Cannes Lions 2012: Sir John Hegarty on the secrets of a successful campaigns

The 59th International Festival of Creativity had several interesting sessions in store this year. One of them was where Sir John Hegarty, worldwide creative director and Dan Wieden, co-founder and global executive creative director, Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) shared the secrets of a successful campaign. The discussion highlighted the various factors that contribute to the creation of a commercially successful campaign. Sir Hegarty cited examples of various television commercials that had challenged the regular norms, gone off beat and left an indelible mark on audiences. He exclaimed that great advertising is all about simple stories told with simpler emotions and creativity.

 

The Cannes debate this year remained the major attraction at the festival. The debate was more of a friendly chat between WPP chairman Sir Martin Sorrell and his guests for the day- Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee and Brazilian football star, Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima. Sorrell and Ronaldo have formed a company that will look into sponsorship for the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Brazil Olympics in 2016.

 

The discussion focused on how such major sporting events although involving huge expenditures; offered umpteen employment opportunities in times of tough economic crisis. It also emphasised how corporate governance could speeden up the related developments.

 

A unique session on how Unilever is rediscovering marketing also took place. Keith Weed- Chief marketing and communication officer, Unilever and Marc Mathieu- Senior vice-president, marketing, Unilever spoke about the essentials of marketing and also the way it works at Unilever. The conclusion that emerged was that marketers need to redefine branding experiences and ensure that their brands form an integral part of the lives of consumers.

 

Citing the increasing influence of digital media in our lives, a session on the future potential of the digital medium was also held.  Publicis Groupe Chairman Maurice Levy along with P&G's (Procter & Gamble) global marketing and brand building officer, Marc Pritchard and Yahoo's newly appointed interim chief executive officer; Ross Levinsohn participated in the session.