TMCnet News
Al Gore hardsells at Cannes(Financial Express Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Abhi and Ash may not be here, but Cannes is buzzing nonetheless. The 54th International Advertising Festival has just kicked off here with more than 11,000 people in attendance. The Indian delegation is 100-odd strong, many of them are wearing a smile-the finalists having been announced in the direct, radio, media, outdoor, press and promo categories. India has eight finalists in the direct category, five in Radio, seven in Media, 12 in outdoor, 17 in print, and three in promo. That is good reason for India to smile-but not snugly-as one doesn't know how many of these will convert to metal. While there are no Bollywood stars around, there are celebrities here, and not just from the world of advertising. Former US presidential candidate and global climate watcher Al Gore is here this week to promote his carbon-neutral message. He is also publicising his worldwide music event, The SOS Live Earth Concert, which stars Madonna among others. This concert will take place on July 7. It will comprise seven concerts on seven continents to raise awareness about the global climate crisis. Al Gore is a self-appointed brand ambassador for this cause, and much more. He has made his own film on the subject. He is masterminding events, such as the live earth concert. He goes beyond being a brand ambassador, and could be termed a super communicator. In India, we need Al Gores to champion the many public causes that are in crying need for attention. Dr Mithu Alur of the Spastics Society is someone who comes somewhat close to being a super communicator for her cause. Not only has she created awareness about the special needs of spastics, she has also created institutions to take care of spastics. She has helped bring about changes in the laws of our country and make India more inclusive society. What she probably lacks is the celebrity quotient of an Al Gore, but that is something PR and ad agencies could help change. Ultimately, it is about selling the product be it an FMCG or a social cause. "Our industry is about ideas and ways to reach people," says the president of this year's Cannes jury Bob Scarpelli (chairman, DDB Worldwide). Over the next week, the various juries under him will evaluate more than 25,000 entries from eighty countries in nine advertising categories, to decide which ones have done the job of selling most creatively. There are changes in the number of entries in different categories in the competition, which reflect the impact of the new media and technologies on advertising. TV and cinema ads have traditionally been the most popular categories at Cannes but this year, there are 8% fewer entries of this kind. Press entries have also come down by 5%. Meanwhile, Internet ad entries are up 8 % and multimedia and new groundbreaking idea entries are up by 60%. The growing significance of media agencies is reflected in the 13 % rise in entries in the media category. In a seminar organised on Monday by Screen Advertising World Association, it introduced a new technology that enables smell to be used as part of the advertising bouquet. The smell is introduced through the air-conditioning system at the cinema hall while an ad is being screened. An ad for Nivea that used this technology was screened at the seminar. Technologies will come and go, but the heart of great advertising is the idea. And Cannes is finally about celebrating great ideas. Six ideas from my brands at Ogilvy, Mumbai and Kolkata, are finalists in the print outdoor and radio categories. And so I wait for the award announcements using the very technologically advanced method of keeping fingers as well as toes crossed. -The author is group creative director, O&M Copyright 2007 The Indian Express Online Media Ltd, Source: The Financial Times Limited |