Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere did not disappoint when he took the stage at Cannes on Tuesday morning, and his "mission" that evening in front of the Palais exceeded expectations as well. With a queue of over 200 delegates clamouring to get into the party of the week, the most global Improv Everywhere mission was played out, and everyone then went on to enjoy the Festival Opening Gala.
This year's Festival seems to be more hard-working than last year's. Whether driven by a more buoyant attitude or the increased number of delegates and entries to review, the content of the seminars seems richer and more relevant than ever before, & the work shared is truly inspirational.
Most notable on my list include the MOFILM awards with brand stewards from Lego, AT&T, Coke & more, punctuated by a special interview with Avatar & Titanic producer Jon Landau; a full session with Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook; a lively presentation by Coke CMO Joe Tripodi on that brand's unique engagement with the World Cup; and P&G CMO Marc Pritchard's presentation on purposeful brands, including its "Proud Sponsor of Mom" campaign around the Winter Olympics. We interviewed Marc for our Cannes Eye series and posted the piece an hour ago - check it out.
One of my favourite sessions in the last 48 hours was the 20th Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase. The work is always so inventive, amazing and mind-boggling. Check out "Pixels" by Patrick Jean of onemoreprod, a combination of clever special effects & a nostalgic play on historial electronic games.
Lots more to come tomorrow...
