Blogging for food

Alastair Duncan

Off we go to Cannes, where ‘big ideas make you feel small’. It’s a curious world where the discussion is about inventing the new world, but we posture only with concepts of creativity from the old world.

Once upon a time, we only had a few channels, TV, press, outdoor and occasionally radio. Consumers had limited media, and plenty of attention to spare. Now, there is far too much media populated with far too many messages, and consumers have no attention left to give.

So what’s the problem? Is our industry predicated upon consumers wantonly giving their attention to our brand messages that have become increasingly expensive and ineffective? (Notwithstanding occasional bright spots that we shall see celebrated next week). Or is it that the celebrated ‘big idea’ is actually never quite that. More often than not we see executional fancy, and true originality lives in the wilderness, along with Mozart's grave and Banksy's spray can.

I argue that creativity is now required for a far broader canvas than ever. It’s true that we do see less effect for brands if we stick only to our old channels, and don’t organise ourselves better for the new world. This is why the internet is such a fabulous thing. Right now, it’s the medium people are paying attention to. It’s also far more than a media channel, it’s an interruptive technology that has changed the face and style of communications for ever.

Next week, I look forward to seeing the biggest ideas. I will be humbled. But I doubt if I'll be surprised by the number of ideas that look backwards rather than forwards in executional fancy.