Direct from Cannes: Steve Elrick, BBH

Editor's note: Our 'Direct from Cannes' reports are presented in unfiltered form.

Sent 19 June, 4:46 pm (Cannes time)

Day 2ish. Sort of. I think. 

Little point talking about awards, that info you will have. Instead more random blather from moi where I will mention one area I was exceptionally pinterested in. (See what I  id there. I am SO new media.)

Cannes Lions 2012: Full coverage

It was a talk by Ted Royer ECD of Droga 5 New York,  initially  intended for just 'The Young Lions' as a guide to getting into advertising. But the venue was packed to the sweaty rafters with the not so young too. Moi included. (Moi!  See what I did there? I am so Cannes!)

Guaranteed to be a big draw as Droga has carved a place as one of the genuinely different, pioneering voices in The Industry. 

It didn't disappoint, and hopefully it inspired some of the older hands in the biz too beyond the youngsters.

I didn't take notes, I listened. So forgive me Ted if I paraphrase and misquote. 

The was a lovely synchronicity with a much repeated BBH quote "cynicism is the opposite of creativity"  when Ted spoke passionately about the culture of Droga 5 as an agency and a people he loves working with, and how that affects their recruitment policy. Funny, cool, positive ....most of all positive. Cynicism is not something we want people taking to the party. They serve dinner every night at 8. Because they know people will be working there late through their choice.

Bigger than that was the idea that ad people should perhaps be spending more time thinking about solutions to issues rather than just communicating the problems. Everything from the Millions campaign to Tap Water would back this up. 

Hey, how about the ideas we come up with offer business solutions rather than cleverly offer up clever but empty communications solutions? 

And also on a personal level Ted's advice to the youngsters; remember! This is a GREAT career should you choose to accept it. Where else can you be paid to sit around and think up ideas all day? Where the most unique and original ideas , where the most crazy shit, will make you more famous?

Also part of his chat—now LISTEN Asia and Asian creatives. EXPLORE! go work in a different country. It broadens the creative mind. Ted worked in Singapore (as did Droga) and South America and lots of other places. Become Asian expats. Balance the learning curve. Yang Yeo did London. Masa at Party did Amsterdam, London and New York. Golf Nuntawat has done a TripAdvisor tour of global agencies. Ashidiq Ghazali is doing great work now at BBH London. They are all examples of brilliant Asian creatives doing stunning work at a global level. 

(Shameless plug here; all of the above are ex BBH Asia people who have taken the wonderful leap of being non BBH people and aiming for the stars.)

Back to Ted: one piece of new work he showed which demonstrated solution over communication; sorry don't have the link, google 'help -band aids' and it will probably take you to a great case history. And a story, a great story where, in essence, a brother took his own experience  of finding it difficult to find a bone marrow donor for his brother to an actual solution.  Summary: When you cut yourself shaving, wrestling a pigeon, or whatever.... You simply mail the plaster and it effectively registers you, DNA included, as a bone marrow registree. Genius.

Humbling. Inspiring.

And in a small sweaty side room at Cannes isn't that what a ' festival of creativity' should be about?

 

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Sent 18 June, 3:05 pm (Cannes time)

Cannes. Haven’t been for a while, but this is one I didn’t want to miss.

One big reason: This is the  30th anniversary of not just BBH but Wieden and Kennedy, and the promise of a Wieden/Hegarty duet on the Cannes Stage meant I really couldn’t miss it.

That’s a pretty special double bill. Sir John and Lord Dan.

Looking forward to a Keep Walking, Just Doing It in a Vorsprung Durch Technik look at me, look back at him, now look at me, celebration.

I’m also looking forward to how Cannes has changed—or at least how people have told me it’s changed. This time I’m actually going to see the talks. 

There’s a fantastic line up of speakers and talent and I’m hoping that I’ll really be able to come away from the event rejuvenated and inspired.

Going to try to soak up the creativity. Like a sponge. SpongeSteve Cannespants. That’s the new nickname I’m trying to cultivate.

First afternoon on Sunday—which I only just made due to a missed connection didn’t disappoint as I caught the chat by PARTY from Japan—a spectacular Agency doing brilliant work with one of the founding partners being an old colleague Masawa Kimura. The talk was by Morihiro Hirano, and he got the audience on his side straight away by basically saying—we all pretty much produce shit…. and a lot of it. And at Cannes we are often just celebrating producing the same old shit and not genuinely interested in changing the way we create and interact with brands.

You can see some the ways in which PARTY are most certainly not in any danger of being accused of producing more shit. Traditional or otherwise at http://prty.jp/

Last talk day 1, and it was a cracker.