Then came the backlash.
Neither had enough substance.
This year, it feels like every Cannes-winning campaign is being held under a microscope and ripped apart for not being “effective enough” “authentic enough” or just “too performative.”
Get real, folks! Agencies aren’t the villains here. They are doing what they have always done: Turning sand into sugar. Vague ambition into polished storytelling! As long as having “Cannes-winning work” on your folio opens doors, aces pitches, scores interviews or builds reputational equity, you’d be silly not to play the game!
And the brands? They know exactly what they are buying. No one’s under the illusion that this stuff sells more biscuits or tickets. It’s about awards, awareness, maybe a whisper of admiration in industry corridors. They are not being duped. They’re doing their own math. And it may not match yours!
The real question is: Should we only celebrate work that moves business metrics? Or is there still room to revel in sheer imaginative expression? In an idea so beautiful or so bold that its very existence feels like a win? Maybe the problem isn’t that these campaigns exist. Maybe it’s that we’ve forgotten how to just enjoy the art of the idea, without demanding a spreadsheet to justify it.
As for the LinkedIn peanut gallery:
If all you do is harvest outrage, don’t confuse it for moral clarity.
If every post is a takedown, you’re not building a voice. You’re building a vacuum.
And if the only way you engage with the marketing and creative fraternity is by waiting to pounce on agencies or creative professionals, maybe you’re not here for better work. Maybe you’re just here for better visibility.
And that’s fine too. As long as you are self-aware.
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