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Worthy causes will be out of fashion at Cannes this year, predicts former juror Steve Blakeman

Steve BlakemanThe world’s biggest ad awards show, Cannes Lions, is likely to see a shift away from worthy, cause-related campaigns winning over the jury this year, a former judge has predicted.

Steve Blakeman, the Asia Pacific CEO of OMD, said this morning that data and effectiveness is likely to succeed corporate social responsibility as the winning theme at Cannes, as juries look for campaigns that show the impact of big data on advertising.

Last year, work such as SMART TXTBKS, an idea to provide school children with text messages instead of heavy text books, won well, picking up the first grand prix for the Philippines.

“The theme at Cannes this year won’t be CSR and worthiness. I think it will push back to effectiveness and results,” he said. “Juries will be curious to see how data is being used,” Blakeman said.

“A dominant theme tends to set the tone with judges, so campaigns of that nature are more likely to win, Blakeman said, who has sat on the Cannes Lions media jury in the past.

“With the nature of the industry, there is always a desire to move on to new themes,” he said.

“OMD is the most awarded media agency in the world, topping the Gunn Report for media in February this year.

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