Jun 19, 2008 10:31 AM, by Tom Hansen

Everybody’s griping about what did and didn’t win at the festival this year. Qu’est-ce qui est nouveau?
Once again, I point out that this festival is about CREATIVE. Ideas. Innovations. Foreward thought. As you walk around the Palais, all the entered work is hung on various walls, museum-like. The actual presentation boards submitted by the agencies, hanging there, one after another. It’s instructive to view them all (you can also sit at one of two dozen macs and view the entries, but there’s always a crowd, and pressure for them to move along), and then see if the winners match your picks. Kind of like faux judging.

The one common element shared by the winners is quite simple: an idea.

I know that sounds fundamental, even elementary. But it’s true. The great work is always defined by a simple idea, beautifully designed, and brought to the world in as many mediums and touchpoints as possible. This year everyone is talking about HBO’s Voyeur campaign, in which all the rooms of a house are exposed, inviting the viewer to engage in whichever stories seem most riveting. Simple idea.
Supportive of HBO’s DNA. The idea was transformed into multiple consumer touchpoints, including a live outdoor installation featuring real actors. The digital version (hbovoyeur.com) is the most interactive site I’ve ever seen, because there are layers upon layers of humans interacting in buildings throught the city (it’s really grimy, so it must be New York), and you can bounce around from building to building or room to room and, well, be a voyeur. This work won BBDO NY the Grand Prix in Promo and Outdoor, and Gold in Cyberlions. Which should serve as a warning shot for every promotion agency in the world: BBDO NY won the Promo Grand Prix. If that doesn’t underscore the integrated nature of all creative work today, then nothing will. This work, and dozens of others like it, are examples of an idea brought to life regardless of medium, sandbox or even agency assignment. All bets are off (as are the gloves).

I must admit that I think HBO has an unfair advantage. Their product is film. Their employees are writers, directors, actors and filmmakers. So I guess I expect HBO to deliver work like this. I’d be awestruck if a packed goods brand figured out a way to achieve this kind of dynamism, on its own dime.

So, back to the ideas. Cannes is not about results. It’s about new approaches to the same old problems. Fresh creative ideas. The film campaign getting the most buzz around the bars is Fallon London’s gorilla spot for Cadbury. If you haven’t seen it, youtube it. I have no idea how many candy bars it has sold. And neither do they. Not that it really matters. The work is arresting, surprising, campaignable and distinctive. It draws attention to the brand and buzz amongst consumers. Plus, it involves a monkey! That’s great creative in anybody’s book.

Read more from Tom Hansen at this year's Cannes International Advertising Festival

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