Cannes Lions not in June? You might as well move it outside of Cannes!
Well, funny enough, the first festival was in September. And, uh, not in Cannes.
I spent a good chunk of today talking to ad industry folks about the news that the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has created a contingency plan to move to October if it starts to look like the COVID-19 outbreak will extend into June.
And while most everyone seems positive that (even if it remains in June) this is going to be a truly weird year at Cannes, it's a good reminder that we all become such creatures of habit, we forget how often things change.
Most of the changes at Cannes Lions have been subtle and slow, such as the arrival and eventual ascendance of tech companies at what used to be an agency-centric event. But some have been quick and dramatic, such as the rapid ramping up of security around the Palais a few years ago amid ongoing terrorism threats in France.
But the changes have certainly been far more dramatic in the past. Especially in its earliest days.
The first installment of what we now call Cannes Lions was held in Venice in September 1954. Although it was inspired by the Cannes Film Festival, the idea wasn't necessarily to be IN Cannes. In fact, the "Lion" trophy comes from the lion statue in Venice's Piazza San Marco.
The second festival was in Monte Carlo, the third in Cannes, then back to Venice, then Cannes, etc. etc. until the mid-1980s, when it finally chilled tf out and became the Cannes Lions.
My point, aside from embracing any chance to revel in ad nerdery, is that yes, Cannes Lions will definitely be different this year regardless of when it happens. But that's not a bad thing, and honestly it might be a very good thing.
We Americans tend to assume anything getting smaller is getting worse, which makes sense. But if the goal of Cannes is to network with people who share your passions and celebrate the best craft in marketing, smaller crowds and more room to breathe might actually bring the event closer to its roots.
You can check out our coverage of the contingency plan and the responses we've heard from Cannes veterans over on Adweek.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
