Cannes Lions 2024: Industry Leaders Brim With Anticipation, Aim For Glory

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity begins today, from 17 June to 21 June 2024. This year's theme, 'Sustainability, Contextual Advertising and CTV', reflects the industry's growing priorities and challenges.

As the festival is yet to drop down its curtains, industry leaders and brands share their expectations and perspectives.

Indian Creative Prowess On Global Stage

For Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe, South Asia, and Chairman of Leo Burnett, South Asia, Cannes is a double-edged sword. "Cannes Lions, for me, is stressful as an individual. Always a lot of client meetings and a lot of award shows going on," he admits. However, Das strikes a philosophical note, emphasising the essence of the festival stating, "I would say - just go and learn. Do something."

The air is thick with anticipation right now and a keen desire to learn, network and raise the bar as India weighs in with their expectations.

Ashish Mishra, Chief Marketing Officer at Acko echoes the sentiment of India's creative prowess on the global stage. "I really hope India has a good year. Frankly, I think India has been having a good year in Cannes. We're a global rated powerhouse," he asserts.

Mishra highlights the festival's allure for clients and its ability to spur agencies to push boundaries, "Cannes has also managed to attract a lot of client interest over the past years. And that has given a lot of advertising agencies, some more boost to be able to do edgy work. That helps build brands that create noise, create great attention. So I'm really looking for India to have a great outing irrespective of which agency; I just hope that we have a fantastic year, which will again ignite the zeal to win in all the marketers and advertising agencies next year."

Celebrating Creativity

Dheeraj Sinha, Group CEO of FCB Group India, views Cannes as a platform for learning, networking and setting new benchmarks. "Expectations from Cannes can for us again this year is about taking our leaders because the new leaders who have come on board can be about connecting with our global leadership at Cannes. Networking, integration, seeing the benchmark work and then begin to push our internal benchmarks to that standard. That's really the attempt at Cannes this year for FCB," he elaborates. 
Sinha is optimistic about India's creative trajectory, stating, "I think last two, three years, India has done a fabulous job at Cannes. I try to see these things as a pattern over a three or four-year time period. It is not about how did this year go versus next year but as a long curve. I think it is India's time on the global stage and the next two, three years are the years to watch out for our industry."

Chandan Mukherji, Director and Executive Vice President of Strategy, Marketing and Communication at Nestle India, underscores the festival's significance as a celebration of creativity itself. "Well, I think we celebrate every moment of creativity. I think everything that brings the best of content, the best of creativity, the best of people coming together to celebrate these events, I think is very important. Very important from an industry point of view, very important from a brand point of view and are looking forward to a very flourishing season of creativity going forward. I think we are on our journey towards delivering higher creativity."

With sustainability, contextual advertising, and connected TV taking centre stage, the festivals seem to promise a year with better trajectory for the industry and inspire even greater creative excellence.

Reema Bhaduri

BW Reporters The author is the Editorial Lead at BW Businessworld. Majorly writes on marketing, advertising, experiential marketing and retail. She closely looks upon the vertical of BW Marketing World and BW Retail World.