Asia's performance at this year's Cannes Lions show was heartening
evidence that the region has progressed by leaps and bounds in terms of
creativity, despite the economic doldrums of the last couple of
years.
The number of awards that agencies from this part of the world came home
with was almost double that of last year's take, but at the same time,
it was still a pitifully small number given the total entries submitted
by Asian shops (see story on page 6).
As BBDO Guerrero Ortega chairman David Guerrero pointed out, Asia's haul
was miniscule compared to that of Brazil's.
Alright, there might be some justification in pointing to the
traditional - but never proven - in-fighting among the judging panel,
which is alleged to be behind results which often leave the industry
flabbergasted.
But that cannot be the full explanation, surely.
And it is just a tad too convenient and self-consolatory to be
acceptable to anyone.
No self-respecting creative director should ever feel comfortable
excusing his or her lack of success by saying, "Oh well, we would have
won but the jury was biased".
After all, isn't a good ad a good ad regardless of partisanship?
In any case, it doesn't really matter. Asia improved its performance,
that's what counts.
Now the focus should be on the future, and ways to grow and blossom in
terms of creativity.
One thing we cannot do now is to shut ourselves off to outside influence
and inspiration.
Markets such as Japan and Hong Kong have become increasingly
inward-looking and parochial in recent years, while others (Singapore
springs to mind) have always been far more open to foreign ideas - and
people.
The point is that we can all learn something from anyone, even if it is
only the way not to do something.
So let us make that our goal for the final months of this year: to open
our hearts and minds.
