Out and About in Adland - Cannes Recap: Day 2

Day 2 of Cannes - Monday - was a big day. Two huge speakers started things off in back-to-back seminars.

Malcolm Gladwell spoke in the Kraft Foods seminar.

He brought up a great notion about the desire to place in third rather than first. In business the inventor of something is first; but it is with innovators and tweakers (who place in 2nd and third) who fully develop products for market with the consumer in mind and THEY are the ones who bring in the bank. Think: Zuckerberg and Jobs. They didn't invent the wheel - they perfected it.

The Ghost of Malcolm Gladwell?

So maybe it is high time for companies and brands to think about how a product will be practically used and maybe with a focus on functionality rather than invention it will help pad their bottom line. The trend developing of knowing the consumer through and through when placed in Gladwell's lens proves that knowledge of the consumer and how they  practically use products can only be beneficial to business. Hopefully we can see some better products in the near future from companies other than Facebook and Apple!

Author and thinker Jonah Lehrer spoke in the DraftFCB seminar: Exploring the Science of Creativity.

Lehrer talked about the science behind creativity and brought some neuroscience facts to prove it. Brainstorming - the tool loved by all creative directors and bosses for the past 50 years is now dead. It is proven inefficient. The quantity and quality of ideas genererated individually outweigh a forced brainstorming session. Lehrer also brought up some cool ways to stimulate creativity. When you have no idea and need a spark of divine intervention (moment of insight in neuro-mumbo-jumbo) it is best to not take stimulants (a la caffeine) and never try to force an answer. Creativity is tricky in this regard because the subconscious must mull and work over unseen neurological connections and only through relaxing and maybe a hot-shower can this be best achieved. Relaxing and blue colored rooms facilitate the forging of new neurological connections and can generate new connections (creativity) through increased alpha-wave production.

Though on the flip-side if you have tendrils of an idea and feel like the solution is obtainable it is best to keep hammering away until the solution is achieved. If a problem is solvable and you feel like it is within your power to do-so then by all means pop that redbull or down the coffee.

So the key to creativity is knowing which method to use. This all depends on the type of problem you are faced with. So situational awareness tied in with the correct creativity strategy leads to optimum results.

out and About in Adland - Cannes Recap: Day 1

After we all arrived in Cannes, got our bearings, saw a few sights - we were ready to get down to business at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Sunday kicked off our journey through the inside look of adland.

We only dipped our toe in the pond on our first day and went to 5 seminars. They went all through the day (and we gave ourselves a lunch break) it was the best way to acclimate by just relaxing, sitting back, and letting some industry professionals give us the scoop on new industry trends.

Highlights from the day include a few famous faces and companies anyone will recognize.

SapientNitro was up first and talked about "Culture Clubbing." They believe that business should be in the business of making life better and not so focused on the bottom line. Through a shared purpose where the brand and the consumer have a relationship that brand builds its culture capital. The figurative currency that shows a brands relative power in the marketplace by how many consumers interact with it grows over time as the consumers relationship with it develops.. This also can directly lead to better sales through the authentic relationship that is forged. In the new landscape of advertising, SapientNitro believes that this Culture Capital + Digital = the Future.

SapientNitro then brought out Jennifer Frommer (the head of brand partnerships) for Interscope records. I love eminem so this was pretty cool and the video by Far East Movement on creativity, brand identity, and the culture surrounding them was a really nice touch. Frommer then spoke about Lady Gaga and cried out for all the "Little Monsters" in the audience to put their claws(?) up. Crickets and no claws. Guess Cannes is not the right audience for Gaga!

Later in the Day brought larger crowds when IMC^2 hosted a panel titled Friends With Benefits discussing in a meta sense Venn Diagrams and in an advertising sense how their is a specific audience for a particular brand and when aligned correctly can be leveraged for massive gain.

It opened with a hilarious video created by Michael Davis (super talented guy!) on the history of Venn Diagrams - the insight on facebook was great with the overlap of:
 (Facebook friends [)-people you actually like-(] likes )

To underscore the point about how audience is key for a brands relevency Nick Jonas was on the panel. Not much overlap with advertising and communication professionals; but change the audience to 14 year old girls and BAM! that's a cash cow. Aside from the 'big' name draw of nick jonas i actually thought he spoke fantastically, held is own against Bob Garfield's attempts to trip him up, and overall contributed to the conversation.

This seminar was all about the human relationships created online and the linking of brands with consumers. It is now all about shared value so brands should now be ever more concerned with the relationships they forge, maintain, and break with consumers. It is not a one way street of communication anymore, for brands right now it is multi-level conversation.

So the future resides in the consumer - this development shifts the power in their hands and for the future of advertising the customer is the new currency. This consumer currency will drive everything in the future, from the creation of content, to the relationships created between brands and consumers.

Finally we ended with The Three C's of Modern Creativity by Naked advertising.

1. Communication
2. Co-creation
3. Crowdsourcing

Again consumer engagement was stressed as the future of advertising. Naked delved into the benefits a close relationship to people who like your brand can have as then they can be utilized via crowdsourcing to create something on a much larger scale than the brand could create alone.

Speakers from Nokia discussed PUSH snowboarding (created through crowdsourcing). This is such a cool bit of software as it can monitor everything a snowboarded does on a mountain ranging from height of jumps, adrenaline spikes, and board rotation. My only question: when is PUSH skiing coming out!?

Then a represntative for LEGO came out. I LOVE LEGO blocks. They rule. They were a significant part of my childhood and i recently boxed up a ton of them I had around. After an awesome speech highlighting the great community involved with LEGO the presentation was over but a HUGE box of LEGO was thrown across the stage. Delegates were welcome to pick some up after the show. It was mentioned that 6 blocks could be combined in over a billion possible ways.

Well I had some fun (with a bit more than 6):

My lego skills. 

The Paris Chronicles Day 17 - Gyros

I am doing a quick shot out back in Paris to one of the most delicious Gyros I have ever eaten from Maison De Gyros. I love Greek food and don't get me started on tzatziki  sauce. It might be the best condiment ever created - think Greek yogurt + chopped up cucumber + lemon juice + dill + and Garlic. Amazing! Goes well on Greek Salads, veggies or Gyros.

But we are talking about Gyros right?

So what is a gyro you might ask. Well a gyros is basically a meat sandwich. Except the meat is roasted vertically on a spit. it is spit-Roasted! I only have to stop there for anyone who has walked down an alley laden with street-food vendors with plump mounds of meat slowly circulate next to a vertical cooker that slowly crisp and char the meat from the outside in as the fat sparks and bubbles; filling the air with roasted flesh as vendors shave it like fine truffle into luscious mounds around the base.

Meat-gasm

And that is only the meat! For the Gyros the vendor takes pita bread, slathers it with the aforementioned tzatziki sauce takes a generous helping of shaved meat then crowns it with crisp lettuce and fresh tomato.

At Maison De Gyros the chef combines the gyro with fries. This is another fine contender for the heart-attack-in-your-hand category because the crispy hot fries bake into the sandwich and add a whole new dimension of euphoria to this sandwich.

Heaven in a handbasket

Out and About in Adland pt. 6 - Cannes first impressions!

Arrived at Cannes and it is incredible! A maelstrom of awesome from a combination of a few simply things: the weather of Santa Monica, the culture of France, a sweet international vibe from the Creativity Festival, and the beaches!

Did I mention beaches!?

A quick tour:

The view from our hotel:

love a little marilyn

The entrance to the Cannes Lions Creativity Festival:

The Big book of ads outside of Cannes: 

shower rod and curtain pages!

And a peak inside the seminar room!

I wish their 'wifi' would "do its thing"

More to come from a jam-packed week!

Out and About in Adland pt. 5 - Grey Paris

The next stop on our agency tour is Grey Paris. 

We were all quietly sat down in a massive conference room in the back of the building heavily ladden with beverages and danishes when suddenly Frederic Wolff the CEO exploded into the room! Man does he have energy! His booming voice shook us to our feet until he quickly barked at us to sit down and dig into the food and drink.

Popping a coke Wolff launched into his power-point about Grey and showed us what they stand for as an agency.  They are all about unconventionality, "whatever they think, think the opposite" is Wolff's key mantra but to them their success transcends beyond their spectacular creative and is rooted firmly in the notion of knowing the consumer. Once you get inside the consumer's head-space and understand how they tick - their "essence," only then can you create amazing advertisements that are both relevant and effective. 

Wolff described a world where everything is faster and the consumer, driven by emerging technology is the new currency in this future of advertising. As a result the ad agency must be nimble and the creative director must enable people to act. This new super-efficient agency will bank on "talent, efficiency, and business results" - this is what the client should be purchasing. 

Wolff an infectious speaker described himself more as a coach rather than a leader and massages creativity from his employees but emphasizing that they have a life outside of the agency, a real life. If an employee is happy and there is an open dialogue then work is fun. From that fun stems creativity. 

Lego Tattoo Pilot Pen Ad

This creative is founded on the notion that "quality isn't job one, being fucking amazing is job one." Wolff believes "if you limit yourself to traditional words you do nothing, you don't stand out." But Grey isn't just creative and edgy for the sake of being creative and edgy; the concept must be backed by the research and relevant not only to the brand but on the essence distilled from knowledge of the consumer.  But when push comes to shove Wolff says, "you must always favor something that has never been done before. You must fight for it."

Combining theory, science, a dash of philosophy and psychology, lots of laughs and an espresso shot of energy Frederic Wolff left us stunned and inspired. We gingerly left Grey Paris and stepped out through Grey's portal doors and back into Paris; the street sounds came crashing down on us, slowly dragging us back to reality. Like coming out of a hazy dream I knew we had seen the future of advertising. As we leave for the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity I wonder if others will see it too. 

Out and About in Adland pt. 4 - BETC EURO RSCG

Today we visited BETC EURO RSCG, the Paris branch of the fifth largest advertising conglomerate in the world. We were treated with such warmth and hospitality it was like being back home in the South. 

We got an awesome tour of the Agency from Ellen Broomé a communications assistant and saw some unique things:

Nothing says directions like Pac-Man!

and some things that are so hilarious cliche for an ad agency it must be a joke:

seriously every legit ad agency has one!

Finally we paused the tour on the roof of the agency where the staff sometimes eat lunch or hold parties to take a picture of the spectacular view of Paris:

On the way back down our lovely tour guide Ellen showed us something peculiar that was fitting with BETC EURO RSCG's office goal of eco sustainability. We had seen hints of this earlier with recycling bins being more common than trashcans and a compost heap garden on the roof. Ellen showed us beehives. I repeat BEEHIVES. BETC has gathered over 400 kilos of honey already! That's gotta go well with the tea!

Bonus: stinging serves as worker incentive. 

Finally we were ushered into this sweet little wall niche entirely enclosed by glass to separate it from the creatives working outside in the main room. We all sat down at a table and were served the most delicious tea and coffee as we were presented an ad reel by the agency and some situation analyses. It struck me how wonderfully edgy and creative the agency was and BETC EURO RSCG really utilizes humor to effectively communicate their persuasive messages. 




All the ads we saw remained relevant and entirely unexpected by demonstrating a push-the-envelope mentality all wrapped up in a nice little humor-ful package that can only be characterized by the BETC EURO RSCG slant.


Some were funny:

some were edgy/controversial:

Some were funny, edgy, and cartoony!

And my personal favorite and a big award winner is just clever as hell:

After watching these you can see how palpable the BETC EURO RSCG flair is in every single one; though they are individually different they all  sit comfortably (and successfully) out on the edge. 

Out and About in Adland pt. 3

Hey gang! It has been a crazy week out here in adland and its only going to get more hectic.

This week has been a crush of 'real-world' visits to Parisians in the business of advertising and communication.

The first stop this week was a a one-man ad agency called Com&Cie. This man was a true inspiration and gave our group some pertinent insight into the relationships not only between French and American advertising but our two cultures. Stressing a shared history and an emphasis on travel Eric Champin the head (and only) man behind Com&Cie talked about knowing how the people tick in any region is critical to not only understanding them but creating effective ads and brand identities.

His philosophy is that a countires' shared culture and history define the people and understanding the people is the key to success. Champin seems to have it figured out and he has set himself up in a sweet spot where he has the luxury to pick and choose his clients (all based on word of mouth) and they come to him. A world traveled businessman, Champin was definitely an inspiration to go out and see the world and a testament that if you see an opportunity out in the world; go and grab it -you are the only one stopping yourself.

___________________________________________________

In ad-related news from the metro, new ad campaigns have been glued up all over. Not only is this refreshing for the eyes but its a bit perplexing for the brain as it is a whole new set of ads for us to puzzle over. Like why is there a man riding a cow in Belgium?? -  I digress.

This Days Off advert is for the Cité de la musique (City of Music) company and its subsidiary the Salle Pleyel. The Salle Pleyel is close to the Champs-Elysées in Paris, hosts some 200 concerts each year. throughout the metro and streets of Paris adverts for upcoming concerts, events, plays, and other shows intermingle with the big brand products. I love this because it underscores the emphasis that Paris puts on art and culture by being reflected even in the major advertising. 


The ad is unexpected in the awesome design that went into its aesthetic creation that helps it stick out in the sea of other ads for other concerts. The synthesis of the guitar into a butterfly makes the design relevant by showing it is a rock 'n' roll concert. 

Personally I love the design, love the colors and the overall concept. I think it is an effective ad because I want to take a picture of it every time I pass. 

It seriously is everywhere!

The Paris Chronicles Day 12 - Crepes

At this point in my stay in Paris I have had my fair share of crepes. I've gotten the classic Crepes 'Sucre' with nutella in it. Delicious yes, but rote - everyone gets one of those - just look at the 30 tubs of nutella any Creperie stand has in the back or behind the counter.

I even have had a ton of versions of Ham and Cheese. I've even had eggs thrown in. But even those combinations just starts to taste bland. Basic ingredients wrapped inside a doey shell just doesn't do my taste-buds any justice.

While out with the crew the other day looking for a theater in the Latin Quarter, we stumbled upon the holy grail of creperies!

Enter Saint Jacques Crepes.

The man behind the counter is fantastic. He is outgoing and has a grin the size of Texas always plastered on his face. Its electric and so inviting - just like his food. He has a case outside filled with the most delicious looking sandwiches and they do not even compare to his crepes!

He took our orders, invited us inside, and gave us crisp cold cokes sweating right out of the chiller. Talking and chatting while he created his master pieces he joshed with us and pulled our legs about our french speaking skills. Finally he approached us with the first one. Carefully he handed me a foil wrapped crepe that I took with reverence.

Perfection:

Ham and mushrooms tossed with sautéed onions, topped with fresh lettuce and cool tomato all glued together with cheese. Lots and lots of CHEESE. 

This heart-attack-in-your-hand is what I live for and what street food is meant to be.

p.s.

Isn't this guy a ball-buster or what?!

(official crepe making pose)

Quest for the Perfect Gelato pt. 2: Amorino

The Next stop on our gelato tour of Paris is Amorino.

After taking a couple of metros we got to a very cool part of town - very artsy with lots of neat little cafes. Amorino stood perched on the corner in a rustic and inviting chocolate brown shop with cupids gracing all of their confections. Eagerly we got in line for a taste. Customers exited before us clutching massive gelatos in the shape of luscious roses as we inched forward in anticipation.

I got a combination of two flavors for which they are best known. Amorino - the shops namesake. A rich chocolate with hints of hazelnut. I used this flavor as the petals of the rose. For the core of the rose and the most abundant amount of gelato I got Amarana. Amorino's most favored selection - a mass of sour wild cherries in a velvety wash of light custard gelato. This is my favorite flavor in Paris!

The cupids on the wrapper happily pronounce to the world just how heavenly a treat the gelato is from Amarino .

Out and About in Adland pt. 2

On the trip to Giverny to see the home of Impressionist painter Claude Monet and the museum/gardens there that house his famous water lily paintings I saw an ad that touched close to home. Nothing brings me home to the South quicker than some Jack.

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey is an American staple so it was surprising to see it here in the stores and bars let alone seeing Jack Ads!

Their campaign is simple, direct, and American. Using the brand's colors and some witty and informational based copy the Ad stood apart in the sea of foreign alcohol advertisements. The copy is in English with an asterisk that leads to a French translation of the English copy. A description follows describing the composition of Jack Daniels whiskey.

The ad is relevant and unexpected and therefore effective. It is relevant to the American brand with the copy in English then a translation to french which underscores Jack Daniels' goal to broaden its market and target a new undertapped French audience. The ad is unexpected because there are few American alcohol brands over here in France and zero American alcohol advertisements.

Well played Jack; here is to home and new horizons.

Out and About in Adland pt. 1

Class today trekked across Paris to find an needle in the haystack breakfast joint  - Breakfast in America. In the sea of cuisine that is Paris there is B.I.A. and American-style diner. This place is an American’s dream. Imported meat – Bacon! – and just food that tastes like home. Along the way we looked at ads around Paris for class.

A big thing I noticed is the majority of the ads here in Paris are all for alcoholic beverages. 

A new campaign that rolled out this week is for Desperados – a French based tequila flavored lager. I repeat. tequila flavored LAGER. I mean I guess we have Budlight Lime... but still, tequila? My verdict is out until I try it but with that being said they have some sweet, flashy ads. The product itself is different, a flavored malt beverage. It is not for your average beer drinker and the campaign grabs this idea and presents it with its Imagine campaign. The ads are unexpected because the product itself is unexpected and the ads are punchy, colorful, and bright enough to catch the eye and stand out among the clutter. The campaign is relevant to Desperados intended audience. 

Desperados places their ads throughout the streets and Metro. The campaign for Desperados centers around the word 'IMAGINE.' All three of the posters I saw for the drink not only have the word, but include it in the URL in the bottom right corner of each ad: www.imagine-desperados.fr The idea of the Imagine campaign is to convey the notion that Desperados is the drink for people who do what ever they can imagine/put their mind to. 

The campaign is urban and hip. Looking at the ads we can tell that the art and copy of the campaign is to attract younger people. Desperados targets them because they are most likely to try a new product. 

The original flavor is shown with the word 'ORIGINAL' following the 'Imagine Desperados' copy. Graffiti explodes out of the bottle against a brick wall brought about by the flavor. This implies the non-mainstream audience that the flavored lager beverage is marketed to. The graffiti fits in for the original flavor because France is covered in graffiti on almost every wall - just like is shown in the ad - and Desperados is brewed in France. This nod to France also depicts the type of people Desperados targets - counter culture males. 

The next poster/flavor of Desperados is for Desperados Red. The word Red is on the poster making the ad relevant to the intended product. It has Guarana in it which is included in many energy related products. So the creative art of the ad depicting an explosion of energy when uncapped perfectly describes the product in a simple way. 

Finally the third poster for Desperados is for the MAS product. A more lime and authentic Tequila based product. When opened you get a more citrus taste with the tequila lager. The ad shows this idea that when uncapped you can taste the lime like it is right off the vine. The freshness is conveyed and the notion of 'MAS - more' is shown with the added lime flavor. 

The heavy visuals and creative nature of the different posters all help push the 'IMAGINE' idea to the consumer and enforce the creative message that Desperados wants aligned with their brand identity. 

Quest for the Perfect Gelato pt. 1: Berthillon

Quick! a brief history of gelato. Gelato is an ancient Italian frozen dessert; it differs from traditional American ice cream because of a higher sugar content and a significantly lower overture (air added to mix) resulting in a much denser product with more intense flavors. Artisan gelato can not be stored for long at home so it is best purchased and consumed fresh. 

So the search is on! I compiled a list of gelato places (glaciers) across Paris with the goal to find the best gelato before I leave back home for Texas.

In Paris Berthillon is king; some even claim it is the best in the world. Berthillon closes mid-summer in Paris so that is our first stop, and why not start at the top?

Located near a touristy area not far from Notre Dame we found Berthillon with a huge line in front. Undaunted I waited for my first taste. 

Approaching the counter I had an idea of what flavors I wanted, but when confronted with the lot it is hard to choose just one flavor. So... I got a triple. 6 euros - 3 flavors.

I got a cone with a base of Fraise (strawberry), middle of Cassis (wild black currant), and a top of Fruit de la passien (passion fruit). 

The density is true to form! The texture of Berthillon's gelato is insane. It's so thick the fruit feels like it is molecularly exploded, compacted with anything extraneous removed, then glued back together. There is so much pop from the flavor it seems like each berry/fruit is juiced down to the atomic level. 

Simply put, your tongue explodes. On a scorching Paris day - nothing beats this: