It's that time of the year again when the advertising fraternity is in a frenzy, looking forward to the ultimate recognition, at least, in terms of awards.
Cannes '07 starts on Monday and with a record number of entries this time, we thought of catching up with a few industry heads to gauge their expectation levels. Will it be another dry spell or will we finally manage to crack the code at Cannes?
According to Pratap Suthan, national creative director, Grey India, "Honestly, I don't see us doing too spectacularly at Cannes this year. But there are a few entries which might fetch some awards."
Bobby Pawar, national creative director, Mudra, differs: "I think we have a good enough chance to do well this year if not exceeding last year's feat, then at least matching it."
Mahesh Chauhan, CEO, Rediffusion DYR, too feels that Cannes could be a mixed bag this year - "The entries have increased and there has been some good work done by a lot of agencies, so we could expect more than a decent showing."
Last year, India bagged about 57 nominations and won 12 awards in all categories, which was a good jump compared to previous years.
In 2003, the total number of nominations were 29, with six awards netted. In 2004, the shortlist came down to 24 and three awards, while in 2005 the shortlist fell even further to 22 but five awards were won.
Pawar feels that the perception about Indian creativity has changed - "Now we are seen as a high value, rather than low cost, country although you can't be sure with what appeals to the jury."
Suthan feels the number of nominations might go up this year compared to last year. The number of entries has increased from 738 to 931 in 2007.
One ad which most people are backing is the HappyDent Palace commercial. "That is one ad which is brilliant and caters to audiences worldwide and could do the trick," says Suthan.
Even Pawar is backing it at the festival - "It is a wonderfully executed film with a brilliant concept." Apart from that, there are a few ads in the public service domain which could score.
What about the Nike ad with kids playing cricket on top of buses? Suthan is dismissive -- "I don't see it doing well as there have been a lot of better Nike concepts worldwide."
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