Cannes Interviews

Piyush Pandey

Indian creative had a dry run at Cannes since 1996. However, last year the things changed. Three of the awards bagged by Indian advertising were courtesy Ogilvy and Mather. It bagged two gold lions and one silver.
Piyush Pandey, Group President and National Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather is rated by many as the best Creative guy in Indian advertising. The man who has taken both Indian and International advertising awards by storm, and has had the honour of being on a number of award juries including Cannes spoke to exchange4media, Mumbai team on Cannes, what makes it special and his experience there.

Is there a particular category of advertisements that manages to stand out at international festivals?
There is no particular category that comes with the guarantee of recognition at international festivals. But overall, in the print category, strong visuals speak louder than copy. Having said that, I must also state that there are exceptions to the rule. Any advertisement must have a central theme and a coordinated idea in order to stand out, at festivals or otherwise.

What makes Cannes so special?
It's a festival that brings out the meeting of minds. In a short span of a week, you can get yourself acquainted with renowned filmmakers and the best minds in the creative business across the world. It allows you to sample work from various parts of the globe; it helps you feel the pulse of international advertising. Seminars and interactive sessions greatly broaden your insight.

How does Cannes differ from Indian award ceremonies?
How does the Ranji Trophy differ from the World Cup? It's much the same equation.

There are a number of Indian entries this year. Has the bar risen for Indian ads?
We shall soon find out! It depends on how we fare at the festival. But as a personal take on this, I feel that Indian advertising has definitely made advances in terms of quality, content and originality.

Does localised content restrict the Indian dream merchants to the back seat?
Localised content does put us in the backseat. If an idea is universal in appeal and is implemented with a local flavor, it could still work. But if an idea were local in terms of reach and local in terms of implementation, then it would be difficult to make a mark.

We are holding Ad Asia this year. Do you feel India should start its own global ad festival?
In order to start an Ad Festival that would hold importance globally, we would have to match our advertising with the international standards. Unless our work stands out and we make a big impression, it would be difficult to start an ad festival and get adequate response for the same.

Who is the greatest living creative person in your opinion, and why? Creativity comes in various forms. I would find it difficult to take a call such as this one since creative people cannot be slotted. There are far too many creative minds; people who have done exemplary work and it would be unfair to pick and choose.

How would you classify O&M 's chances of winning a lion this year?
I wouldn't like to comment on the same. I never discuss the O&M entries, no matter what.

Lastly, in your view, which is the best global campaign this year?

We shall soon find out. Brazil has some exemplary work though.

One more question. What does it take to bag a lion?

Hard work. And of course the blessings of the man above.