As we turn into Winter the CannesLions entries will be due shortly. Here’s a few tips from my judging experience.
1. Read — yep it sounds simple, but read the entry rules and what is required in the entry form. If you don’t provide the information required, more than likely the judges will immediately discount the application.
2. Language — when I judged about 50% of the judges spoke fluent English. The rest knew English but at varying levels. So keep the messages, short, simple and easy to understand. No fancy/dancy words.
3. Culture — given the International makeup of Cannes, don’t do anything to offend another culture. Also, pay particular attention to whether any comedy is culture specific. If so, it might be hard for judges to understand the intent.
4. Teachers Pet — the number of pounds you application has no relevance as to whether it wins. So don’t throw a ton of crap in your entry. If anything it will make it harder for the judges to sort the real entry from the hype.
5. Numbers — INCLUDE numbers! Results matter… especially if you can attribute sales to the initiative.
6. Goal — tell the judges what the goal(s) were with the initiative. Keep it short, don’t put the kitchen sink in on the goals. Don’t use the old SNL Shimmer Skit language “it’s a floor wax and a dessert topping.”
7. Bullet Points — don’t write a lot of paragraphs…. make it quick to get through the application.
8. Creative — use color versions not black and white reproductions. Yep, saw a few of these.
9. Video — make sure you have it in the proper format as asked for in the application.
10. International Campaigns — if you have a campaign which has run across multiple countries make sure to show it off. And if you’re a global company, dig deep across your regions to find the best and the smartest entries. Frankly, many of the best entries I saw were from Asia.
11. Backups — send a backup electronic copy of the presentation in the event one gets damaged.
12. Check Off — I can’t stress it enough. You must have all the information or questions answered. Don’t try and put in fluff material which doesn’t answer the question.
2. Language — when I judged about 50% of the judges spoke fluent English. The rest knew English but at varying levels. So keep the messages, short, simple and easy to understand. No fancy/dancy words.
3. Culture — given the International makeup of Cannes, don’t do anything to offend another culture. Also, pay particular attention to whether any comedy is culture specific. If so, it might be hard for judges to understand the intent.
4. Teachers Pet — the number of pounds you application has no relevance as to whether it wins. So don’t throw a ton of crap in your entry. If anything it will make it harder for the judges to sort the real entry from the hype.
5. Numbers — INCLUDE numbers! Results matter… especially if you can attribute sales to the initiative.
6. Goal — tell the judges what the goal(s) were with the initiative. Keep it short, don’t put the kitchen sink in on the goals. Don’t use the old SNL Shimmer Skit language “it’s a floor wax and a dessert topping.”
7. Bullet Points — don’t write a lot of paragraphs…. make it quick to get through the application.
8. Creative — use color versions not black and white reproductions. Yep, saw a few of these.
9. Video — make sure you have it in the proper format as asked for in the application.
10. International Campaigns — if you have a campaign which has run across multiple countries make sure to show it off. And if you’re a global company, dig deep across your regions to find the best and the smartest entries. Frankly, many of the best entries I saw were from Asia.
11. Backups — send a backup electronic copy of the presentation in the event one gets damaged.
12. Check Off — I can’t stress it enough. You must have all the information or questions answered. Don’t try and put in fluff material which doesn’t answer the question.
Good luck!
Scott
