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Cannes Interviews Cannes… the name has an aura. A flutter in the pulse… and a churn in the stomach and…hope in the heart is what it brings to many a creative heart. Though it was an elusive land for India till not so many years back, Indian entries are being acknowledged and awarded now. Every year now sees an ever-increasing number of entries from India - and this one is no exception. And we at exchange4media are praying real hard for lot many lions (they are a rare species you see!) to come to India this time. In a series of interviews, we bring to you thoughts and views from the opinion leaders - all of them from the agencies that have sent there entries to Cannes this year.  Time
now to meet up with Prasoon
Joshi.McCann, which was not really considered hot bed of creativity, suddenly became a creative force to reckon with. Thanks to Prasoon Joshi's arrival on the scene last year. Joshy, as is known, moved from O&M. Prasoon Joshi, the National Creative Director of McCann Erickson and the man behind the latest string of successful Coke, Bacardi and Chlormint commercials believes in breaking the clutter by presenting the work in a new way. After his MBA, Joshi, in his 10 years career, has had stints with Trikaya and O&M. Joshi has not only been a pioneer in advertising but is also a well recognized composer and singer. He has composed jingles for Asian paints and Babool toothpaste. In this discussion with exchange4media Mumbai team, Joshy talks of India's increasing presence at Cannes, its scope to win and McCann's chances of bringing home a lion. Indian ads are vying for a foothold in International arena. Is there a specific category or type of ads that gets appreciated at international festivals? The ads have to appeal to the sensibility of the international jury. Many times due to the localized content, jury members face a lot of difficulty in interpreting the advertisements. However, there can be no foolproof judgment made about what would appeal to the jury because jury members are picked from varied segments. Those ads that are culture or language specific, don't have much of a chance. But the ads that appeal to all cultures and cut across nationalities have a good chance to make a mark. You can take Mcann Erickson's Black Coffee Ad for instance. It is one ad that appeals to all cultures. What makes Cannes so special? How would you compare it to Indian awards ceremonies? It's like comparing the National Film Awards with the Oscars. There cannot be any comparison between the two, both have a different role and a different character. In India, the jury would look at an advertisement from local perspective whereas an international jury would look at it from a global perspective. It does not mean that one is greater than the other. But I think that it's important that the Indian advertising community should not lose their Indian touch or flavour in an attempt to make it big on the international awards scene. There are a number of Indian entries this year- has the bar risen for Indian ads? We are growing and the ads are getting better and better. So why not put in more entries? Is there a limit the number of entries that you can send? No. There is an outcry that Indian ads are deteriorating qualitatively. How come so many of them have been sent for Cannes? I don't agree with that view at all. We are producing good quality ads that are varied in content. Hence the increasing number of entries. We are holding Ad Asia this year. Do you feel India should start its own global ad festival? And what would be the purpose behind it? I am unsure as to how the Western advertising world would look at these awards. If India were to bring on an awards ceremony, what kind of a response would we get? Moreover, there are a number of international ad awards already on the scene that are not taken half as seriously as Cannes. Countries like Australia host them and these are not considered to be in the same league as Cannes. Who is the greatest living creative person in your opinion, and why? Milson. Because he has produced extraordinary work. What do you think are your chances of winning a Cannes Lion this year? McCann has produced some good quality stuff. We believe that our ads stand out in terms of content. But Cannes is all about chances. There cannot be a fool proof winning formula. All I can say is that, we are hoping for the best. Which is the best global campaign this year? You should ask me this question once I reach Cannes. I am sure that there must be some brilliant work produced at the global level. But since, I haven't really got a good look at all of it, it would be unfair to pass a judgement. What does Cannes mean to McCann Erickson? It's a learning experience. You get international exposure, you get to see great work that transcends nations, it gives you a varied perspective and open your minds. Cannes helps you evolve in terms of work. The whole idea about participating in the Festival is to sample other people's work and draw inferences from it. And if you win, you are lucky. |
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