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The legendary John Hegarty enthralled Festival goers this afternoon with his simple, but inspired presentation on ‘growth needs space’. The BBH creative leader said that brands that want exponential growth need space, and to get over their inertia and obsession with doing the same as everyone else so as to “embrace difference”. He proved the point with examples past and present – Levis Flat Eric , the hilariously naughty Axe Clean your Balls and the more recent Yeo Valley Rapping Farmers film... Read Full Story

For years there are none, then suddenly they are like London buses… Cannes apps. Some produced on a stroke of genius, others because some crafty capitalist publishers feel they can make a Euro or two off you. Gutter Barometer “You didn’t miss it but it’s back anyway” The Gutter Barometer first reared its drunken head last year. Updated from 2010 with added Carlton Terrace as well as the Cannt bar in London, the original was inspired by the legendary 72 Croisette watering hole. The app tracks... Read Full Story

Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, honoured as the 2011 Media Person of the Year, was the most central figure on Day 4. His Try to Say Yes philosophy and Google’s new invention, the self driving car, were among Twitter users’ favourite topics. Author and innovator Edward de Bono, another prolific panel participant, also received a lot of Twitter visibility with statements such as “Our biggest problem is NOT climate change. It is poor thinking.” Twitter users also gravitated to topics... Read Full Story

Facebook Global Marketing Solutions VP Carolyn Everson took the stage in the Debussy Theater at Cannes for the last session Wednesday where she shared with delegates some of Facebook's advertising initiatives for marketers. Topping the list was Sponsored Stories, a new product which leverages the power of word of mouth by placing a Liked page in the right hand column of friend's pages. In terms of the power of word of mouth, Everson noted research that showed 75% of new parents would rather... Read Full Story

Yesterday afternoon at the Lions, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt sat with VP-Google Creative Lab Andy Berndt to discuss innovation, imagination and the internet. Schmidt kicked off the discussion by pointing out the internet is a special kind of business because it is highly Moore's Law-driven: "If you take a country that's got 40% internet penetration, and you see it in the next five years, broadband penetration will be up to 80%." Your business just doubled and you didn't have to do... Read Full Story

Piers Morgan hears that Aaron Sorkin hates Facebook, David Simon loathes Twitter and Eric Schmidt loves Super Bowl ads Piers Morgan at Cannes Lions said a tweet about his CNN show with Charlie Sheen gained a ratings boost. Aaron Sorkin, the writer of The West Wing and The Social Network, is not a fan of Facebook. David Simon, the writer of The Wire, doesn't like Twitter. And Google, the online search advertising giant, loves Super Bowl TV ads. The pair were meant to be discussing the topic of... Read Full Story

Wednesday at Cannes got off to a bright start with news that one of our clients, Perfect Fools, had as of Wednesday evening bagged no fewer than five Lions at this year’s Cannes Festival, including two silvers (in Promo and Design) and a bronze (Cyber) for the Converse Canvas Experiment, as well as silver and bronze for Skittles Updater, produced by PF for TBWA London. That morning I met up with IQ CEO Tony Quinn for a briefing on SoDA, the Society of Digital Agencies, which was hosting its... Read Full Story

Having stumbled from a Greek wedding the day of my arrival at Cannes Lions 2011, following an epic 13.5 hour journey involving buses, Dolphins, taxis, aeroplanes and more taxis taking in towns and cities including Skiathos, Athens, Zurich and Nice, it was with relief I arrived in one piece at Cannes for the annual Festival Pu Pub. Taking in the atmosphere surrounding the Palais on my way to the Old Town to meet clients for an evening drink, there was a major commotion with hoardes of people... Read Full Story

With thanks to Erik Sass at Media Post Like Groundhog Day and taxes, it's becoming an annual (if not semi-annual) ritual: Facebook quietly introduces a new product or service with sweeping implications for customer privacy; people finally notice; controversy ensues; everyone forgets it ever happened. The most recent controversy is taking place in Europe, and it concerns Facebook's use of facial recognition technology to help categorize and organize member photos. The new feature, which went... Read Full Story

40 Questions You Need to Ask Every Copywriting Client You’ve connected with a prospective client and you’re at your first meeting! It’s an exciting time in the life of any freelance marketer or copywriter. Unfortunately, this is also the moment when the seeds of disaster are often sown. Instead of having a detailed discussion about the project at this initial meet, hungry copywriters often slump into desperation mode. At the first mention of a payment of any size at all, you’re sticking out... Read Full Story