On the ground in Cannes: Editor's Diary Day 4

Newest diary entries from Cannes Lions 2019 will appear at the top of the page. If you're looking for recent awards information, see our separate hub here. Also, see our diaries from Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. 

Madonna Badger brings a cage into the press room to illustrate "horror" of separated families at the US border, 5pm

The chief creative officer of Badger & Winters' talk was delayed until her 'prop' arrived. When it did, it was striking: a small metal cage resembling a dog kennel, with a figure inside made to look like a child sleeping under a silver survival blanket. 

The cage represents the thousands of children who have been separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border, Badger explained. They have to live in cages like this and sleep on the floor; six children so far have died. 

The #NoKidsInCages campaign by Badger & Winters and Raices, an organisation supporting refugees and immigrants, launched in New York City earlier this month with the placement of 25 such cages around the streets, installed with speakers broadcasting the sound of children crying. 

Help the 3,000+ children who’ve been separated from their parents at the border
and support @raicestexas. Look out for the installations around NYC. Sharing is an act of protest. #NoKidsInCages #PassHR541 https://t.co/F5UbrcJDNP pic.twitter.com/t3PLKjOJV6

— No Kids In Cages (@NoKidsInCagesUS) June 12, 2019

The cages were removed by police within three hours, but to date the campaign has received 121 million impressions and counting, over 50 states, Badger said. She sees this sharing as an "act of protest"; one of the campaign's aims is to pressure the US Congress to pass Bill HR-541, the 'Keep Families Together' act.

Badger took on the project, she explained, because after losing her three children and her parents in a devastating accident in 2013, "this is the only thing I can ever imagine actually being worse."  

"Three years ago, Cannes felt like CES. This year's festival has rediscovered humanity", 4pm

Chris Chen, chief creative officer of Isobar, tells Campaign why he's happy that Cannes feels different this year. Full interview with Chen coming soon. 

Found: the most relaxed man in Cannes, 2.30pm

Seen floating off the Dentsu Aegis Network pier, this man is either a holiday-maker or an agency person burnt out from last night's MediaMonks party and subsequent dancing on yachts. We see that suspicious wrist-band dangling from his wrist... 

"This should not happen." R/GA director calls out inappropriate behaviour

This post on LinkedIn by Iain Preston, executive director, client services, EMEA at R/GA, describing witnessing unwelcome advances by a male attendee of Cannes Lions towards a woman, has been getting a lot of traction. Preston stepped in to offer the woman a safe exit; while he's being applauded as a "champion" by many, others ask that 'next time', he also publicly call out the man's behaviour. 

Inside the Innovation Lions jury, 12.30pm

Bill Yom, global creative director at Cheil Worldwide, was the Innovation Lions jury president this year.  While there were several Cannes Contenders on the shortlist including Sans Forgetica and 7:1 Furniture Collection, only seven Lions were handed out, including a bronze for TBWA Philippines' 'This Is a Tree' campaign for Pacific Paints. Yom says he'd like to see stronger work out of Asia, and given its lead in many areas of technology, it should be able to do better in future.

Gary Vaynerchuk tells it like it is

First, a story from yesterday's session: attending Gary Vaynerchuk's talk in Palais II was an entertaining and refreshing experience, as the entrepreneur and CEO of VaynerX got stuck in to the industry and the festival with an expletive-laden panel discussion. (It wasn't really a discussion, it was just him speaking). Read the full story here. 

Gary Vaynerchuk and Janet Balis