Ben Welsh’s Cannes Diary: Day One

Ben Welsh, ECD at M&C Saatchi, Sydney is Australia’s representative on the Cannes Lions Outdoor jury. Welsh, along with most of the Australian and NZ jurors, is of course reporting exclusively for CB.

Last year, on my way to Cannes, my iPhone slipped out of my pocket and into the British Airways business class seat. I wondered what the crunching sound was and why it wouldn’t go as flat as it should, then I started wondering where I had put my phone.

At the end of the trip, the co-pilot managed to removed a tangled web of barely recognizable parts and I was reunited with what was left of my iPhone. This year I have arrived in Cannes with my iPhone, but only just.

Two days ago, while walking along the Seine, I was accosted by two very animated young men, who were waving petitions and saying “Excuse me, excuse me, speak English?”

Before I knew it, I felt an emptiness in my breast pocket where my iPhone had been. With a calm that was totally out of character I said; “excuse me can I have my phone back” and took it from under the chap’s board before walking off, leaving the two arguing. This all happened in front of my wife who was very impressed.

Paris was cool and overcast. The sun is shining here and the old and leathery are collecting on the Croisette. Judging starts tomorrow, but tonight we have a jurors’ dinner at The Carlton (yes, very posh, but no Hermes beach towel this year). I know a couple of members, Aussie expat Sarah Barclay(pictured left) and a bloke from the Philippines.

Our jury president is Tony Granger. (Do I ask him about Paul Fishlock?) The air traffic control union called a strike yesterday and the railways have come out in support. Three of the six jury tables are empty, but apparently, they are all on their way.