Cannes Lions 2016 Recap- Nikhil Parsad

1. The Chronicles of a Cannes Lions First Timer
Nikhil Parsad, Creative Director

2. If I had to sum up my experience as a first timer at Cannes Lions in one word, it would
be overwhelming. I have never experienced FOMO (fear of missing out) in my adult
life as I did during Cannes Lions. Everything you want to see or do will undoubtedly
overlap with something else on your list and you will be forced to make a game time
decision; session A or B, meal or snack, power nap or sleep, Rosé or Chardonnay?
Life. Was. Hard. #agencylife
All joking aside, the shear amount of creativity and inspiration found throughout
festival is astounding. Every single day is full of panel sessions, networking events,
exhibitions and nearly 40,000 inspiring pieces of brilliant work. It’s easy to see how
one can be overwhelmed.
At the end of the day, Cannes Lions really is a massive thank you (or group hug) to an
industry full of incredible men and women who love what they do – create.

3. While the festival can feel
overwhelming, you never really
feel lost thanks to these two apps.
Both offer similar functionality;
plan your day, view speaker bios,
set notifications and get directions.
The biggest difference is the ability
to scan work that’s on display and
save it to your profile in the official
Cannes Lions app. I found myself
using the Dentsu Aegis Network
version more because it allowed
you to filter Dentsu Aegis Network
specific events with one touch.
Official
Cannes Lions
App
Dentsu
Aegis Network
Cannes Lions
App

4. The first thing you’ll notice once
you step foot inside Palais One
of the festival is EVERYTHING.
Fortunately, it was extremely easy
to navigate around the festival
through clever and fun
wayfinding as well as the
friendly Cannes Lions staff.
Palais One is where everything
happens; celebrity speakers,
industry talks with legendary
creatives, delegate zone,
workshops and of course,
the work.

5. One of the most incredible things
about the festival is being able to
see some of the most inspirational
people in the world talk about
creativity and what inspires them.
From film directors, actors and
actresses to startup CEOs (even a
WWE wrestler), there was reason
to be excited every single day of
the festival.
Dentsu Aegis Network CEO Nigel Morris and Adidas executive board member
of global brands Eric Liedtke
Anna Wintour
Will Smith
CEO and co-founder of AirBnB Brian CheskyMondeléz International SVP, CMO Dana Anderson and Gwyneth Paltrow

6. There’s a reason why this year’s
tagline is “Thank You Creativity”,
the work is simply stunning.
Every faucet of advertising is
represented: design, digital, direct,
film, mobile, outdoor, PR, print,
product, promo and radio.
Shortlisted works are on display in
the basement of Palais One in two
formats, analog (above) and an
interactive digital experience
(below). Both experiences allow
you to scan and save work via the
official Cannes Lions app which I
found very useful in the hours I
spent browsing the basement.
*Photo courtesy of Cannes Lions 2016
*Photo courtesy of Cannes Lions 2016

7. While the larger forum talks and
celebrity speaker events were
great, I found the smaller, more
intimate ones far more
inspirational.
Referred to as Master Classes for
good reason, each one is hosted
by influential industry veterans
from all over the world.
;)

8. Another area where I found myself
spending hours out of my day was
at the Lions Innovation Hub in
Palais Two. This was essentially
start-up city with various groups
showing off new technologies and
products (lots of VR!). Attendees
are encouraged to touch and
tinker with just about everything
on display.
Click to play

9. Facebook’s Beach House was
absolutely amazing. Carefully
designed and curated, they
recreated their brand perfectly with
beautiful environmental details and
experiences such as juice bars,
snack stations and the fastest WiFi
in all of Cannes.
One of the most incredible
experiences was an installation by
artist Sean Yoro, better known as
The Hula, who paints on icebergs.
Facebook commissioned him to
create a custom piece that was
housed in a giant freezer that
kept the temperature at -5ºF
(lower right).

10. The YouTube Beach was also very
on brand. The space was gorgeous
with custom wood decking with
pops of YouTube’s iconic red
and comfortable beach themed
furniture and textiles. Agency vs.
Agency beach volleyball was a
major draw but the highlight
for me was the insane beatboxing
trio, known as Duke, that
provided and endless amount of
entertainment and energy
(lower left).
Click to play

11. If there was one place that I spent
the most time, it was the Dentsu
Beach House. Cold drinks, good
food, a million dollar view and of
course, EuroCup 2016 screenings.
Other highlights include luncheons
and happy hours hosted by Carat,
Vizeum and iProspect.
ProTip: Get there early in the
morning to avoid the wait at
the omelette station and get
a good view!

12. I’ll just put this here. #partyallnight
8719
Click to play

13. #please
*Photo courtesy of Cannes Lions 2016