From Cannes Lions: ‘How did they pull this off?’

After a very successful debut at One Show Abby's, we are hopeful to score a few at Cannes too. Naren and Anil, two of the brightest creative folks in our office and with the blessings from Yash, produced some brilliant work for us to reach thus far. We still have 48 hours left to remain optimistic. Two of our bravest clients, Surabhi and Rahul are also here, and it is lovely to see them enjoying this festival of creativity.

Idea, craft, guts, packaging, budgets get demonstrated at a very different scale in most of the work submitted at Cannes. One cannot help but wonder "How did they do this'? Every piece reaffirms the reasons for the festival to be the mecca of advertising. 

That being said, one should be at this congregation to witness the best of the work, feel happy for the winners, compete but celebrate together! 

Here are my do's and don'ts to max the 4 days out at Cannes:

I have been following 9 out of the list. DM me to know the one I am not. :) 

1) Stay hydrated. Unlike our tradition and hospitality, no one is going to serve you water voluntarily. So drink enough water, ask for it right away. 

2) Walk. Just walk. Don't feel lazy and opt for a car. But if you must, take a green cab, always. They have the coolest cars.

3) It's okay to not speak French. Seriously, it's okay. But if you still want to say 'bonjour' to break the ice, make sure you have mastered the pronunciation. Just imagine how you feel when you hear someone from a different country say "naamastiii' to befriend the bartender in Mumbai.

4) Pace your drinks - for five reasons. a) Drink is not cheap here. And more so if you are an independent agency and have nowhere to reimburse your bills back home. b)To last four days, you need energy and can't be seen walking around in bloodshot eyes. c) Be happy, but stay sober. You will meet many potential clients and don't want to be labelled a slob. d) If someone says, 'join us for a rose', don't fall for it. Buy your own drinks.

5) Pick your sessions, speakers and reserve your slots in advance. It gets really annoying to stand in a queue. Also, attend the award show even if you are not on the shortlists. 

6) Gutter bar doesn't serve food. So eat before you end the night. It's okay not to eat Indian food for 4 days, don't crave for it and go to the Indian restaurant at the train station. FYI, that guy cannot speak Hindi. If you have carried the Haldiram’s packet from India, hide it in your room. Simply hide.

7) Hang out on the right of Palais (facing the Palais) in the daytime and on the left in the evenings. Don't mix it up. Watch out for some cool parties on Eventbrite. Book the tickets.  

8) At night, watch the drone show on the beach. It starts around 11, and is worth every minute.

9) While living up to the fame agenda, don't ignore your clients back home. You are on holiday, they are not. Talk to them once a day and inspire them to create better work and plan for next year.

10) And most importantly, show genuine appreciation to friends whose work is winning. Don't pretend. It is simply not easy to be on the stage here, so respect that and feel happy for their success.

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