Cannes Lions 2022 Blog: Day 5 - How do to Cannes, when in Cannes?

Our guest author writes a guide from a first timer at Cannes Lions for a first timer attending the festival.

Day 5 at Cannes Lions was filled with emotions for me. It started with being India’s biggest ever haul and ended with us being taking home the most coveted ‘Agency Of the Year’.

I had to get it out. Now that it’s done let’s not talk about advertising. Let’s not talk about metals or campaigns. This one is about you. This one is about how you do Cannes when in Cannes. Think of it as the first-timer’s guide to Cannes from a first-timer.

1. Book early: If you know you have had a great year and Cannes toh Banta hai, then plan and book early. Hotels are minimal and expensive. There is a 9/10 probability of you staying in an apartment. When you do, you need to ensure it is as close as possible to the Cannes venue, i.e. The Palais (I’ll tell you why in a bit)

2. Get your walking shoes: Here in Cannes, you walk. Then you walk. And then again, you walk. You get tired; you walk. You get drunk, you walk.

3. Book your airport pick-up and drop in advance if possible. Cabs here are EXPENSIVE. More of then out, the luxury of taking an Uber(irrespective) will leave at least 1000 bucks poorer.

4. Don’t try to soak in the culture too soon: Train/bus from the airport for a first-timer is a bad idea. Met a few people who were robbed of hundreds of euros within 30 mins of them setting foot in France.

5. Do download the festival app: Download the app and plan your sessions. You’ll be swift and less exhausted if you know what sessions you want to cover.

6. Attend all the brand beach houses: Lots of fun sessions happen outside the Palais as well. Most of these brands with their own beach houses also have some great swag.

7. If you win big, take your country’s flag from home. You will miss it if you don’t have it.

8. Keep at least one evening free for an excellent beach time. Try to do it in the first two days. I missed this completely, and I regret it.

9. Carry a power bank. You’ll want to click pictures and take videos, but your battery won’t be in the mood.

I hope this helps. See you’ll see next year.

(The guest author is managing partner at Dentsu Webchutney, digital creative agency from Dentsu Creative India.)