Great ideas can come from anywhere, and that statement is better appreciated when they come from ‘home’. Monday, June 16, was an exciting day for the Indian advertising fraternity. Reporters with different accents –- from Portugal, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Japan and many more -– were busy giving sound bytes and more information on the ‘Lead India’ win for JWT India and The Times of India, and the corridors of the Palais de Festivals saw people congratulating each other.

Great ideas can indeed come from anywhere and yet another instance of that was seen in recently launched Indian agencies and creative shops like Ideas@work and CreativeLand Asia already opening their ‘international nomination accounts’. CreativeLand Asia had another reason to celebrate on Monday. The agency had completed one year of its operation, and its officials celebrated their first birthday at Cannes.

Sajan Raj Kurup, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, CreativeLand Asia, said, “There is a team of ten people here at the Festival but of course there would be more celebrations when we go back home.” CreativeLand Asia had two nominations for Parle Agro and that is another reason the agency is cheering.

Kurup said, “We entered seven pieces and two were nominated and this is the first ever awards that we have entered in. I am very happy with that. To add to that, we have not been nominated for a charity client or something, but for a key advertiser, and that is important.”

Ideas@work had a nomination in the Promo category. Indian agencies are looking good so far but the metal count has only just begun, and that would have a significant role to play on how India finally fares at Cannes Lions 2008.

In the meanwhile, Indian creative agency heads and clients were seen busy at seminars, screenings and workshops at the Palais de Festivals. Aditya Birla Group’s Pankaj Razdan, Deputy CEO, Financial Services, and Ajay Kakar, CMO, Financial Services, were engaged in deep discussions when not attending seminars. The Mudra gang, the Leo Burnett gang and the Everest gang were also busy making their way to conferences.

Speaking on the festival, D Rajappa, President, Everest Brand Solutions, said, “Most of what we hear here, in previous years and this year too, is not really applicable to India yet. Some of the integrated campaigns and the viral work that some of the other markets are doing are very interesting, and there is still time for us to get there. However, there is a lot to learn nonetheless, as India is known to leapfrog in technology, and you never know when some of these things come in handy.”

Mudra Communication’s Chairman Madhukar Kamath said that he was excited about the new categories at the Cannes Festival this year. “We are not in the advertising business but in the communication business, and it is very important to know all aspects of communication. That is what we get to see here and that is what I look forward to,” he said.

The attendees today included the likes of Ogilvy & Mather India’s NCD and Chairman Piyush Pandey who was at the Ogilvy seminar, and Lintas Media Group’s Chairperson Lynn de Souza amongst others. Day three is critical with four category winners to be announced. In between the celebrations, the countdown for that has begun too.