Adland is in the throes of awards season and Cannes Lions is coming up. Have you won anything? Will you win anything? How do you win anything? Rob Morrison has some insider information. It’s good. And it’s legal. Here it is:

Will you look at the time.

You probably don’t need to be reminded the Cannes Lions are rapidly approaching – it feels like I get an email a day from the festival. Prepping the entries can be a wonderfully uplifting process. The agency gets excited to put their best work up, with the dream of a little statue to justify the time, effort and energy.

But, of course, there’s a dark side to the sunshiny festival.

Cannes has been responsible for more disappointed creatives than any other award show. I was reminded of this recently when I saw a junior creative get despondent when their Young Lions entry missed out on being a finalist. Despite constant reassurances, the gloom was tough to shift. The idea was good. The execution was on point. Everyone who’s seen the work thought it had a shot. But, alas, no.

So, given I’ve been on multiple juries (including on the Cote D’Azur) I figure now would be the right time to pen a survival guide for the “Season of Disappointment.”

Tip #1: Focus on film.

Adland hardheads know this already but, the 2-min case study film is everything. While there’s always a written entry and a board to design, honestly, they seldom matter. If your film doesn’t impress the judges, then neither with see much daylight. There simply isn’t time to read every word – despite how well you craft them. The only time we hunted in the forms was to seek clarification of something in the film. Which meant the film didn’t communicate clearly. Which often meant it didn’t get through.

Tip #2: Politics doesn’t count.

You can already see it. Snarky people writing snarky notes on adland message boards – thankfully not on The Stable. “It’s all political. ‘You vote for mine and I’ll vote for yours.’ Big agencies trading favours.” I know I’m a sample size of 1 but I can categorically tell you I didn’t see that. At all. Either time I judged Cannes. Or any time I judged any other show. Instead, you’ve got judges from all over the world genuinely trying to pick the best work.

Tip #3: Do the maths.

Last year there were 37,427 entries into the various divisions of the Cannes Lions. At 500 Euro each, a conservative estimate has the entry fees alone at AUD $27 million. Nope, not a typo. That’s the GDP of a Pacific Island country. Then add the head-hours putting together the 2-min films, writing the entries and designing the boards and it’s a massive undertaking. Your work is up against it from the moment you hit ‘Submit’. So be happy your work made it to the top of your agency.

Tip #4: Celebrate every win.

If your campaign survives the first cut and makes a shortlist, then celebrate. That’s an achievement. No, really. The last year I judged we had 1700 entries in the Direct Lions. Just over 100 made the shortlist. That’s under 6%. So, if your idea is in the top 6% of the best work in the world, then you should be happy. Because 94% didn’t make it that far.

Tip #5: Think bigger.

There are some brilliant by-products of award entries.

• Your profile inside your agency gets elevated. The ECD has seen your work. The head of strategy too. Probably the CEO.
• You have a film ready for your portfolio. Work that shows what you can do. The perfect way to showcase your ability when looking for your next gig.
• You’re ready for other award shows. At my last major agency, we were dubbed Team Shortlist – because that was the limit for our best work. In show, after show, after show. But then, at the end of that award season, it won a Cleo – see Tip #4.

Ultimately, look at awards as a bonus. Important, yes. But never as important as doing work you’re proud of.

Rob Morrison is a rarity in advertising – a grey-haired creative. Rob’s experience includes time as a Creative Director at Ogilvy, BWM (now Dentsu Creative), George Patts (now VML), Campaign Palace and Wunderman. He now runs his own consultancy – morrison.collective.

Here are two more opinion pieces from Rob Morrison:

Cover image: Anna Shvets @ Pexels