OPINION: Something happened in Cannes this year…

Was it a tipping point? It was certainly a year when people asked, “What are we doing, where are we going and why are we here”?

It was a year when the admired, funky and powerful all cited the need for change. The need for industry visionaries, innovators and technical creators.

Yahoo invited the admired in Robert Redford who spoke about risk taking and great storytelling, yet warned of the complacency of being successful. Success can be dark and dangerous – you bask in your own glory, take for granted your status, become aloof and forget the magic that happens when you’re working in the moment. You do 'same-same' work, you never break away from the pack. Who was he talking to… ?

Intel introduced their head of innovation, Will.i.am, who simply asked why we were still partying like it was 1999 when technology had challenged the very core of our creativity. His clarity of thought in how we as an industry should be taking advantage of unbelievable technology was jaw dropping. And it was uncomfortably challenging to many of the old school. We don’t have people like this? Where do we find them?

Even clients like Unilever asked why they were being preached to by the old guys? Where were the pioneers, the risk takers, the now people. That’s who they want to listen to. Those that are working to the future not the past. Not one hit wonders but those that had a future strategy and a record of innovation. Who consistently worked ahead of the curve.

A really interesting comment, especially given that all the halls containing all the workshops and creative did not use any new thinking or technology to show off the best creative work in the world?  There were still partitions with work stuck on foam core, old computers with limited memory and bad internet connection, really bad wireless connection and 2D screenings. Many delegates asked why? Why has nothing changed?

Why didn’t Microsoft the main sponsor of the event use the technology it promotes in just about every CES show to bring creativity to life? To create panoramic inspiration rooms, swipe walls of work and why didn’t they invite the young lions to create mind blowing gaming content in a 24-hour work shop formats.

Of course the work was good and very beautiful but nothing made you stop in wonder. The festival still hailed print and traditional film. There was no risk taker, no game changer, no challenger. A lot of same same.

What was really interesting were the number of awards that involved Google’s Creative Labs. The number of people who clambered to get invited to their party and the number of people involved in creative technology who packed the festival at the beginning of the week, partied hard then left not caring about the traditional culminating award of film Grand Prix.

Is this is a tipping point? Yes I think it is and one I believe Cannes needs to heed.

Something indeed happened in Cannes this year.

The crowd asked for the innovators, the game changers, the risk takers. And now it’s time for the industry as a whole to respond. Next year I believe it will be jaw dropping. It will be a new Cannes, one that maintains its status as the ultimate creative event as it reinvents itself to celebrate the risk takers the innovators and the game changers.

I hope so anyway. That will truly be something to see and aspire to be part of.