A number of hands went up after he asked, each one belonging to a fresh faced student with a smile on their face, eager to impress our tutor. The question was not a hard one, and to be fair it required an opinion based answer. However from the question I learnt one of the core foundations of being an advertiser.

“Who thinks advertising does not influence them?” 

What appeared as a simple enough question demanded a reason behind each opinion, those once eager students were now left red faced. Everyone got a bit shy at that point so the vast majority of responses went something along the lines of “I’m just not” which was met with a smirk and a snicker from our tutor.

That said, one student decided to rise to the challenge and give an honest answer.

Student: Because they’re just advertisements. Ads are designed to influence people to act one way or another so when I see an ad I immediately know to ignore it. The information is going to be biased no matter what so there is no point taking it in. The entire industry is based on the manipulation of the consumer.  Only a fool would be influenced.

Tutor: Then why do you want to be a part of it?

Student: I would rather be the manipulator then be manipulated.

This, in its own weird way, turned out to be the answer my tutor was looking for. If only because it allowed him to use that student as an example of why not to get into the industry. As my tutor explained, that attitude adds to the belief that all advertising is ‘evil’. Manipulation is not the aim of the game, and to be influenced by an ad doesn’t denote stupidity.

You should be influenced by ads because whether you like it or not you are a consumer and this is not a bad thing. It’s by noting what does and doesn’t influence you that will help you learn what makes a good piece of advertising, not just a qualification. Your ability to make decisions like that stems from your status as a consumer not an advertiser. In fact, your own experiences and opinions can often be the most valuable elements you can bring to a job.

My tutor asked the same question in our final class, he was met with a still silence and an avoidance of eye contact by everyone but the student I’ve discussed. This time rather than debating with the teacher, he made one quick point.

Everyone is capable of being influenced, and the best way to work out how is to start with yourself, after all if you’re not influenced by your own work why would anyone else be?

Follow me on Twitter. @sarahagboola

If you’re not in Cannes, you can still get a bit of the flavour and fun of what our friends have going on through a nifty list of hashtags:

• #CannesAlso
• #CannesCaptured
• #CannesShoes (where I may actually win — or something)
• #Cannedotes
• #CannesPlay

What are these? You need to explore and find out for yourself.

Because it will give you a little slice of not just the Cannes Lions, but the people in our biz as well.

And the most effective work tends to eschew anything cookie-cutter, rote or pithy.

The best work?

When clear understanding of the audience informs not just the message but the execution.

Think!, an anti-drink driving campaign we discovered from Leo Burnett London does just that.

We had a chance to connect with two members of the creative team, Copywriters/Art Directors, Sabina Kelly and Phil Deacon.

Q: Public safety campaigns, especially drink driving, tend to go more the shock route. Why did you choose to go this direction, which is a little more on the, no pun intended, “thinking” route?

A: It wasn’t an immediate or obvious choice. It’s usually the first place you end up when doing work such as this. But it’s a funny thing talking to young men- they tend not to listen to authority or government messages telling them how to live.

Our way in was to try and strike up a conversation using a medium they feel comfortable with. Sharing YouTube videos is something that almost everyone does- so we wanted to create something sharable that begins a conversation about drink driving. We could have chosen LOL cats, people falling over, song and dance routines, music, there’s lots of popular sharable YouTube genres but it just felt most appropriate for our message and for the DFT, to create something a little bit shocking. The impact of drink driving is exactly that- almost 300 people a year in the UK die as a result of it. If we can start a conversation about the dangers of drink driving with a just few of these young men and if a few of these young men decide to take a taxi or leave their car at home, then it’s doing its job.

Q: Do you think that shock is as effective? Or has the audience become conditioned to it a bit?

A: Effectiveness depends on what you are judging. We are not naïve enough to think that this communication is going to put an end to drink driving in one go. We do not look at it as an advertising message with a definitive success/failure outcome. It is a conversation starter. If our target market share and talk about what they are seeing it will foster debate and discussion of right or wrong.

Q: This work is understated but has strong impact at the same time. How did the design and creative idea evolve?

We wanted to talk to our audience on their own terms. It needed to fit within the world of sharable media. It also needed to stand out and be interesting enough to be shared. We just drew a Venn diagram of these parameters and filled the centre of our diagram with the right thing. This is a rubbish metaphor but I (we?) like it.

Q: It’s still early, but what has the feedback been on the campaign so far?

A: Positive. 7 million people and counting have looked at it; thousands have commented on it and many will be thinking about drink driving as a result.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working on these types of campaigns?

A: Public service. Doing something good.

We are a platform created for artists, by artists.

I have been very fortunate to work alongside two talented individuals – Founder David Sinnet and Editor Nicola Manuel. Together we have created an online community for artists and designers to showcase their best work. With over 200 submissions currently on our website, we are growing by the day.

I was determined to filter our online content into a printed publication, which would fulfil our goal of integrating with universities, galleries and exhibitions.

I created Profile’s first publication titled, The Profile Book and as it was part of my Final Major Project – blood, sweat and tears seriously went into it (not literally).

The publication consists of a number reviews that I have composed based on various up and coming creative individuals from around the world. Understanding how talented creatives work has always been a passion of mine, so I felt the need to share it with the world.

Feel free to have a look on my website, where you are able to read The Profile Book in full – I hope you enjoy it!

Keep up-to-date with Profile through our Facebook and Twitter.

“What is something, either personally or professionally, that has surprised you lately?”

Here are the responses from the second day of festivities:

Nick Law – R/GA

Wayne Arnold – Profero

Tessa Gooding – IPA

Nina Harvey – Rubicon

Jay Sears – Rubicon

Jay Stevens – Rubicon

Moz Dee – CONTENTed

William Ward – Syracuse

Julian Brown – Lambie-Naim

Ben Glidden – Syracuse

Lisa Prywes – Syracuse

George Lois’s 2012 release, ‘Damn Good Advice’ is one such great ad-snack – I ate it right up. Great insights pieced together, with string of classic Lois humor.

But, like many things, don’t take it too seriously. It’s an opinion. Even if his point of view shook me up from my slumber on the train, he had me shaking my head about a lot of things.

For instance, he insists on killing work ASAP. Yes, being brutally honest is essential but it’s easy to kill someone’s creative spirit by rejecting a labor of love. As Creatives, some of us are cocky but some of us are humble as well. For the ones among us who are cocky, that cockiness often comes from being highly insecure of our art. It’s okay to be unsure, unsatisfied and hungry, but if you’re pulled down by someone you admire, it’s sure to send you on an unproductive spiral, and God knows we’ve all been there.

Also, George has no problems calling himself the “ad-honcho” or “big-shot.” And he calls his work “the best you’ll ever see.” This confidence is amazing but made me crack up. Yes he’s a hilarious genius but humility is definitely not his jam.

Super cliché.

In spite of all these things, George brings some rays of positivity. It’s endearing to know he believes in love. Or that he thanks his good fortune about getting to work in an industry like ours.

And that’s why ‘Damn Good Advice’ remains this year’s favorite ad-snack: It’s crunchy, it’s spicy and it’ll sometimes shake your very belief system like every good book should.

But don’t forget that pinch of salt.

I couldn’t get much out of them until we arrived for the big reveal.

And it was about the billboard that one cannot miss on the Palais.

We’ve seen all kinds of social curation before, but seeing a huge board like this become a living, breathing, 3D presence was new, very cool and unmistakably impressive.

From our guys, Tom Spano and Tom Thai:

When a major event happens in real life, it also happens live on Twitter. #CannesLions is the year’s biggest event for the creative community and we wanted to help share the festival’s sights and highlights with everyone here.

We started working on our Cannes activation months ago. We wanted to do something that showcases all the conversations that happen on Twitter when a major event like #CannesLions takes place.

So we ended up with what is an ordinary billboard by day, but comes to life with Twitter conversations about Cannes Lions by night.

We mounted a Barco 2K40 projector on the rooftop of the building across the street and spent a couple of months building a 3D visualization system with help from a great little Brooklyn shop, Incredible Machines.

The system pulls in Tweets about #CannesLions and projects them on the billboard each night when the sun goes down.

We hope everyone in Cannes enjoys this living billboard.

Yes. Enjoy it.

We know that we do.

Guest Post by Jeremy Katz, Worldwide Editorial Director of Ogilvy & Mather

The hour was early, but Martin Clarke, online publisher of The Daily Mail, drew several hundred jet-lagged attendees Sunday morning to the first celebrity session of the 60^th International Festival of Creativity—the Cannes Lions.

The attendees came to see Martha Stewart, Mel B, and Nick Cannon discuss the changing relationship between celebrities and media. What they came away with, though, was a primer on the proper use of Twitter by celebrities.  That the three stars wanted to talk hashtags rather than old-line journalism may tell you something about the state of the relationship right there.

Traditional media, the stars offered, has been shunted out of the conversation, except as occasional moderators and amplifiers.  Twitter, on the other hand, provides the direct connection between stars and their fans—and, if these three celebrities are any guide, that connection is carefully scrutinized.

“It used to be all about privacy,” said Nick Cannon, the American actor, rapper and comedian, “but now it’s all about control.” And about attention, too. While seemingly out of character for her, media goddess Martha Stewart ruefully admitted she gets a bit jealous when she sees the wealth of followers celebs like Justin Bieber have accumulated.

No matter what it is that drives them, these celebrities have mastered the art of attracting and retaining followers. Here’s how these stars stay large and in charge in a Twitter-ized world:

1. Be authentic

Have the good taste to tweet for yourself.  Your followers can tell if you’re too self-important to type on your own phone, and they won’t like it one bit. Such authenticity extends to product endorsements.  There may not be a church/state divide in the Twitter sphere as there is in traditional media, but celebrities should disclose if they’re being paid to talk something up.  The public isn’t stupid and can tell if a promotion is sponsored or not.  And if you like something, talk about it, even if you aren’t cashing checks.  As Cannon said, “When Diddy posts a picture of himself holding a couple of vodka bottles, that’s real.  I believe Diddy really does like vodka.”

2. Use social to promote the brand “You”

Social media should serve your needs.  Mel B, the former Spice Girl, said she uses Twitter for more than just fan connection. It’s become a business tool.  She explained that after posting a picture of herself in a bikini, she was later approached to endorse a lingerie line. Cannon said he’s learned to defang the paparazzi by openly sharing pictures of his family online.

3. Inform appropriately

Use Twitter to spread information that is of interest to your followers, but consider how your opinions may be interpreted. Stewart happily raved about the tomatoes Provençal she had last night, but said she avoids frothing about hot-button issues such as politics. She sees herself as an editorial figure and manages her twitter feed with the same editorial sensibility. Cannon, as a comedian, said he “has no discretion on line,” an appropriate stance considering his line of work.

4. Be a grownup

Don’t get into Twitter fights, as Cannon knows all to well. He told attendees of how he used to get into tweet battles, responding to snarky comments and escalating the war.  Once the heat died down, he began to realize that was probably fighting with 13-year-old kids.  “Isn’t there a more productive use of my time?” Cannon finally asked himself. Stewart said she refuses to respond to antagonizing posters, while Mel B, who “has been called every name there is,” just dismissed the haters as being unworthy of her attention.

Jeremy Katz is Worldwide Editorial Director of Ogilvy & Mather.

Yay. You want to share photos, video, Vines (and if you’re generous, Red Vines you smuggled in from the US) and the like.

Yay!!!

However, you’re stuck in the back row and may not get a very good photo when you’re in sessions. And you’re not a professional photog.

“Generally I have free roaming ability, so even if I’m shooting with a cell phone I can get into a spot that has a pretty good angle and distance from whoever or whatever I want to take a photo of,” says Gary He, our pal from Insider Images, and a heckuva great photographer.

But you probably won’t have that luxury. So here are a few tips on shooting photos with your phone that can make them highly shareable.

Control The Exposure

That famous person you’re about to take a photo of is a ghost. It’s a bright blob and could be Bob Geldof or Fritz from Accounts Receivable. No on will know, unless you get the exposure right.

Most people don’t know that they can control the exposure (with limitations, obviously) of the photo. The speaker will generally be the most well-lit object in the frame, but the metering in most phone software will do an average of the entire frame, thereby “blowing out” or overexposing the person on stage. What you want to do is tap the stage or person on the phone’s screen a few times until it figures out that you want to expose for the bright spot.

Everyone On Stage Is Tiny

Talking head shots are, as a rule, kind of boring. But, let’s say you’re in Row Z and you really want that Nick Cannon pic, Gary suggests this gem which makes a lot of sense.

If you’re sitting in the middle of the crowd, the speaker is going to be really small with the wide angle cell phone camera. But there are usually screens that have video of the speaker being played live to the side, so you can frame the photo to have the screen in it along with the tiny person to give it a little context.

Be “That” Person And Get On Up To The Front

This one just kind of speaks for itself.

The YOLO rule is just get up out of your seat, crouch in the aisle way close to the stage or in the buffer or median row and get a closer shot. Very rude and annoying, but chances are there are already house or press photographers doing the same thing and most people sitting in the crowd don’t have the cojones to get up and do it after they see you do it, so it’s not like you’re going to start a wave of people doing the same thing.

A few little tips as you make your way through Cannes.

Gutter Bar shots? That’s a totally different beast. So just shoot away and have fun.

Get to know Gary He and his fine work at www.garyhe.com.

The new hot topic in advertising is Data Management Platforms (DMPs). DMPs promise to play a significant role in the future of marketing and, among a number of other topics, were discussed at the recent Advertising Week Masters of Monetisation seminar in London.

So, what is a DMP? In simple terms, it is a platform that gathers and manages all your data for marketing purposes, serving as a unifying platform to collect, organise, and activate customer data from any source, including online, offline, or mobile.

Prior to the existence of DMPs, advertisers were unable to run targeted display campaigns showcasing relevant offers to individuals. They could run a vertical campaign targeted at mums, for example, but they were unable to ensure that it was only viewed by mums and not other consumer groups. Now, with DMPs, advertisers can conduct audience targeting in display ads.

Essentially, a DMP is a cookie and online ID resource which allows advertisers to reach segmented audiences instantly and enables more relevant content when running display advertising campaigns. Using DMPs, advertisers are able to communicate on a one-on-one basis with their customers. And working together with third-party data brokers, brands can combine their own offline database and the third-party data in their campaigns for better results. In other words, it’s all about customer recognition using cutting-edge technology.

Most of the DMPs in the market will aggregate offline and navigational data at a cookie level. If an average individual has around 2 devices (home PC and work laptop for example) and 2 browsers across each device, they will potentially have 4 cookies from a given DMP and be considered as different individuals across those devices. A new generation of DMPs use customer recognition tools to allocate a persistent ID to each individual and consolidate cookies at that level. The assignment of persistent IDs and the immediate association of those IDs to cookies is critical to enable marketers to recognise a customer across multiple browsers and devices and consolidate the data generated across those at a Persistent ID level. This is much more powerful than working purely at a cookie level.

Furthermore, with DMPs marketers can extend campaigns from their target groups to ‘lookalikes’ using third-party data to validate propensities to act or buy products or services.

The DMP market is still in its infancy but there is no doubt it is a growing global solution that offers a more scientific approach to the problem of identifying individuals across many platforms. Not only are an increasing number of publishers and advertisers leveraging these technologies to add data at the heart of their display buying and selling efforts, a wider range of industries such as retail and financial services are also now taking up the baton. The use of DMPs in marketing campaigns is only likely to grow.