China’s cute complex, heavy Airbnb demand, and news from elsewhere
Good morning, delegates!
It’s day two of the festival, whether or not you’ve arrived. Seriously, though, it’s time to get here. This daily email from Quartz is your guide to all the news and chatter from Cannes Lions 2016. Let’s get your day started.
Another light rain shower is expected this afternoon, so keep that umbrella in your bag. The temperature will climb to 22°C (72°F), same as yesterday. But the rest of the week is looking warmer, with sunshine across the Riviera.
Yesterday’s highlights at the festival
China’s “cute complex.” One takeaway from the panel on mobile usage in China was the strong appeal of fictional characters with endearing personalities. Guangyu Guo, of the digital nut retailer Three Squirrels, ascribed his company’s success to the bushy-tailed rodents that form its identity. He said the squirrels ”use the magical power of cuteness to affect the new generation of Chinese consumers.” (Read more about Three Squirrels here.)
“Stop interrupting and start entertaining,” said Pete Mountstevens of the London-based agency Taylor Herring, which is known for stunts. He and colleague James Herring named the top five brands at achieving that elusive form of marketing known as earned media: 5. Uber, 4. Airbnb, 3. IKEA, 2. Red Bull, and 1. PornHub. Then the pair attempted to earn some media themselves by setting loose in the palais a very-realistic-looking polar bear wearing the agency’s name around its neck. And here we are writing about it, so mission accomplished.
David Copperfield dazzled a packed auditorium. In between tricks, the magician waxed poetic about his craft. “It’s not about fooling people,” Copperfield insisted, likening magic and marketing. “It’s about the story.” He recalled perhaps his most famous illusion, when he made the Statue of Liberty disappear in 1983: “At the time, it had a lot of emotional weight.” The event was recently chronicled in an incredible episode of FX’s The Americans. (Watch it.)
The first grand prix Lions went to Olgilvy and FCB. Olgilvy & Mather London won the pharma category for its short film, on behalf of Philips, about people with respiratory problems learning to sing again. In health and wellness, FCB Inferno won for its literacy campaign with Pearson. The next awards are handed out Monday.
What everyone is talking about
Creative directors playing it safe. The buzziest ads here may be the festival’s own, which feature counterintuitive messages from some of the biggest names in advertising on billboards outside the palais. “Creatives shouldn’t take risks,” says Olgilvy’s Tham Khai Meng on one of them. “Stay on the well trodden path,” advises Cindy Gallop on another. Then, in smaller type: “Cross La Croisette carefully.” The pedestrian safety message follows last year’s death of Google marketing executive James Howard, who was struck by a taxi.
Truffle Pig, one year later. Truffle what? It was among the biggest news at Cannes last year, but you probably haven’t heard much about the joint venture among Snapchat, the Daily Mail, and WPP. Business Insider’s Lara O’Reilly checked in on the agency a year after its debut on a yacht. Its clients include Tiffany & Co. and NBCUniversal’s Oxygen.
Who’s who. The agency Jeppe & Simone sent in this game to test your knowledge of the famous faces here. Or at least, you know, famous for Cannes.
Airbnb. Everyone seems to be staying in one this year. The home rental startup has exploded in Cannes, filling the need for lodging during several popular trade conferences. Looking back over the past year, demand for Airbnbs during Cannes Lions is outstripped only by, appropriately enough, the MIPIM real estate conference in March. (Do more with these data on Atlas, our charting platform.) Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky speaks here on Monday.
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News from around the world
Cox’s killer appeared in court. The accused murderer of British Labour MP Jo Cox appeared in front of a London magistrate on Saturday. When asked to identify himself, he told the courtroom, “My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain.”
Raghuram Rajan stepped down. The ”rockstar” governor of India’s central bank announced plans to resign when his term ends in September 2016. He has had rocky relationships with allies of prime minister Narendra Modi.
The US welcomed a new stock exchange. American securities regulators voted to allow Investor’s Exchange (IEX) to operate as a public stock exchange. IEX will be the first public exchange specifically designed to combat high-frequency trading.
Matters of debate
Not all health apps are created equal. Dr. James Madara, head of the American Medical Association (AMA), blasts certain health apps as “the digital snake oil of the 21st century.”
Britain’s referendum is about identity, not money. The Brexit debate isn’t really about economics, writes Simon Schama. The real questions an EU departure stirs for Britons are, “Who are we? Are we a homogenous or a heterogenous nation?”
The Olympics will be bad for Rio. The Summer Olympics will probably proceed according to plan. But when the athletes depart and fanfare fades, Rio de Janeiro could very well be left in a state of shambles.
Surprising discoveries
Plato’s theory of consciousness is backed up by brain science. After nearly three millennia, neuroscience could be close to scientifically validating the famed philosopher’s views.
LG tells mosquitos to “buzz off.” The unpopular—and illness-spreading—mosquito may have met its match in a new LG TV just launched in India. The company says its technology uses sound waves to repel the pests.
Scientists discover an alien rock in Sweden. About the size of a biscuit, the rock is believed to be part of an extinct meteorite. Researchers estimate its age to be around 470 million years old.
Our best wishes for an inspiring day at the festival. Please send any news, tips, magic tricks, and last-minute Airbnb vacancies to me, Zach Seward, at [email protected]. Still awaiting a bingo winner.
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