More About Advertising

4 days ago | moreaboutadvertising.com | Jane Austin

The big lesson from Cannes? The industry’s living in an AI-generated dream world A fascist president is wreaking global havoc from the White House, the US has bombed Iran, Putin is still bombing Kiev, genocide is taking place in Gaza, and the planet is on its death bed. But you wouldn’t think any of that was going on based on the conversations at Cannes this week. AI, it would seem, is the biggest issue to grapple with.

1 week ago | moreaboutadvertising.com | Jane Austin

It’s the end of an era in advertising, and not just because AI is potentially putting the entire industry out of business. David Droga is stepping down as CEO of Accenture Song after 37 years in advertising. In Cannes this week, Droga has been doing a lot of reminiscing about his celebrated career. Could creatives entering the industry today hope achieve Droga-level industry fame? As the cult status once bestowed upon ECDs is swiftly becoming a thing of the past, it’s unlikely.

1 week ago | moreaboutadvertising.com | Jane Austin

So having moaned about the cost of Cannes, the plight of indies and the sidelining of DEI in my previous columns, I’ve decided to lighten up and focus on what excites people at Cannes most: the celebrities. Once upon a time, celebs at Cannes were flown in by big agencies or brands desperate for some kudos and proximity to star talent. Now many stars have brands and agencies of their own, and are over here flogging their wares like the rest of us.

1 week ago | moreaboutadvertising.com | Jane Austin

Remember when brands at Cannes wouldn’t shut up about how they wanted to save the world? Naturally, they didn’t mean a word of it. In fact, they couldn’t ditch their so-called values fast enough when Trump launched his attack on DEI. It just goes to show the agility of the world’s most powerful brands. They’ll U-turn on anything if it looks like their profits might be impacted – and they’ll do it faster than you can say “DEI”. Of course, hardly anyone in the industry is saying DEI anymore.

1 week ago | moreaboutadvertising.com | Jane Austin

Along with the usual hype and excitement that normally is the preserve of a toddler who has had all the red Smarties and Red Bull, there’s been a whiff of open hostility, triggered by insecurity, in the air this year. In case you hadn’t noticed, all is not well in the world of advertising.