The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is just about over, and media, tech and marketing execs are stumbling back to the airport to begin the arduous trek home.
It was a more muted festival this year. MediaLink, the Cannes Lions’ sister company, positioned a giant white tent along the pier, which served as the festival’s de facto meeting space. Meanwhile, the creatives stayed at the Palais, while the techies – as in years past – took over La Croisette.
Google and Facebook had a subdued presence. In fact, all of the beach houses this year were far less conspicuous, with minimal branding. And TV tech companies such as Cadent, Nielsen and VideoAmp dominated yacht row.
While there were certainly the familiar late nights (or early mornings, depending on your perspective), boat parties and the drunken overflow of humanity at the Carlton and Gutter Bar, this year’s Cannes Lions felt less like a giant debauchery and more like a place of a business.
This week’s episode of “The Big Story” is all about what happened at the Cannes Lions – except for the awards show. Naturally, who won the Grand Prix is the one subject we don’t talk about.
