James Mok’s Cannes Diary: part 1
James Mok, executive creative director of DraftFCB Auckland, is New Zealand’s Radio Lions juror at Cannes this year. He and other Australianand NewZealand jurors will be writing diaries for Campaign Brief over the next week….
I’ve just popped my Cannes cherry so I have nothing to compare it to. However, from what I’ve seen so far, Cannes is the perfect location for an advertising festival – exotic and tacky at the same time.
Today is Day 3 for Radio judging. Around 1150 entries this year, only about a 100 less than last year but compared to 5000 press entries, we’ve got it sweet. The only downside was no fast-forwarding – every entry had to be listened in full before a score could be made. A little painful at times but when agencies pay a billion euro per entry it’s the least we can do.
The first two days we split into two groups of 8 judges with each grouplistening to half the entries. Not a lot of discussion during judgingbecause we each had our own iPaq with headphones and listened to thework in our own time and isolation, but lots of chat during breaks.
Sadly, I don’t think it’s a vintage year. Is this just a radio thing?Other questions – who would have thought Norway and Germany would haveso much brilliant stuff? How is it so many highlighter brands and localbookstores can afford radio campaigns? Did the stars come together forpublic service campaigns telling people not to use their mobile phonewhile driving. How many times can mosquitos, doubled and staccatovoices be used as a SFX? And should this year’s “Real Men of Genius”win metal again, even if the spots are still, err, genius?
Yup, it seems hard to be fresh in this medium. From what I’ve seen, thejudges are drawn to ideas with clever or lateral insights about theproduct/service/issue, and why or how people use them. This the freshthing. Being well written and well produced also cuts through but it’sthe icing, not the idea. Technique driven ads lack resonance bycomparison. I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, but afterlistening to several hundred spots it only confirms how hard it is toput into practise.
Today was reviewing and scoring shortlisted entries – around 165.Tomorrow it’s deciding metal. Judging awards can either be a greatpleasure or a pain in the ass. This has been a pleasure because it’s agreat crew of people – no egos, no bullshit. And we’re lucky with ourjury president, Matthew Bull, CCO Lowe Worldwide. He’s encourageddiscussion all through the judging and he likes a beer or two. Andluckily the Springboks dicked the Lions over the weekend.
By the time you read this you may have seen the shortlist.Congratulations if your work is on it. You should be bloody pleasedbecause, trust me, it’s not there by chance.
Two photos – one is a badly art directed shot of my judging area with iPaq and headphones. Sort of sums up the lack of glamour. The other is of Ewan Paterson, ECD CHI & Partners London, and Paul Reardon, senior copywriter Clemenger BBDO Melbourne – doing it tough on our deck at the Palais des Festivals.