape our emotions and behavior in the quest for brand domination and societal changeGlobal Drumbeat of CreativityNo nation in this world has a monopoly on creativity This was evident by the global smorgasbord of award winners from Agency of the Year winner Dentsu Creative Bengaluru to the Grand Prixwinning campaign by Lebanese newspaper AnNahar and Dubaibased Impact BBDO to Portugal winning its first Grand Prix Portuguese ReConstitution for Penguin Books by FCB Lisbon Given my GoanPortuguese heritage and having grown up in Dubai this was particularly meaningful to me and sparked a sense of pride in the significance of the workWith wins from Ukraine Backup Ukraine by Virtue Worldwide and Pakistan39s Malala Yousafzai honored with the 2022 LionHeart Award there was a palpable feeling of global prowess and invincibility in the air The sort of feeling that makes you dream the crazy dreams and make you believe quotyou can do anything anythingquot as Colleen DeCourcy implored us as she accepted her Lion of St Mark Cannes awardChoreography of ChangeThe change agenda was on full display during this fiveday advertising Mecca from the wellorchestrated CMO Growth Councils for Progress led by the ANA and Cannes Lions covering the urgent topics of Sustainability Brand Creativity Diversity ampamp Inclusion Data ampamp Tech and Talent to the bold moves by Greenpeace curtailing entry into the PalaisI had the honor of participating in the DEI and Talent Councils and what was very evident was that the urgency of the task at hand and the reality of a multistakeholder focus while necessary will not be sufficient As leaders we need to be the ultimate choreographers leaning into Martha Grahamamp8217s elegance in intermixing time space and energy to help us think through human constraints impeding change and Alvin Ailey39s belief that impulse for movement comes from within enabling us to capture the power of intention and underlying purpose as we push for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals The Cannes Can Diversity Collective hosted the Inkwell Beach and showcased what great choreography can achieve from PampampG39s Widen the Screen platform to the first ever Juneteenth celebration at CannesPictured above The Women and the Metaverse panel at FQ Lounge featuring Jennifer Dasilva President Berlin Cameron Nicola Mendelsohn VP Global Business Group Meta Tanneasha Gordon Principal Deloitte Katelin Holloway Founding Partner Seven Seven Sixm Raquelle Zuzarte Founder Equity Project For All and Sue Allchurch Chief of Outreach UN Global CompactThe Metaverse BeckonsThe M word was heard across the Croisette from the stages of the Palais to the private soiramp233es aboard the luxury yachts moored for a week of festivities the rosamp233infused panels in the sandy beach cabanas to the sundrenched verandah of the FQ Lounge at the iconic Hotel Martamp237nezCreative agencies stepped into the Metaverse frenzy with McCann39s MWverse a hub for the most compelling ad campaigns of the year to Wunderman Thompson39s Inspiration Beach featuring collaboration spaces a lounge area a shopping space a DJ Booth and a showcase of the agency39s best workDemocratization of the Cannes experience extends to the apramp232sPalais experience often involving grooving aboard a palatial yacht VaynerX did it best incorporating an IRL dazzling disco fiesta where I was a guest along with online guests dancing at the ultimate quotMetaverse beach club partyquot All this while enjoying a livestream of real DJs bringing cyber and humanoid partygoers togetherBut this was no typical Cannes bash as VaynerX teamed with recruiting company Hidden and virtual platform Voxels to drive donations for nonprofit Creative Spirit whose mission is to create integrated employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities By attending the yacht party or VaynerX39s sessions at Cannes guests received a free POAP proofofattendance protocol NFTAs a moderator of the Future of Commerce panel just one day prior on this nautical vessel it was evident that the PampampG alumni guests in attendance were buzzing on the creative commercial possibilitiesThe Metaverse provides a fluid and aspirational canvas from which new worlds unique digital identities and NFT asset ownership can transform our IRL reality into a more representative just and dynamic presence with endless possibilities on the trajectory of the story arc A limitless creative workshop powered by ARVR and the dynamism of human imagination Translating the welldesigned aesthetics and cultural utopia of the Metaverse to our real lives is where the hard work beginsOn the Shoulders of GiantsThere was no shortage of Alisters at this ultimate celebration of Adland From Ryan Reynolds to Issa Rae to Post Malone to Malala and Zelensky to advertising and marketing boldface names Colleen DeCourcy Gary Vaynerchuk Ted Sarandos Marc Pritchard Mathilde Delhoume Debreu Antonio Lucio Conny Braams Mark Read and Bob LiodiceInspired by the body of work by our industry luminaries and global change agents Isaac Newton would have surveyed this corner of the French Riviera with pride Emerging leaders and reenergized industry loyalists finally got their inspirational booster shot after three years of a quarantine realityFor me my biggest source of renewed hope for the future of the industry came not just from the giants but from the young voices of our new changemakers The Gen Z quotlast chance generationquot Seventysix percent of them consider themselves to be activists according to Vice Media Speaking to French University student Henri Jung as he ferried VIP speakers to the Palais on the sundrenched golf carts it was clear that what matters most was the opportunity to make a difference through creativity Like Jung a young Emirati student Fatma Al Suwaidi from Dubai shared how being part of the Robert Hatchuel Academy program at Cannes wasamp160quotlifechangingquot Their optimism propels us forwardFrom the shoulders of giants we may rise but from the relentless conviction of these young believers we can soar and transcend above the tremendous challenges we faceCheers to the Future Itamp8217s on UsBrands agencies publishers ad techies media mavens and entertainment giants descend on to the Croisette to network close deals and entertain amid the backdrop of the chic Riviera but the biggest reason for their presence is for the chance to proudly hold a gilded lion in the palm of their hand and appear on the front page of our industry39s press to the guarded envy of all the finalists and those who didn39t make the shortlistIn the lead up to Friday June 24th when the biggest awards were announced I watched a crew of brand marketers from a wellknown global brand start the celebration with elegance and quiet pride It started in St Paul de Vence a town just 15 miles from Cannes where I was part of the Institute for Real Growth IRG 2021 CMO cohort the weekend prior to the LionsThe IRG founders Marc de Swaan Arons and Frank van den Driest had invited key CMOs and growth leaders to celebrate Humanized Growth The crew of marketers I am referring to are from AB InBev who sent an impressive delegation to the IRG Summit in a prelude to the Cannes award celebrations The global beer brand was about to be crowned the world champions of creativity with the coveted Creative Marketer of the Year award bringing their 2022 haul to 50 Cannes Lions trophiesMake no mistake the AB InBev team is a force Listening to CEO Michel Doukeris and CMO Marcel Marcondes speak at the Palais with ardor and unadulterated zest about how a beer company can make a dent in the universe one cheer at a time was beyond feel good It was a bold call to elevate our future with optimism and refreshing moxie Over the past few years some of the awardwinning work recognized included Budweiser39s TagWords in Brazil Corona39s The Match of Ages in Mexico Bavaria39s Tienda Cerca in Colombia and Michelob Ultra39s Contract for Change in the US which won the PR Grand Prix and a further eight Lions Not bad for a yeastfilled beverage that is doing its part in our quotchange agendadrivenquot worldLike AB InBev there were a number of other Lions winners that are doing their part in reshaping the future from Doles Piamp241atex pineapple vegan leather innovation to PampampG39s Whispers Missing Chapter to educate Indian girls on periods and staying in school to Honduras39 Morning After Island to give women a safe island haven to take the pill more poignant given the Roe vs Wade Supreme Court overruling just hours earlier to Titanium Grand Prix winner Long Live the Prince honoring the life of soccer talent Kiyan Prince by bringing him to life as a playable character on EA Sports FIFA 21 inspiring the next generation of players to be the best version of themselvesThere is ample reason to cheer for the future but it39s going to take hard work perseverance and smarts to make it a future that is worthy of cheers It39s up to usThe Grand FinaleAs the fireworks lit up the shores of the Carlton Hotel Beach on the last night of Cannes Lions and the last of the revelers took one final nostalgic look at the Palais before boarding flights we were reminded that the spirit of Cannes Lions has been sparked within and it is now time to share it ignite and let it roar across our brands our organizations our industry and our worldamp192 bientamp244t Cannes May the roars continue to galvanize us towards a more humanized futureClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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The Roar of Creativity at Cannes Lions '22

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Raquelle Zuzarte

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