Cannes Day 5

Today was a very good day, which is surprising since it started off with a seminar. But it’s different if the speaker is someone as interesting and engaging as Malcolm Gladwell. I have absolutely nothing snarky or to say about him. Not even his hair. Anyone who can keep an audience of jaded ad people enthralled throughout an account of the Arab-Israeli war is pretty damn amazing in my opinion. I admit I haven’t read his books, ‘Blink’ or ‘The Tipping Point,’ but I certainly will now.

Heard lots of inspiring talks today. No really. Much of it about how ‘social media’ and technology are changing the face of not just advertising, but pretty much everything. And if yesterday’s talks about leveraging causes for brands left me feeling a little cynical, todays made me optimistic about the future. People are finding new ways to mobilise themselves and speak up for the things they want, whether it’s more stripes on their running shoes or reducing our carbon footprint. And even I can’t find anything bad about that. Okay maybe the stripes. Stripes are stupid.

Then I went to the seminar about marketing Johnny Walker in Africa, to people who can’t afford mobile phones. Ah well.

That evening the cyber jury (weren’t they villains in Dr. Who?) and their companions were invited to a dinner hosted by internet magazine Fast Company. After my last wardrobe faux pas (see that, that’s French) I made sure I wasn’t going to be caught out again. I wore a long black evening dress with my highest spikiest heels. Naturally I came down to find the other women in casual wear, some even in jeans. Seriously I think they’re all doing it on purpose.

It didn’t really matter what we were wearing though because the only thing anyone was looking at a few moments later was the amazing view from the hotel rooftop where the dinner was held. And when it was announced that co-founder of the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, Jonah Peretti (the geeks know what I’m talking about) and comedienne Susan from ‘Curb Your Enthusiam’ were going to be speaking things got even better.

Susan was hilarious, poking fun at the French, which I guess is too easy and Jonah gave some interesting insights into the online behavior of the average Facebook user. Yes that’s right, they’re onto you. All in all, my most enjoyable day yet.