Brave New Heights Reached On The Cannes Pinnacle of Excrement

I've been on a self-imposed semi-retirement from criticising creative awards on this this blog.

Not because I've changed my mind, but just because they seem to be getting worse and it appears nothing can stop the rot.

And to be honest, I've got better things to do.

As shit as all creative awards seem to have become, the pinnacle of excrement is the Cannes Lions festival. And still it seems there is little point in criticising even that, because I genuinely believe there is nothing on Earth that would shame the participants.

When you look at what is going on over there, from the work that gets 'awarded', to the incessant rivers of waffle and bullshit, the self-serving forums and back-slapping cronyism, it feels like if people aren't ashamed to be part of that, then nothing anyone could say would affect them in any way.

But then it sinks to such new depths that I feel compelled to briefly pop out of the aforementioned semi-retirement.

In previous years we've seen work (that shall remain nameless) that's clearly awards-glitter-scam win big gongs. But this year has beaten even that. I'm not going to put up the work here, I can't stand it, and I refuse to give it any more oxygen (I'm sure you've seen anyway. I'm sure).

But now two pieces of work, one a scam charity app, and another a piece of offensive, low-grade frat humour, have won awards over there. Just when you think it can't possibly get any worse, it proves you wrong.

I can't think of anything that more accurately represents how shit the ad industry has become than the Cannes Festival.

It is at once the worst of the industry, and its best representation.

If you're over there in any capacity, you're complicit in the utter shameless horror-show of it all.

You're part of the problem.

Sorry.