Jane Austin: entries down, should Cannes do a Glastonbury and skip a year?

Cannes Lions awards entries dropped dramatically this year, by 25%. The organisers say this is because of the stricter criteria following last year’s cheating scandal.

The new process makes entering more challenging and time-consuming, according to agencies. The increased time and effort of entering comes on top of the rising expense. Entering a single piece of work ranges from €690 to upwards of €2,800, depending on the category and how close to the deadline you submit.

Throw in the exorbitant cost of attendance, pricey accommodation, not to mention all the schmoozing and Cannes risks becoming a luxury that a significant portion of the industry can’t really afford.

Many agencies now send fewer people, cut back on expenses as much as possible while there, or simply don’t attend at all. Lighthouse Creative Group is among those not attending Cannes this year, with its co-founder, Sam Slaughter, telling Marketing Brew: “All the fucking fat cats can go to Cannes. We’re gonna party with the creatives who don’t get to go there.”

The financial pressures on agencies might not be much of a point of discussion at Cannes this year, but it’s the biggest issue the industry faces. Agencies underwent their largest annual exodus of staff last year, led by younger workers, in the wake of AI roll outs.

In light of this, wouldn’t Cannes be more efficient (and enjoyable) if it wasn’t on every single year in perpetuity?

Couldn’t the industry follow the example of Glastonbury and have a fallow year every five years? Then, after a well-earned break, we could all come back with more enthusiasm, more work, money to spend, and, hopefully, more to say.

To put it in industry parlance, it could make the whole thing a lot more creatively effective.

Just a suggestion.

Jane Austin is the founder and owner of Persuasion Communications.