Susan Credle, Film Lions juror
 Friday, June 20, 2008 - It's quarter to midnight here in Cannes. We finished up judging around 10:30. I’m bleary-eyed, hungry and very thirsty for something besides water. In eight more hours I’ll be headed back to New York City, and I am determined to go out tonight and celebrate. Only problem is the people I’m meeting up with have lost all comprehension of time, and last time they called they sounded as if they might soon lose all thought all together. If they remember the plan, hopefully I’ll be at the Leo Burnett party to have one last thing to blog about tomorrow.
Unfortunately I’m going to miss the closing ceremony tomorrow night. A creative director in my group, David Skinner, is marrying Mary Boyko tomorrow, and if Delta does right by me, I just might be there to witness it. Boyko sound familiar? Yes, that’s Rick Boyko’s daughter. Who would have ever thought a Boyko would get married the closing night of Cannes?
I’m sorry to miss the press conference tomorrow for the Film jury. We had many interesting discussions about the work and the judging of it. The jury was respectful of each other and very vocal at the same time. The politics that I had heard rumors of simply did not exist. There were sincere discussions. Film as a category has become very interesting. And we found that trying to judge work that is pushed out and embraced versus work that is placed and sought out was very difficult. Long-format film and more traditionally shaped :60 films are hard to compare. We spoke about how future shows might be judged to encourage creatives to embrace work on different screens. What we all walked away believing is that the art of film is not fading away, but where film can live and the shape of it can be manipulated far more to serve ideas. And sometimes the idea is best played out in the short space of :30 to :60 seconds.
The discussion about the Grand Prix was lengthy. One very simple
question that was hard to answer: What should Grand Prix work do?
Should it motivate creatives to think in new ways? Should it encourage
clients to be more open to new creative solutions? Should it change the
world of advertising? Or does it simply represent the best in class of
the bunch? The debate continues.
By the way, I ran into Nick Law
last night and told him to write some good stuff as I was going to
cross-sell here. Nick’s blog is a verbal painting of the
check-your-scruples-at-customs Cannes. Hopefully he’ll have a couple of
typed etchings for you tonight and tomorrow.
Check out the Cannes
Film reel if you get a chance. Hopefully, you’ll find a nice range of
work, and if we did our job right, you will feel envy, jealousy and bit
of humility when you’re done.
Thursday, June 19, 2008 -
Dang, I’m tired. The Film jury finished (or at least called it quits
for the night) at 11 p.m. Wednesday. Calls from the Carlton Terrace and
the Massive party were tempting, until I realized I had lost my voice.
And Thursday is a very vocal day on the jury as we start to sort out
the medals.
The hardest part of Wednesday’s jury session,
besides the warm beer at dinner, was trying to figure out the non-TV
Film entries. Paul Warner, from Johannesburg, said perhaps next year
there should be a new category called Thingies. Trying to judge a
category with everything from video-shot virals to beautiful short
films to a TV series proved challenging. One thing I do know is how
many hits something gets on the Internet does not translate into a
great idea. A bad commercial that runs on the Super Bowl is not
suddenly deemed great because of the number of eyeballs that interacted
with it. Sure, the pushback is, “But people chose to click through.”
But did they really? More and more I’m being asked to do the
traditional quid pro quo when I look at content on the Internet. Check
out this viral, and then get to where you need to go. Don’t be fooled
by the “It got a million hits” braggart.
The feeling from the jury
at this point is there’s a pretty strong shortlist, though a bit more
weeding might be necessary in the morning. On a positive note, across
categories there’s really nice work. Some years a few brilliant things
pop up but the rest is pretty weak. This year there’s a lot of really
nice work. But the work that, as Craig said earlier, humbles you, isn’t
really jumping out. This is a season to bet on long shots. As sure as
the trades seem to be, the jury isn’t.
We’ve had such a wow factor from a production standpoint these last
few years that we are a bit numb. The work that seems to be breaking
through is more honest and simple.
Creative is not unlike
fashion. Hemlines go up and down. Subtle replaces dramatic. Dramatic
then comes back in to replace subtle. Comedy goes from slapstick and
ridiculous to wry and witty. This year I’ve seen a lot of narrative
stories that are gentle and human. Perhaps in the state of the real
world right now we have enough tension and drama and fireworks, so we
balance it with beauty and hope and joy.
A few things that aren’t
playing well this year—poop out of a cow’s rear end that makes 90
seconds feel like an eternity (a go green initiative that actually is a
fantastic weight-loss tool). A talking penis out to “screw” his unaware
body by not wearing a condom. A woman who turns the page of an erotic
book by wetting her finger … but not with spit. And a guy who rubs his
hand into a bloody nub to prove pavement is pavement. I’m going to have
some weird dreams tonight.
Dang, I’m going to be tired.
Monday, June 16, 2008
- I have no idea what day today is. I do know that I and four other
people from around the world watched 380 spots for public works and 180
spots for non-alcoholic beverages. … Future jurors, I recommend viewing
while consuming non-non-alcoholic beverages.
So, today, as we
are working through 500-plus spots, I am informed that BBDO has won a
gold and a Grand Prix in Promo for HBO “Voyeur,” and all the creatives
are in transit. In other words, Susan, can you be there to accept the
awards this evening?
I don’t like to accept awards for other
creatives. Though I am proud to accept awards for BBDO. Fortunately, I
have a venue here to say that Greg Hahn, David Carter and Michael Smith
should have been up on that stage tonight, along with David Lubars, who
had the vision to know a big, beautiful idea like this was worth
investing time and energy and the unknown.
Unknown—a producer’s worst
nightmare, which brings me to Brian DiLorenzo, another deserving
person to be honored tonight. His stories of “Voyeur” will hopefully be
documented. The East Village NYC staging of this piece of art was
incredible. And that is why I am humbled by this work. It was truly an
art piece. Worthy of exhibiting. And also brand building. When we can
serve the brand and art at the same time, we are soaring.
By the way, future award winners, wear something distinctive (like a
1987 red handkerchief dress) and you will enjoy kudos throughout the
evening—much to my chagrin. I just realized it is no longer Monday. And
I have to go to bed.
Sunday, June 15, 2008 (part 2)
- Sunday for some reason seems somewhat appropriate for the first day
of judgment. Twenty-plus of us met this morning for photos. Brad Pitt
and Angelina Jolie, we weren’t. Begrudgingly we stood and obeyed our
DP. If any of us had been behind the camera, we all would have been
fired. I’m sure you will see a photo/video to substantiate this.
First, we heard some opening comments and rules: Voting is monitored.
Any scores that appear to be out of line—heavy handed voting for or
against a country or an agency—will be dealt with immediately. Any scam
questions should be asked discreetly and will be dealt with
immediately. A vote of the number 1-3 not short-listed. 4-6 a maybe,
7-9 definite shortlist. With over 4,600 entries, judges hopefully were
very stingy with the numbers 7, 8 and 9.
So, if you win or lose, you can rest assured knowing this show is straight up.
Our group, whose four other members I will not reveal, viewed public
service in the morning. 241 ads. A lot of global warming, the world is
going to end, women make 24 percent less than men, child animal abusers
will abuse people, don’t stand by and watch a woman get beaten pieces.
This is a hard category to judge. My heart wants to support any piece
of communication trying to help move the world from bad to good. But my
head says, “This was your brief, and I was barely moved?” There were
three pieces that got to my heart and my head. Hopefully, they will
also get Lions.
In the afternoon we
watched and weeded retail. 191 spots. How do you decide what to move
forward and what to hold back? I ask myself, Would I appreciate being
made to watch this? It really is that simple. Would I like to see this
perhaps more than once or twice? If the answer is no, it’s time to
press 1-3. What to press after 3 becomes a bit more complicated.
Seven hours later, while writing this, I have to admit, a very simple
campaign comes to mind. I’m not sure I scored it very high, but I am
curious that it is still with me after several glasses of wine, a big
bowl of risotto and off-the-subject-of-work-we-saw-today conversations
at Mantel (an old town restaurant that I highly recommend). Though Mark
Gross, jury chair of Radio this year, did share a few good stories
about radio. Most interesting were two spots that from concept to
production were almost identical, except for the product. Then he
gloated that after Tuesday, he would be 100 percent embracing southern
France and his wife. Not his words, but I think that’s what he was
thinking.
I ran into Dulcidio Caldeira, a talented writer at Almap BBDO, on the
way down the hill tonight. As he was praising work he’d seen from BBDO
New York, he also mentioned another campaign he quite liked—the one I
mentioned in my last post that I did not care for that won a gold in
another show. I wonder how long I can stand my ground. Will I cave? I
think this is testing me for Thursday and Friday.
I believe when I was judging D&AD a few years back I proposed a
Polarizing Work Awards Show. The great work we usually all agree is
great. But what is the work that splits the room? That might be even
more interesting. I am always amazed to sit in rooms with incredibly
talented people and argue about what is great. That is proof of how
subjective what we do really is. Fascinating.
Back to today. Craig Davis had another pearl. He brought up the word interactive. He said, and I agree, that interactive is not a new word.
In fact, any piece of advertising, from packaging to print to TV to
“interactive,” should be interactive. By definition, interactive means
engagement. If you turn the page of a magazine without looking at a
print ad, you didn’t engage. The print ad failed because you did not
interact with it. Everything we do should strive to be interactive.
Another word I believe we misuse is digital. Everything is going
digital. Digital should not be a synonym for the Internet or
interactive. Instead, I like to think that we now live in a virtual
world and the real world. What we do in the real world, we need to do
in the virtual world. There will be print, TV, radio, billboard, direct
mail, point of sale, corporate headquarters, movies, sitcoms, cartoons,
video games, graffiti, art, product placement, retail outlets,
communities, etc., in the virtual world. Whatever we do well in the
real world, we will probably do well in the virtual world. And I can’t
believe that one entity is going to be the master of the virtual world
anymore than one entity is the master of the real world.
So, as I blog my way into your virtual world, I promise on Monday to
embrace the real world and bring you less thoughts and more eyewitness,
real stories from Cannes.
Sunday, June 15, 2008 (part 1) - So, this Cannes is going to be
very different for me. Sunday morning, I found myself taking a walk at
6 a.m. towards the Gutter Bar rather than away from it.
Threatened with 10 hours in a dark room, sleep the night before seemed like the right choice.
Last night, the Film jury gathered at the Carlton for dinner.
Fortunately, I spotted Ingmar from Hamburg (graciously filling in for
Lars Ruehmann), who agreed that a car service from the Majestic to the
Carlton—four blocks—was a bit absurd. After the 145 ads about global
warming I saw today, I am glad we walked. I have enough guilt to deal
with in this world.
Plus, it gave us a good chance to have a
first chat ... in English, which always makes me feel a bit arrogant
and ignorant at the same time. I also spoke some English with Joaquin
Molla from Buenos Aires, Eduardo Lima from São Paulo, Masahiko Ishii
from Toyko, Jose (Pepe) from Mexico, Janne Lysoe from Oslo, Marcelo
Vergara from Madrid and Alex Herve from Paris, and I am grateful to
them all for being multilingual. I had a long conversation in
guilt-free English with Al Moseley about his new agency, HMDG in
London. It’s real, and he’s got the gilded business cards and Prince
Charles, among others, as a client to prove it.
In the welcoming note from the president of the Film and Press
juries, Craig Davis had a wonderful way of thinking about recognizing
the work: Bronze brings out envy. Silver brings out jealousy. And gold
brings out humility. Humility. A feeling our advertising egos rarely
feel, right? Well, then, this week should be pretty easy. Those few
times we are humbled? Award. Perhaps deliberations will go so quickly,
by Thursday afternoon we’ll be finished, and I can spend Friday
turtling around on Eden Roc.
Actually, I am looking forward to thoughtful conversations with
people I respect from around the world. Though on a jury a while back,
I expressed my displeasure with one campaign and it was promptly given
a gold. Perhaps I will rethink how I opine here in Cannes.
I was asked recently, are awards shows really good for the business
of advertising, or are they just about elite groups patting each other
on the back? At minimum, from what I’ve experienced, award shows allow
people in the industry to get together and share ideas and concerns and
ideals. They also allow us to experience a master class in advertising.
And I believe we go back to our respective agencies recharged and a bit
enlightened about where to head next. At best, the shows lift up work
that inspires creatives and clients to be even better. And we push to
continue to make the business of advertising a field we are not only
proud to be in but a place where on a given day an agency and a client
can change the world.
And if that’s just a bit too heady, Cannes is an excuse for non-jury
delegates to open a bottle of Ott at noon and do whatever. ... I’ve
found that to be a lot of fun the last few years. And according to
those creatives who really took advertising places in the ’60s, fun is
what we need just a little more of today.
—Susan Credle is an executive creative director at BBDO New York and a Film Lions juror.
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