Cannes has always been a mythical place in my mind. But all it took was a ding to the hire car to make me realise how very real this paradise is.
First lesson learned – don’t drive in foreign countries. It’s almost as nerve wrecking as waiting for shortlists to be announced, and far more dangerous.
Hertz excess aside, this place is heaven on Earth.
It’s one of those magical places where anything goes.
It’s OK for the men to wear head to toe white linen, despite looking like they’ve just stepped out of a Darryl Braithwaite music video.
It doesn’t matter that the kooky French bartenders don’t put olives in dirty martinis, even if it does make you wonder what’s dirty about them.
You just can’t go wrong here. Surrounded by beautiful beaches, great food and creativity, there’s nothing to do but thank the ad gods for making it happen.
At festival HQ it’s hard not be inspired. Today I caught a couple of seminars, one of which discussed the branding of a celebrity ultimate fighter, and another where the topic was ‘Porn, youth and brands’. Thought provoking indeed, although I did sense some disappointment from the predominantly male audience when the latter turned out to be PG rated.
This leads me to wonder where all the female creative folk are, because there’s a distinct lack of them here. Trying to find a woman in the jury photos is like playing Where’s Wally. But gender aside, there’s some serious talent in town right now.
Talented folks from all kinds of places speaking all kinds of languages. At first I thought this might be a barrier to chatting with new friends from around the globe, but I soon learned that there’s one language everyone speaks – tequila.
Yep, the infamous Cannes nightlife certainly lives up to its reputation. Bars and restaurants are packed with delegates and jurors keen to blow off some steam after being subjected to case study overload for hours on end. The atmosphere is wild, it’s like being at a footy Grand Final – pure excitement, anticipation, and some healthy competition.
It sure is special, but after 24 hours here in France the highlight would have to be ordering a ‘Royale with Cheese’ Pulp Fiction style at Maccas.
Elle Bullen
Copywriter
Leo Burnett