#CannesLions 2014: Day 5 Recap

1. 5
Recap
L i o n s
Cannes
2 0 1 4
day

2. Recap day
L i o n s
Cannes
2 0 1 4
5
brazil is the country
ofthefutureAnd it always will be. That’s the knock on the largest nation in South
America, which has been repeated for at least 60 years. Brazil is having
a—or is it another—coming out party on the world stage this week; so,
it was no surprise to find the Lions devoting a day to all things Brazilian
(no, not that—Sarah Jessica Parker was Tuesday) on the main stage.
Marcello Marcelloães unpacked the cultural rise of Class C, Brazil’s
emerging middle class, to a sparse audience predominately composed
of fellow Brazilians. Strong drink was served: Brazil has a long tradition
of, ahem, anthropophagy, and it continues to this day. Fortunately,
physical cannibalism has given way to the cultural variety. Brazil’s
graceful appropriation of foreign cultures is reminiscent of the US in
the early part of the 20th century, as is its burgeoning middle class
(joined to a large population in poverty just starting to feel economically
mobile), recognition of its role in the world, and increasing economic
and political stability. Brazil’s future may have finally arrived.
1

3. Recap day
L i o n s
Cannes
2 0 1 4
5
share and
sharealikeWhat makes you share something on line? Marketers need a clear answer
to that if we’re ever to avoid another Go Daddy commercial. Ogilvy (sorry
‘bout that, but this is relevant) joined up with SurveyMonkey to survey
social sharing in 16 countries around the world. (No monkeys were
harmed.) There are a few global patterns: people like to share funny
and informational content, and they like to share it to support a cause
or to stay in touch with fans or followers. They also like to share Jean
Claude van Damme. Although there are global trends, each country has
its own social sharing profile, thus reinforcing the strength of a “glocal”
strategy for brands…once we get our content shit together, that is. What
we see at Cannes is hardly representative of adland at large. 77% of
the survey respondents said ad quality was average or poor. Yikes.
2

4. Recap day
L i o n s
Cannes
2 0 1 4
5
nimrodbroughtthe weird
Giselle Bundchen didn’t show. This pissed people off much less than
Aaron Sorkin’s no-show, which tells you a lot about how much ad folks
yearn for good stories, even if that theme has been remixed more often
than the Amen break. Rob Lowe came to replace her. (This week has
proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that culture opens for retro mining
30 years on.) And he told us that “making choices that are surprising
and different is critical to keeping your brand alive.” Good advice for
a heartthrob and probably a creative, too. For a brand, not so much.
He also recommended that creative stick to their guns, but Captain
Obvious’s cliché parade was interrupted when Nimrod (his real name)
rushed the stage to pitch an idea. Thank you, Nimrod. You are our hero.
3

5. Recap day
L i o n s
Cannes
2 0 1 4
5
neil brought
thebrilliantNeil deGrasse Tyson—rockstar astrophysicist, champion for science
education and investment, and sciencelebrity—showed a packed
Grand Audi why he’s a geek-crush around the world. He implored
us to return to a time when science was a central and celebrated
part of world culture. America in particular has lost its drive for
scientific exploration. The nation is moving from inventing the 21st
century to a hotbed of scientific ignorance, and Tyson wants to
stop that trend in its tracks. He reminded us that in the Arab world,
“mathematics, agriculture, engineering, medicine, navigation—all
of that happened while Europe was disemboweling heretics at the
same time. So what happened? Well, it wasn’t forever.” He wants
to make sure that never happens again anywhere else, either.
4

6. Recap day
L i o n s
Cannes
2 0 1 4
5
“welcometothefrontier.because when you succeed,
you succeed in ways
people ask themselves,
‘howcomeididn’t
thinkofthat?’”Neil deGrasse Tyson