Why the Cannes Lions Festival is still vital to marketing

This short article considers the Cannes Lions festival, and whether it is still worth holding, concluding that it is, as it brings together the broadest themes in the industry.

Why the Cannes Lions Festival is still vital to marketing

Merry Baskin

Sir Martin Sorrell may have his doubts, but there are still plenty of reasons to attend Cannes Lions.

I first attended Cannes in 1989 when it was an above-the-line creative director's jamboree. The 62nd festival still celebrates 'creativity', but the size, scope, scale and subject matter have magnified exponentially, meeting the networking needs of our expanding industry and its multichannel practitioners. (Yes, the wealthy tech companies had once again bagged the best spots on the beach, overshadowing the big agencies.) With 43,000 entries from 123 countries judged...

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