Despite a few bummers in Cyber, Direct and Media, as well as being still out of Titanium & Integrated, Brazil achieved an exceptional performance in Press and Outdoor, went really well in the debuting area Design and outstood last year’s performance in Promo, Radio and even Film. There was a positive balance regarding the number of Lions, as we brought back 41 instead of last year’s 30, but the amount of Gold Lions decreased (from 6 to 1), as well as pieces placed in the shortlist, scoring three points less than 2007 and falling one position in the rank: we went to the fourth place, having the United Kingdom coming back to the third position. 
 
The United States remained leading the general countries rank, with 805 points (94 more than last year), achieving five Grand Prix, 26 Gold Lions, 21 Silver, 36 Bronze and 360 finalists. Germany kept the vice-leadership scoring 485 points (136 more than last year), obtained through eight Gold Lions, 17 Silver, 29 Bronze and 257 finalists. The third place, now belonging to the United Kingdom, was conquered with 414 points through two Grand Prix, 13 Gold Lions, 17 Silver, 18 Bronze and 164 finalists. Brazil kept the fourth position scoring 303 points, with one Gold Lion, 15 Silver, 25 Bronze and 143 finalists.   

In the sequence came Spain, Japan, Australia, India, New Zealand and France. The highlight within the 10 most awarded was the entry of India in the advertisement world elite platoon, conquering the Direct GP as well as one Integrated Lion. Japan had a much better performance (from 10th to sixth place) and brought three Grand Prix home – including the highly desired Titanium GP. South Africa, Argentina and Canada left the 10+ list, and France returned, in the tenth place though.

Among the Brazilian agencies, the great highlight was AlmapBBDO, which was also runner up for the Agency of the Year award (conquered by New York BBDO). Our lead Agency had a single Gold Lion, six Silver, five Bronze and 17 finalists, scoring 69 points (well above most countries that took part in the event). 
 
In the second position among the Brazilian agencies was Leo Brunett, with one Silver Lion, two Bronze and 14 finalists, scoring 25 points. F/Nazca S&S (last year’s vice-leader) winded up in third place, with two Silver Lions, three Bronze and 10 finalists, adding up to 23 points. The fourth position was JWT’s with one Silver Lion, one Bronze and seven finalists, scoring 15 points. DM9DDB, leader in 2007, was in fifth place with no Lions, only for having its 15 pieces placed in many shortlists. In sequence came Lew Lara\TBWA, Wunderman, Y&R, McCann Erickson and Neogama/BBH.

Real time, complete multimedia covering

Throughout this week, o PortaldaPropaganda.com presented a real time, complete multimedia covering on the event (the reports are and will remain in the PP’s Cannes channel), presenting overall results from all the areas and the complete Titanium & Integrated. We are also publishing the Gold Lions granted to Film, Press, Outdoor, Cyber, Media, Promo, Direct and Design – besides a detailed analysis of Titanium & Integrated. This covering will be complemented with About Magazine’s June edition.
 
A record of 46 panel debates took place in Cannes this year, covering practically all the aspects and subjects of marketing and communication. Out of the 126 host presenters, only one, Otavio Dias, from R.EPENSE, was Brazilian. Among the 25 workshops, four were organized and conducted by Brazilians (from New Content, Ampro, Tátil Design and Mixer). Some of these panel debates and workshops have already been reported in our daily covers; others will be presented next week here at PP and will be further analyzed on the upcoming About Magazine edition.       
 
This year an important phenomenon took place in Cannes: never before so many people were seen in the festival’s first days and in the panel debates and workshops, that were crowded almost all the times, practically reversing the historic traffic flow – which would increase throughout the week and in the shortlist exhibition. Now, the Sunday opening is one of the event’s hottest days. 
 
About the time for delegates, judges and journalists: it’s shorter every time due to the multiple activities and extraordinary number of subscriptions in the total of categories, that topped 28.284, being the less numerous ones Titanium & Integrated, with 432, Promo, with 1.103; and most numerous were Press, with 7.442, Outdoor, with 5.842, and Film, with 4.626.


The debuting Design area had 1.126 contestants already. One bet for the next years will be the creation of two new categories: Mobile and Content Communication. It will be an even bigger craze…
 
Cannes Lions also selects, according to their performance in the awards, the Network of the Year, a title conquered by BBDO, and the Agencies of the Year, in Advertising (BBDO New York), Direct (Shackleton, from Madrid), Media (Swedish Forsman & Bodenfors) and Interactive (Lean Mean Fighting Machine, from London). 

Also granted are special prizes to the Announcer of the Year, awarded to Procter & Gamble this time, and Media Entrepreneur of the Year, which was given to Sir Anthony O´Reilly, Independent News & Media network’s Irish CEO.