A screenshot from the film prepared by McCann Health for its campaign, Immunity Charm for Ministry of Public Health, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
To arrive for Lions Health is a little like the end of The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy looks behind the curtain. Everything that will dazzle and amaze even the most jaded Cannes Lions visitor is still being put together and a day or two away from dazzling and amazing.
The conferences are sparsely populated – a couple of Indian delegates suggested the real heavy hitters were being saved for days when the beach town would be far more populated – and the roads to and from the Palais, where all the action happens, still reasonably traffic free.
Some parts of the Indian contingent, and of course the judges, are here in strength. We saw people from HappyMcGarry Bowen, GroupM, Medulla and Leo Burnett: much larger contingents are expected to arrive over the next few days.
In Innovation, as was announced earlier, Leo Burnett India’s Roads that Honk for HP is the sole contender. But India’s rich bounty of shortlists in pharma and healthcare and wellness may hopefully translate into a good start for the country at the fest. Perhaps as good as last year when Medulla won Healthcare agency of the year, GroupM picked up a Grand Prix and India romped home with 27 trophies, its highest number so far.
Other contenders that are getting good notice include Roads that Honk from Leo Burnett and Odds by Adidas from Taproot Dentsu. Is our good work good enough, is a question many people are asking each other (and themselves presumably)? Will it be enough to top 2016?
The total number of entries at the festival are down – 41,170 compared to last year’s record-breaking 43,101, marking the first decline in an upwards streak over the last five years. And this in spite of a 69% increase in clients submitting work.
Over the next few days, we’ll bring you news, interviews, analysis of why the winners won (and the entries that fell by the wayside, didn’t), gyan, gossip and everything in between.