Discover how outdoor advertising, including billboards and OOH, showcased its impactful presence and importance at the Cannes Festival, celebrating creativity and innovation.

Introduction

So Cannes has come and gone for yet another year. The vomit-stained yachts have been scrubbed, the Mimosa glasses have been rinsed, and the hookers on the Croisette have gone back to wherever they came from. Meantime, the Lion winners are polishing their trophies before putting them on display in their reception areas where non-winning clients will ask, “Wasn’t the work you did for me good enough to win?” Actually, there are now enough categories for almost everyone to win some kind of tchotchke.

The Diversity of Categories

There are over thirty different categories with gold, silver, and bronze Lions in each. (My favorite is the oxymoronically titled “Creative Data.”) When I won my first Lion, there were only four categories: Print, TV, Radio, and Outdoor. Easy, right? There are now also numerous special awards and something called the “Grand Prix for Good.” Whatever the hell that means.

Entry Fees

Then there are the fees. If you enter early, they start at 650 Euros and go up to 2225 Euros. If you wait ’til the last minute, they start at 1075 Euros and go up to 2680 Euros. If you translate that into dollars, you get a median cost of $1,330 per entry.

Let’s take 2023’s total of 27,000 entries. That’s $35.9 million bloody dollars... And that’s probably a low figure. Consider how much money the BDHCs (Big Dumb Holding Companies) and their constituent BDAs (Big Dumb Agencies) have blown on this five-day “Festival.”

Winners of the Year

In particular, WPP won the Creative Company of the Year Award. Omnicom ranked second and Interpublic was third. In total, WPP won 160 Lions, including 6 Grand Prix, 27 Gold, 43 Silver, and 83 Bronze. Based on my pathetic arithmetic, that means they cost 213 thousand dollars. And let us not forget the entry fees for the ones that didn’t win. You’ve got to be looking at well over a million dollars.

The Relevance of Outdoor Advertising at Cannes

Despite the number of categories and awards, it is evident that outdoor advertising remains one of the most valued and recognized forms at Cannes. Billboards, advertising boards, and other forms of OOH (Out-Of-Home) advertising have once again proven their power to capture attention and generate impact.

Impact of Outdoor Advertising Campaigns

Outdoor advertising campaigns stand out for their ability to reach a broad and diverse audience. Billboards and advertising boards are powerful tools for conveying messages effectively. In the context of Cannes, many winning campaigns utilized OOH to amplify their reach and resonance.

Conclusion

In summary, the Cannes Festival not only celebrates creativity and innovation but also highlights the importance of money in the advertising industry. However, beyond the costs, outdoor advertising remains an essential and highly effective component of advertising strategies. Billboards, advertising boards, and OOH continue to be fundamental pillars for the success of advertising campaigns.