Cannes Lions 2022: Will India send more entries than last year?

It is common knowledge that the past two years have been particularly hard on the ad world because of the Covid-19 pandemic. These tough times not only led to slashing of ad budgets by brands like never before but also created logistical and functional challenges for the industry. The impact was evident in the number of entries that agencies sent out to Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity last year. Despite accepting entries for two years of work, there was a dip of 6% in the number of global entries in 2021 with 29,074 pieces of work from 90 countries as compared to 30,953 entries from 89 countries in 2019.

However, the dip from Indian agencies was much higher at around 33%. India sent only 699 entries in 2021 as compared to 1,053 in 2019, owing to the challenges posed by the pandemic. But as the pandemic impact slows down, will the Indian ad land be participating in a much bigger manner this year? exchange4media spoke to industry heads to find out what could be this year’s scenario.

Understanding last year’s dip

Participating in Cannes Lions is a prestigious opportunity but nevertheless a costly affair. This year, sending an entry to Cannes Lions would cost anywhere between 610 euros (nearly Rs 51,400) to 2,110 euros (Rs 1.78 lakh), depending on the category. These rates almost double up for extended deadlines. And given the financial crunch that all industries are facing, it gets difficult for agencies to send in multiple entries.

The Chief Creative Officer of a leading agency network says, “Last year, the festival had slashed the entry fee in the wake of Covid but it was still quite high for the financially-hit networks to send in more entries. This became a deterrent for many to send out multiple entries or to share the same work for multiple categories.”

Additionally, the number of creative works generated over 2020 was also lower, leaving agencies with fewer options to send out for the famed festival.

According to DDB Mudra Group Chief Creative Officer Rahul Mathew, “I don’t think we need to scratch our heads hard to figure out why last Cannes Lions saw such a drastic drop in entries. The last couple of years have been conservative; not just in terms of spends but also in terms of work. But we cannot negate the fact that the entry cost now qualifies for EMI conversion. And with the number of shows that are in play, agencies now have to play some next-level Tetris with their budgets to get maximum coverage and impact. I also feel there is now more objectivity in every agency’s process of entering. With more access to global creative directors in the network, one is able to check for sensibilities and potential, and make a more informed decision about what has a better chance of winning.”

While 2021 was a realisation of battered remnants of the pandemic, the number of Indian entries at the festival had started seeing a dip. Between 2016 and 2018, the entries were continuously falling before rising in 2019.

While a big reason for the dip in 2017 and 2018 could have been demonetisaiton, the resulting financial woes and market slowdowns, VMLY&R Chief Creative Officer lists another interesting reason, “India used to send a lot of Print entries and there is a definite decline in Print entry numbers. Agencies are also more prudent on the entries they send and the number of entries,” says VMLY&R Chief Creative Officer Mukund Olety.

But the industry denies that this could be an indication of dwindling creativity in the sector.

Isobar India National Creative Director Aalap Desai further said, “It doesn't take a genius to know that creativity is fluid and takes the form most applicable to the times it is executed in. Yes, since spending has reduced, we have more hard-working pieces coming out. Not all of it can be sent for awards. The challenge is different, hence, the creativity solving it is different. There are pieces that are solving the problems we are facing today and are definitely at par with other pieces in the festival.”

What’s in store for 2022

The industry has mixed predictions for the number of entries this year. While some are feeling that there could be a jump, others are thinking of 2021 as a year of slowed work and lesser funds.

Rahul Mathew is sceptical. “While 2022 seems to have softened the blow of the pandemic, unfortunately, a major chunk of the eligibility dates lie in 2021. And in 2021, creativity in most agencies took some hard blows to the face. So unlike the past years, where we have had many agencies contributing to Indian glory, I feel we shall be seeing the few, resilient ones.”

Aalap Desai is of a similar view, “I feel the number of entries this year would almost be the same as last year's. More exciting stuff has come out, but the pandemic's restraints have not passed completely. The two factors will balance each other out eventually, I feel.”

However, Logicserve Digital Senior Vice President-Creative and Social, Manesh Swamy, feels the entries will increase this year, “As things are getting back on their feet, I feel entries this year might swell up, as many brands have already done some excellent work. We must understand that cost plays a significant role at Cannes Lions. Most of the agencies send their best works that have won at other regional and Asia-level awards, which validates them that it might have a good chance with the global entries. With Goafest going international with one show and internal juries being part of the screening, it acts as a good pre-cursor for Cannes Lions.”

Olety agrees as he notes that his agency will be sending out a lot of interesting entries to the festival. “We will definitely be sending more entries than we ever have. We have some fantastic work in the offing. You will be seeing some very cool, new-age work coming out from the VMLY&R stable in the coming months.”