The seminars and workshops throughout festival week are creatively inspiring and thought provoking. And the wonderful thing about Cannes Lions is that these sessions are practical and useful whether your gig is creative or media. You gain insight and insider knowledge to a wide variety of topics around the themes. For example, workshops on how B2B marketers can exploit social networking; writing for digital media; how design is key in developing brand equity; building apps; and 3D advertising viability. And then seminars on consumer behaviour; digital across cultures; harnessing the power of creativity; gaming (the next big thing); and bringing the romance back into media. The list goes on and on…

For six and a half days, my biggest issue has been deciding which sessions to go to as the seminars and workshops run side by side throughout the day. Call me a girly swat but it causes some angst. Anyone out there saying Cannes is a junket, I dare you to think again and come and experience it.

On Sunday, I went to a seminar called Digital is Dying. I wondered how I’d completely missed this phenomenon. Had I missed all the world’s servers crashing while I was en route to Cannes? I needn’t have worried. It was all about how the whole world is a media platform, that digital is not new and it’s about time the industry realised it has been absorbed into the world at large.

There has since been seminars on agency structure and how these last bastions of companies thinking digital is “special” should rethink structure. And mercy me, communication creativity is not the sole domain of an art director and copywriter or that an ‘idea’ is not digital or mobile. Just like an idea is not TV or magazine or press or radio. I’m sure a few creative bottoms were squirming in their Palais chairs. I do jest, but art directors and copywriters doing everything is the old model and interruption advertising is not it anymore.

With all media channels integrating and blending, communication forms around a brand need to be based around a tangible, emotionally driven human insight. They need to create total immersion of the brand experience, keep the audience engaged long term, and create sustainability for the business goal. There’s not one person in an agency who can do this singlehandedly as lines are now so blurred.

Many of the seminars to date have covered lessons on how to transform advertising and it’s not about throwing out mass market channels but how to bring many channels together to work in a complementary way to create the immersion model. And that’s integration on all platforms. Even at our place nothing in marketing generates more violent debate than the blurring of lines between advertising and content, but it’s here, and here to stay.

Really interesting is how mobile now fits in the mix and how the ”mother screen” is upon us and what that means, how advertising works, clever use of measurement and the almost celebrity status given to the latest hardware. But, be warned. Again, it’s less about exploiting advances in handset technology but the interaction ability with consumers on the go that counts.

Although the seminars have been incredibly inspirational and stimulating, I have to say the absolute highlight for me has been how our Young Lions representing New Zealand have conducted themselves in the Cyber and Media category competitions. Augusta, James, Nicole and Simon have been fully engaged with what’s going on inside the Palais (through the day at least: the nights may have been slightly different). Their dedication and commitment and the sheer bloody hard work on their entries is a credit to them. Spark and Y&R, you should be proud.

And I can’t sign off without mentioning those goose bump moments when New Zealand comes up time and time again as winners on the world stage. Makes me love being a Kiwi. Did you know that we index as being the top performing country, above all others, for winning Lions on a per capita basis? Magnifique!!

• Sandra King is the sales and marketing manager for Fairfax Media Group.

Generous benefactors

It took some seriously big favours and a few crazy promises to get here, but in the end we figure it’s worth it. There are still a few shares left if you’re feeling generous and don’t like the thought of your Kiwi creative compatriots eating French two minute noodles for a week. We’d much appreciate the patronage.

Highlights so far include watching the All Whites vs. Italy game in a predominantly green, white and red bar, discussing Cannes culture with a Parisian couple who spoke less English than we do French and being sworn at in several languages for skateboarding on the boulevard.

It’s been a busy two days but we’ve seemingly recovered from our lengthy flight and ready for the serious Cannestration to begin. We’ll be logging web style all week so stay tuned for more weird and wonderful Cannes first timer experiences.

• Check out the pair’s path to Gallic greatness here.

In the Press category, Colenso BBDO was thrice shortlisted for their Vespa GTS 300 Super campaign and they then repeated the triple whammy with their work for Amnesty International. Three plus three equals six. Six, we say, which is even more impressive when you take into account that only 394 entries made the cut and not one Australian entry got through.

Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland got their first runs on the board with a double shortlisting in the Outdoor category for ‘Greyhounds as Pets‘ and a further shortlisting for the Toyota IQ ‘Nimble as a Mouse‘ campaign. JWT bowed with ‘Kit Kat Chair‘ for Nestle and TBWA/Tequiila Digital/Shift made their debut appearance with Visa’s ‘Go Back to Pompeii’ campaign (which was also a clear victor in Campaign Review in the latest issue of NZ Marketing. Also in the Outdoor Category Colenso BBDO made the shortlist again, this time for the Breast Cancer Foundation ‘The Blob‘ and the aerial dogfight staged over the Waitemata harbour to promote ‘The Pacific‘ on TVNZ.

In the Radio Category DDB and Liquid Studios received a total of six shortlistings for Sky Television’s Arts Channel campaign, three for best scriptwriting and three for publications and media.

In the Media Category Colenso BBDO were at it again with Frucor’s ‘Rocket Man’. Clemenger BBDO made the grade with the ‘Flipbook’ road safety awareness campaign for the NZ Transport Authority while Colenso and Starcom were shortlisted in best use of integrated media for ‘The Pacific’ for TVNZ and for Yellow Pages ‘Yellow Chocolate’ campaign. JWT rounded out the Media Category shortlist with ‘Kit Kat Chair’. Mmmmm, Kit Kat Chair. Must be time for lunch.

Special were one of three Grand Prix winners announced at the Monday evening Awards Ceremony for the Promo & Activation, PR and Direct Lions categories. The other two Grand Prix’s went to American agency TBWA/Chiat/Day, both for Gatorade’s ‘Replay‘ campaign in the PR and Promo & Activation Categories.

But it didn’t stop there for the Special clever clogs. They also picked up a Gold Lion in the Direct Category and two Bronze Lions in the Promo & Activation Category.



Marty O’Halloran, Sandy Moore and a certain golden-maned friend standing outside the Palais des Festivals

Toby Talbot, Marty O’Halloran and Sandy Moore stepped up to the podium twice to collect a Gold Lion and a Silver Lion for DDB’s ‘Live Rescue’ campaign for Coastguard NZ while AIM Proximity were the recipients of a Bronze Lion for ‘Missing Pictures’ for Tower insurance.

Sadly, neither Special Group, Orcon or the leathery Godfather of Punk were on hand to share in the celebrations. So instead I belted out a few lines of “The Passenger” and cut my chest open with a broken beer bottle at the after party in honour of their auspicious achievements. All together now, “singing la la la la la de de da”.

Tony Bradbourne, Special Group’s creative director, said: “Truly world beating news. To be judged the very best. Incredible.”

Leading the charge is Special Group with four nods, while DDB, Clemenger BBDO and Colenso BBDO received two hearty back slaps apiece. Rounding out the lucky 13 are RAPP, DraftFCB and AIM Proximity, who each received a single shortlist shoulder tap.

And the Kiwi shortlist is as follows:

Direct Lions

Special Group for Orcon Broadband, ‘Orcon and Iggy Pop’ (shortlisted three times)

DraftFCB for APN Herald on Sunday ‘Hour Long Letter’

RAPP for NZ Marketing Association, Marketing Seminar ‘Scroll All The Way Down’

AIM Proximity for Tower Insurance, ‘Missing Pictures’

DDB for Coastguard NZ, Search and Rescue Services ‘Live Rescue’

Clemenger BBDO for NZ Football Association, All Whites ‘One Shot for Glory’

Promo and Activation Lions

DDB for Coastguard NZ; Search and Rescue Services, ‘Live Rescue’

Colenso BBDO/Proximity Pulse for Frucor; V Energy Drink, ‘Rocket Man’

Clemenger BBDO for WWF, Earth Hour, ‘Ads in the Dark’

Special Group for Orcon Broadband ‘Orcon and Iggy Pop’

PR Lions

Colenso BBDO for Frucor; V Energy Drink, ‘Rocket Man’

Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions winners in these categories will be announced at an awards ceremony on Monday evening (early Tuesday morning Kiwi time). And, in what can only be construed as a telling portent for Friday 2am, Paraguay had no campaigns shortlisted in any of these categories.

Easter fair trading

Nestle has been getting a fair amount of grief recently for its continued use of palm oil (and, if you believe the Greenpeace takedown, orang-utan fingers) in its products. Cadbury experienced a similar consumer firestorm last year when it changed its recipe and exchanged cocoa butter for palm oil. Then it made its bars smaller. Then it was taken over by Kraft (not craft, like Whittakers).

Overall, beleagured is a word that comes to mind, so the announcement that Cadbury’s range of Dairy Milk milk chocolate bars will now include Fairtrade Certified products is a rare dose of positive news for the company.

Cadbury’s decision, the result of “nearly two years of work with Cadbury’s Fairtrade partners globally”, will increase Fairtrade chocolate sales 20 fold, and double last year’s total sales of Fairtrade Certified products in New Zealand and Australia. And it will also immediately benefit more than 45,000 Ghanaian farmers by setting a fair and stable price for their produce and providing an additional Fairtrade premium for investment in local community development.

Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand executive director Steve Knapp says consumers will now be able to “make their purchase in the knowledge that they are supporting a brighter future for very small scale cocoa farmers, their families and their villages”. And he thinks this milestone will create a step change in awareness of Fairtrade in New Zealand.

Cadbury New Zealand managing director Matthew Oldham says going Fairtrade is massive: there will be more than 5.7 million Fairtrade Certified Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate blocks in New Zealand and an estimated 350 million blocks globally in 2010.

Sweets for my sweet

The Sweet Shop, which won the Kiwi production company of the year award at the 2010 Axis awards, has signed Kiwi directors Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland, who will soon get stuck into making commercials.

The pair are the first directors to have won twice in the short film section at Cannes, with ‘Run’ in 2007 and ‘The Six Dollar Fifty Man’ in 2009. The latter also scooped best international short at Sundance (Utah) 2010, and special distinction and generation at the 60th International Film Festival in Berlin, 2010. The film is now eligible for nomination at the 2011 Oscars and has become the NZ Film Commission’s most successful short film to date.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Friends since primary school, the pair have spent fifteen years spent honing their skills in production and performance. Albitson studied fine arts at Canterbury University, while Sutherland attended Toi Whakari New Zealand Drama School. And in 2000, Albitson founded Sticky Pictures, where he has won numerous awards for arts-based magazine shows, documentaries and music videos.  The team joined forces that year to develop scripts for film and have been collaborating successfully ever since.

Stephen Dickstein, global president/managing partner of The Sweet Shop think this young directing team have a big future ahead of them.

“We’re fortunate to be in the position to help provide a career platform from which they can work. Watch this space…”

Not surprisingly, Albitson and Sutherland, who are currently developing a feature screenplay called ‘Shopping’ with the New Zealand Film Commission are stoked: “After the success of $6.50 man, we were approached by several international production houses, but we wanted to join a world class New Zealand team,” they said in unison, almost like robots. “That’s why we’re directing for The Sweet Shop.”

Paul Prince, chief executive and managing partner of The Sweet Shop is proud they’ve joined the fray and is “looking forward to supporting their work in the global communications space”.

Pead pyar recognised

In an effort to extend its Asia-Pacific coverage, Auckland-based PR company Pead has been elected as a partner by IPREX, the worldwide corporation of independent public relations and communication firms that was founded in 1983, has 69 partners, 89 offices in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, 1,280 professionals on its books and has annual revenues of $136m.

IPREX president (Asia Pacific) Peter Wilkinson says Pead’s reputation for top notch consumer communication work, the best known of which is its six-year campaign for 42Below vodka, is reflected in its list of  clients, which includes brands like Amstel, Garnier, Heineken, L’Oréal, Microsoft, the New Zealand Mint, Nokia, Sol and Xbox 360.

“My focus in the region is on high quality service. Deborah [Pead's] great experience as a practitioner can now be utilised throughout Asia and the Pacific, and beyond,” he says.

And Pead PR managing director Deborah Pead said: “It may be a cliché to say the world is shrinking but it’s also true to say our firm is at a stage now where our clients are seeking to expand their horizons. Likewise, we work hard to maintain our position as leaders in our field of brand building PR and today that requires a global perspective. IPREX provides an ideal platform from which to achieve those goals.

On the Hunt

Another new ad agency will soon be suckling from Auckland’s commercial bosom, with Hunter, “a new creative agency with a digital heart”, setting up shop in New Zealand and Melbourne.

Simon Hakim, who set it Melbourne-based indy The Surgery (which has now morphed into Hunter) will remain in Australia. But his main partner and creative director Matt Gibbins (he joined The Surgery as creative director last year and was a founding partner of Albion London) will be based in Auckland. There are up to 12 staff across the two offices and Hakim has plans to set up a presence in London.

Albion was launched as a digital shop but has developed into a digitally-led integrated agency. And that’s what Hunter is looking at creating in New Zealand.

Top Gear adds another D

To celebrate its 50th issue, ACP’s TopGear New Zealand magazine has jumped on the bandwagon du jour and added 44 pages of 3D content to the latest edition, something editor Cameron Officer thinks is “a motoring magazine first in this country”.

While there’s an element of  gimmickry to the whole thing, the 3D photo spreads are quite impressive. Jeremy Clarkson’s elbow has never looked so good. You do have to wear those funny red and blue glasses that always remind StopPress of the KFC 3D Gorilla movie experience that took place some time in the early 90s and this tends to make for some rather fuzzy viewing for the sections of the magazine that aren’t 3D.

MSN improves its health

MSN New Zealand is claiming victory in the online health sphere, with combined audiences from its Health Hub and new partner www.everybody.co.nz and sister site www.liveto100.co.nz creating New Zealand’s largest local online health network.

The tie-up creates a single advertising network combining everybody’s 47,000 customers with the 50,000-plus regular visitors to MSN Health Hub, which was launched just two months ago and has been one of MSN’s fastest growing categories. MSN will also link to certain everybody.co.nz content, which is expected to boost traffic.

MSN business manager Liz Fraser says online health is a big deal because it’s often the first place people look, and MSN “has grabbed a big chunk of local online real estate” so far. And now, with everybody.co.nz’s strong patient resource focus, it adds medical weight to Health Hub’s more lifestyle-minded health content.

“Now we can connect advertisers with everyone – from general health interests, through to people focused on specific conditions, and even related health industry groups and providers. It’s the whole package.”

APN put the Bibby on

APN Outdoor has nabbed a former media planner Scott Bibby as account manager to assist clients in planning and creating effective outdoor solutions. He replaces Neil Bolton, who left in early January to take up a position with Air New Zealand, and he will report to the recently appointed sales director Kent Harrison,

For the last five years, Bibby has worked client side for Starcom where he became a well known and respected media buyer and planner.  He has won several recent awards including best in show at the CAANZ Media Awards last year for his work with Sony Computer Entertainment.

“In the past I gained a holistic view of media and advertising and now I’m honing in on the outdoor medium,” Bibby says. “I’m genuinely excited about working with my former peers from a whole new angle – bringing unique and creative solutions that fit the overall advertising objectives. In my experience, this kind of empathetic perspective is highly valuable and I plan to form a partnership with my clients which will bring exactly that.”

Bibby brings to the role extensive media knowledge and an active agency network and Phil Clemas, general manager, APN Outdoor New Zealand says he was specifically appointed for his broad media experience and ability to plan effective outdoor solutions that complement the media mix.

“His success on the client side makes him a great asset to APN Outdoor and our clients.  We are really pleased to have him join our team and we’re confident he will replicate the star performance he has become so well known for.”

Brewin’ changes

Steve Cooper has been appointed general manager, finance and planning, at DB Breweries, replacing Hamish Stevens, who held the role for 12 years.

Cooper joins DB from Consolidated Media Holdings in Sydney where he was previously chief financial officer. Prior to this Cooper worked for Stockland, a diversified property group in Australia, Vodafone (in both New Zealand and Australia), Viasat Broadcasting in London and TV3 in New Zealand.

Cooper is now based at DB’s Waitemata Brewery in Auckland where he heads a team covering finance and planning, legal and information services. And he is also a key member of the company’s executive team.

Cannes I still enter? Of course you Cannes!

Deadlines for Cannes have been extended to Friday 9 April, so be sure to get your bits and pieces in before it’s too late. Here are some bullet points to inspire excitement and feverish entering.

• A brand-new entry section for Film Craft Lions
• Craft categories in Cyber, Press and Radio Lions
• 3D Structural Design in Design Lions
• Two Grands Prix in Outdoor Lions
• Independent Agency of the Year
• Grand Prix for Good

Sandra King, sales and marketing manager for Fairfax Media Group, the official media partner of the Cannes Lions, says the selected jurors represent the country’s leading talent.

“These New Zealand representatives will join an exclusive team of international industry heavyweights to determine the advertising campaigns that will be named the best in the world at Cannes in June. The selection process involves choosing the best in the business while weighing up a fair cross-section of representatives from agency groups and regions.”

And the selected jurors are:

MEDIA LIONS JURY: Barry Williamson, media director – Mediaedge:cia

DIRECT LIONS JURY: Vaughn Davis, creative director – Y&R

CYBER LIONS JURY: Lachlan McPherson, executive creative director – Publicis Mojo

RADIO LIONS JURY: Chris Schofield, creative director – Draft FCB

PROMO LIONS JURY: Guy Roberts, creative director – TBWA/Tequila

In addition, Nick Worthington, executive creative director at ColensoBBDO, was chosen as a member of the festival’s elite Titanium and Integrated Jury.

“It’s testament to the creative strength of the New Zealand advertising industry that we have representation on six of the twelve juries at the festival. We are one of the most awarded countries in the world for our size when it comes to advertising accolades and no doubt our performance at this year’s Cannes Lions festival will prove that once again,” says Ms King.

Entries are now open in all categories of the 57th Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. Entry forms can be completed online at www.canneslions.com

Deadlines:

Film, Film Craft, Outdoor and Press Lions Entries: 5 March 2010
Design, Direct, Media, PR, Promo & Activation and Radio Lions Entries: 12 March 2010
Cyber, Titanium and Integrated Lions Entries: 19 March 2010

A bad-taste ad doing the rounds on the web last week showed several planes crashing into a burning World Trade Centre and compared it to the number of lives lost in the 2005 tsunami. It was for the World Wildlife Fund and was made by DDB Brazil.

But the agency denied all knowledge of it.

Now the truth has come out – DDB did make a video version of the ‘Tsunami’ print ad that ran once in a São Paolo paper and submitted both to this year’s Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and the print ad went to the One Show. However, the video was not approved by agency heads nor the client.

Cannes did not pay the ads much attention, but the One Show awarded the print ad a Merit award.

DDB has made several apologies over the incident, including a message from president Sergio Valente on the company’s website. WWF Brazil has also apologised for any offence caused by the ad.

The agency also withdrew the ad from the One Show, thereby stripping it of its award. One Show jurors believed the ad was submitted correctly: the fee was paid and a tear sheet was included. But it is known that agencies may run an ad once just so it can be entered into industry awards. One Show organisers admit they cannot check the legitimacy of each submission, but the company has since issued a press release about its new stringent conditions, which do not tolerate any falsifications. Any agency that submits an ad for a nonexistent client or made without a client’s approval will be banned from One Show for five years.