Olympics of advertising

EVERYDAY, the world of advertising

becomes more of a jungle. New

technologies rock the landscape and

companies devour each other to survive. Myriad products

battle for attention. Once proud brands now struggle for their

lives.

But through it all, the ruler of advertising is still the idea--fresh,

original and compelling. So when you win a Lion at Cannes, you

become a member of advertising's most admired species. Those

whose ideas not only survive in the jungle but bring glory to

their clients, their agencies and themselves in the world's most

demanding creative environment.

Welcome to Cannes.

How to win in the "Olympics of Advertising?"

Chenelyn Macaspac, self-proclaimed empress dowager of

Philippine advertising, recommends that you try anyone of

these: Hire a great promotion machine like Miramax and make

sure Spielberg trashes it. That's always a good sign. Enlist

warlocks, witches and sorcerers to perform macumba and

voodoo rites and to cast spells and the evil eye to put your

toughest competitors out of the running. It might not be fair but

every little bit helps. Slip your ad into a bottle, which will wash

ashore right smack at the juror's feet. If this little trick works in

Hollywood to find true love, maybe it will work in Cannes to win

a Lion.

Seriously, it's tough winning in Cannes. Only two Philippine ad

agencies so far have made it to the finals: Ace-Saatchi and

O&M. If you've figured in every single international award

competition but failed to make it in Cannes, your feat is not

complete. You've got to have a Lion roaring in your tank, so to

speak.

True-blue creatives travel hundreds of miles just to be in

Cannes. Every year, thousands of creatives from around the

world gather and meet each other in the world's toughest ad

competition. On my second day in Cannes, I bumped into

Philippine advertising wonder boy David Guerrero and his

sultry wife, Angel, at a cafe famous for its oysters. The two had

excitedly told me that they've just met the famous English

author Peter Mayle, a former BBDO CD, at his ''Encore

Provence'' book launching at Cannes English Bookstore.

At the Palais des Festivals, the nerve center of the celebration,

you can literally feel the creative energy vibrating the moment

you step into its hallways.

Finalists are big deal in Cannes. On the third day of the festival,

delegates mill around the exhibit hall to wait with much bated

breath who's in and who's out, what ad got eliminated and

moved on to the elite circle of the short list. You progressively

know what happens to the rest and the eventual winners. Of

course, Bronze, Silver and Gold winners are put on the pedestal.

Rightly so, befitting the creative minds that created the winning

pieces.

Cannes is the only advertising competition in the world where

you get a chance to view all the entries (in some awards shows,

you only get to see the finalists). Computer monitors are

displayed in one hall for everyone to see. If you want to gorge

on all film and television entries in all categories, there are large

screening rooms with digital acoustics. All you have to do is

stay glued to screening schedules. Exhausting? Not if you

enjoy world-class advertising.

The Cannes Festival had also other treats for the ad maniac.

Like the symposium given by Volkswagen's Hermann Vaske on

''Why Are You Creative?'' The seminar featured the world

premiere of Vaske's book on creativity. It was presented by

Volkswagen, whose ads are synonymous with great

advertising--from Bill Bernbach's creative revolution in the '60s

to last year's Grand Prix for the new Beetle. Vaske tried to

unravel what motives, mysteries and patterns are behind the

facade of creative geniuses where he presented the most

exciting commercials and inspiring visions of the most creative

people attending in the Palais.

Many of the most creative people in their professions were

asked the question ''Why are you creative?'' They could answer

in whatever way they chose. Advertising people like John

Hegarty and Charles Saatchi. Musicians like Bono and David

Bowie. Politicians like Mikhail Gorbachev and George Bush.

Artists like Damien Hirst and Julian Schanabel. Actors like

Johnny Depp and Ben Kingsley. Writers like Salman Rushdie

and Gunther Grass. Directors like Steven Spielberg and Billy

Wilder.

USA Today also presented ''The People's Choice: A Look at

What Consumers Like, What's Provocative and What's Not in

Advertising.'' It was a great presentation of worldwide marketing

directors as they discussed provocative advertising and how

they decide what should go on the air and what shouldn't.''

The FCB presentation was also engaging. Presented by Geoff

Thompson, Worldwide Creative Director of Foote, Cone and

gelding and directors Adam Cameron and Simon Cole of

London-based Joe Public, they explained how to look past a

great concept to examine the contribution made by each craft to

a successfully produced film.

How did our Philippine entries fare? Sorry, folks, it was another

dolorous year for the country. None of our entries made the

grade. Two Philippine entries, both in public service category,

were booed by the crowd. I was at the Debussy Auditorium at

the right time to witness and hear the face-reddening experience.

Another Asian television ad had an ample taste of European

thumbs-down. This 60 seconds Thai talcum powder ad,

complicated as it is, was similarly booed for bagging a Bronze. A

case of the west misunderstanding the culture of the east?

Not all Asian ads suffered the same fate though. A number hit

paydirt, notably TBWA, DDB and Saatchi Singapore. Thailand,

bannered by BBDO, took the cudgel for Asia, by winning

several Bronzes. It was particularly fabulous with ''Steel Bones''

print work for Giffarine Calcine, ''Mother Fucker,'' a save our

forest print campaign, its visually stunning mineral water print

series--''Coke Bottle'' ''Tea Bag''; and ''Teeth'' tvc for Nong-Pho

Milk. As you may have guessed it, they were made by the shy

but prolific CD Suthisak Sucharittanonta, the guy who made the

unforgettable ''Black Cat,'' the most awarded Thai television

commercial in recent years.