Toby Talbot’s Cannes Diary #1
Toby Talbot (left), chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, is representing New Zealand on the Cannes Radio + Audio Lions jury. Talbot, along with most of the other NZ and Australian jurors writes exclusively for CB.
Day one.
Let’s start with the lanyard you have to wear.
The last time I judged Cannes, it was smaller. A lot smaller.
This beast hangs like an enormous AO poster around my neck, making me feel like a small child being evacuated from war torn London.
Sharp at the edges, a dangerous wind break and there, I presume, to inform anyone within 100 metres exactly who I am, and what exactly it is I am judging.
As if anyone gives a fuck.
This is Cannes.
The insouciant locals don’t care.
They’ve seen it all in the last month alone.
They had the film festival last month.
Then the porn festival.
Now it’s advertising’s turn.
But the big one is still to come folks.
Get your best white smiles on Cannes because next up is the Dental Festival.
I kid you not.
So let’s talk about what I’m judging.
It’s easy to deride radio.
Three hundred radio spots on my first day’s judging.
That was a lot of inner derision on my part.
But wait, something’s emerging from the fetid carcass of radio.
Move over massively over-written skits with tenuous connections to a brand at the end that ran three times.
Say hello to the limitless potential of ‘audio’ (the other word emblazoned across my humungous lanyard).
There’s some clever stuff to be sure. Innovative, smart and no doubt there will be plenty of debate with my lovely (and refreshingly small) jury as to what is and what isn’t redefining this category which so needs to be redefined.
I’m looking forwards to the headphones off moment.
Starter for ten.
Podcasts.
I love podcasts me.
Listen to them most mornings.
But listening to a 15 minute podcast that has no discernible ‘idea’ does make me question the sanity of some people who happily throw a vulgar amount of money to enter this show.
Anyway, must dash.
There’s a bean bag, headphones and another 300 ads to judge today.
Lanyard on.
Let’s do this.