Cannes seminars: Sir John Hegarty and Dan Wieden on stage together did not disappoint
Paul Yole, head of strategy at The Brand Agency Perth, and a regular contributor during Cannes week, highlights the best seminars from each day of the Festival.
Sir John Hegarty and Dan Wieden on stage together was a temptation I couldn’t resist and I don’t think anyone was disappointed.
For those who don’t know, these two advertising legends founded their agencies, BBH and Wieden + Kennedy, on almost exactly the same day 30 years ago. They’ve been great rivals ever since and the banter between the pair was both entertaining and informative.
Some sound bites:
Dan – “Our foundation clients (mainly Nike) set the tone for what was possible.”
John – “We’re all about creating a visual narrative. Words are a barrier to communication.” (Said in jest. I think.)
John, in response to W+K’s tear-jerker of an ad for P&G’s Olympics sponsorship – “I think if I’d seen the script I’d have vomited. But the execution makes it brilliant.”
The ad he’s talking about is called ‘Best Job’. View it here.
Dan – “Our rivalry makes us both better.”
John, talking about how the client first rejected the brilliant X-Box ad, ‘Life is short, play more’ – “You have to keep trying, never give up.”
Dan – “The Levi’s Go Forth ad is a great example of what planners can bring to the process.” (I had to get that one in. He doesn’t often praise planners!)
John – “Look for human truths, not advertising truths.”
John, when asked what the industry has to do to get better – “That’s a great question and the answer is very simple. Make the bloody work better.”
Dan, adding balance to his earlier comment – “We do too much strategy. We should be searching for the emotional essence of a brand.”
It was a really great session with some great lessons. And it just happens that BBH’s ad for a former W+K client, The Guardian, will pick up big time in tonight’s film awards.
It’s called Three Little Pigs.
I should mention that Friday was also the day when the Future Lions winners were presented by AKQA. It’s a competition fro students and the brief is simply to come up with an idea for a brand of your choice that would not have been possible five years ago.
It is well worth having a look at these five great ideas these talented young kids created, especially ‘Post from Japan’ and ‘Bing Automatic’. They are on the Future Lions Facebook page.