The Branded Content jury at Cannes handed out four Lions to Canadian work on Saturday — but did not award a Grand Prix. After the awards, jury member Michael Joffe, Google Canada’s brand activation lead (and a Top 30 Under 30 alum!), offered his take on the jury’s selections, the category’s dubious definition and the type of content he wants to see from Canadian marketers.
Content has struggled to find its place at Cannes in the past. Do you think that’s still the case?
Branded Content is a horizontal category and it really is just how the world works now, which sort of transcends a category. You think you have a clear definition, but I think what that room really proves is there is still a lot of interpretation. I also believe that content is genuinely hard to do well and people are still learning.
That’s true – the definition for branded content can be dubious.
No matter how clear the definition is, we’re still going to have human interpretation of it, which you saw a lot of in the room. For example Geico, which performed really well, literally references itself as a Geico Ad, but many people consider it content.
Any big surprises in the jury room – either in what was well received or what wasn’t?
I think one piece the jury expected to have been submitted for consideration in Branded Content was Honda R – but it turned out that the team behind it didn’t submit it to our category. A lot of people on the jury felt that that might have been the Grand Prix. I was also surprised that Like A Girl didn’t make Gold – it’s a truly beautiful piece of filmmaking. It came very close but silvered which is still a fantastic recognition that team should be incredibly proud of.
The jury didn’t award a Grand Prix. How do you feel about that decision?
The jury was unanimous that there wasn’t a Grand Prix in the group. David Lubar’s comments on this really sum up my opinion – I completely agree with him and so does the jury.
How were this year’s best branded content offerings different from previous years?
I think what you’re seeing is a maturation of the category in a lot of ways. Brands are becoming better storytellers and moving beyond easy surprise and delight tactics, which we’ve seen a lot of. There were some very strong integrated campaigns led by content, which is fantastic and where we need to be.
Did your jury experience change your take on what branded content is – or what it should be?
I was inspired by what is possible when content and technology are creatively brought together. There were some really innovative uses of YouTube that I loved. When the brand also leverages the uniqueness of the platform where the content lives, some really amazing stuff happens.
After seeing the best in branded content, what do you think about the state of branded content in Canada? Where is it and where does it need to go?
We had some amazing work that was recognized this year. Some of the best in the category in my opinion, and so I think we should keep pushing even further. I’d love to see Canada take more risks and innovate in the series category.
Any big takeaways you’re bringing back to apply to client work?
My big takeaway is the power of constraint. The best ideas that we saw this year applied brilliant solutions to constraints. A project that has impacted my thinking in a big way is The Marathon Walker. It’s beautifully simple and effective.
