The Hindu Business Line : Ad industry expects Cannes Lions’ roar to be muted this year

It is unlikely that the Indian advertising industry will be able to repeat last year’s blockbuster performance at the Cannes Lions international advertising festival, the 56th edition of which begins this weekend.

“I doubt this year will be as large a haul as last year when we won the Grand Prix in print. But last year was an exception and it cannot get repeated every year. The standard of work in print and outdoor is good but there is no great body of work in television,” observes Mr K.S. Chakravarthy, National Creative Director, Draftfcb + Ulka and a jury member in the outdoor category.

While the recession has taken its toll and not too many people will be representing the Indian ad industry this year, the number of entries has also gone down. “Recession in a way is helping us as the rest of the world has been hit compared to India. Cannes is still calling for entries from India,” claims Mr Chakravarthy.

Draftfcb + Ulka has, however, made some token entries for its campaigns on WWF and a beer brand.

This year O&M is expected to have put up the largest number of entries at the Cannes festival, which is on from June 21 to 27. Betting on its latest Zoozoos campaign created during IPL-2, O&M is hoping that the agency would make a mark in the television category as well.

According to Mr Anup Chitnis, Executive Creative Director, O&M, “While print and outdoor may be the dominating categories for Indian agencies, we expect campaigns like the Zoozoos, with its out-of-the-box idea, may have a better chance this year in the television category.”

In 2008, O&M India won a Silver Lion in the Film category for the Neo Sports ‘Gas’ and a Bronze Lion in the Media category for Calcutta School of Music’s ‘Bach-Gavotte’ ad at the Cannes festival.

However, there has been a drop in the number of entries this year. “Last year was a blockbuster year for the ad industry, and this year we are not quite there in terms of numbers. However, the number of entries from print will dominate followed by the outdoors category,” says Mr Bobby Pawar, Chief Creative Officer, Mudra Group.

Mudra has entered several categories for brands such as Cycle Agarbattis and TVS Scooty.

Mr Atul S. Nath, co-founder & Managing Director, Candid Marketing, nominated as one of the jury member for Promo Lions in Cannes 2009, is hopeful. “The 23 medals which India won in last year’s Cannes, gave the Indian advertising fraternity an opportunity to be noticed among major global forces. And this year too, based on the industry’s performance — and my patriotic sentiments — I am confident that India will surely give a stiff competition and bring back a large tally of medals,” says Mr Nath.

India has sent 982 entries for the 2009 Cannes Lions awards. The total number of entries received is 22,652.

The countries which have more entries than India include the UK, Brazil, Germany and the US. The US has sent the maximum number of entries at 2,726, followed by Germany at 2,131. Brazil has sent 1,519 entries and the UK has sent 1,316 entries.

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