Two new categories indicitive of outdoor's growing stature in Cannes.

Billboard, Palais des Festivals

This year two grand prizes must be awarded in the Outdoor Lions category, one for Billboards & Street Furniture and Posters, one for Ambient. In 2009, only one Grand Prix was awarded, for the Zimbabwean “fight the Regime” campaign from TBWA/Hunt/Lacaris in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Not that anyone from Cannes’ advisory board is asking, but in an already vast sea of categories and possibilities, I actually like this change. A lot. Outdoor advertising is growing in stature and diversifying in forms. The advent of digital technologies has opened up more possibilities for OOH than in any of the other mass media. Read that last sentence again. It’s pretty amazing. Most people think the future of marketing is online –and maybe much of it is- but ‘signs’ will always be with us.

My opening remarks at this year’s OBIEs were all about the importance and longevity of signs, the text of which can be found here: http://godsofadvertising.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/hosting-the-2010-obie-awards-consumating-my-love-affair-with-posters/

Hello everyone! The International Advertising Festival at Cannes starts a week from today. In addition to covering the festival on my “home” blog, The Gods of Advertising, we will be discussing the out-of-home category in greater detail right here. However, instead of waiting until the festival actually starts I will begin posting in advance, starting now, including a review of last year’s big OOH winners as well as an overview of Cannes in general. While I may repost these articles on Gods of Advertising, they will debut here. In addition, I welcome you to follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steffan1

But first I think it only fair to provide you my slight credentials. In addition to having won five Lions in my career (three for Heinz Catsup & two for Altoids), I’ve attended the festival in Cannes eight different times. While I’ve never served as judge for the competition, I did provide that service for Canne’s sister festival, The Dubai Lynx in 2008. In addition, I’ve judged on panels for most of the major advertising award shows in America, including this year’s MPA Kelly Awards, The New York Festivals and, of course, your 2010 OBIE awards. Incidentally, the video from that event (in which I proudly served as master of ceremonies) can now be found here, in two parts. Scroll down…http://godsofadvertising.wordpress.com/about/

When I first came to Cannes –I believe in 1998- the primary focus for the festival was films. Of all the categories, nothing was more hallowed than winning a Lion for 30 and 60-second TV commercials.

Much has changed since then, in particular with regard to the advent of digital platforms. It cannot be overstated the importance the Internet and technology have played in reshaping Cannes. Not only have numerous online categories been added but, in many ways, they’ve usurped TV as the prizes worth winning. Indeed, the Grand Prix (best of show) for Cyber Lion may be the most coveted prize of all.

These changes have also greatly increased the quantity and quality of possible outdoor Lions awarded and the luster of winning them. (More on that later.) It is my opinion that out-of-home (as a category and prize) will only get more prestigious as the years go by.

Until next post, do as your momma said: Stop watching TV and get ‘out of home!’