……or least into Cannes. It’s been pouring for a few hours here, but not many of the delegates got wet.
Why?
Well, for one thing, attendance is trimmed way back this year, at the Cannes Lions Adfest 2009.
I heard almost 40% . And the entries are also down for the most part, but the glass half full news is that it is easier to see all of the work being considered by the judges. Plus people were more selective about what they entered. So less IS more.
But seriously, the rain gave way to a sweet Riviera balminess after 3 hours.

And the new media or integrated or titaniums or whatever you want to call an advertising campaign that fully embraces WEB.20, has been a real hit here.
If you think that making a :30 spot is the last word in advertising, you know by your own usage of the web, that it just isn’t true.
The traditional commercials are not going away, nor are they dead. The structure they are based on, fund the rest of the work.
But the advertising campaigns that invite you interact on so many levels, are where the future has been and is evidenced here at the Cannes Lions Adfest.
Even the audience median age told the story: the young creatives flocked and filled the integrated rooms, while the older school hit the commercial rooms.
Everyone will see it all, we promise you, but that first blush, the initial date, showed where the love was.

one of the many rows of display panels waiting for the short list of work.

Tomorrow we get to see the press and outdoor work, which is mainly the photographic work being judged here, and in a few nights we’ll see who takes home a Lion.
We did get a chance to look at all of the entries online.


Say, does this look like a famous photogs work with the initials JG?

Some of the work required photoshop skills of a master, while others just required you to design great shot.

For me, the integrated campaign on Human Trafficking, from Amnesty International was perhaps the most impactful including ebay auctions for people. Just search the work portion of the site to pull it up.
And another campaign let viewers get interactively involved in a love story, going as far as your choosing the placement of the 2 people at specific spots so they can meet and tryst, which I will find or you.

Overall though, a great start to the festival with the co-founder of Twitter speaking tomorrow.

OK, off to bed for now.
Or maybe one last one at the Gutter Bar…..
And now, here is your daily video: