Every year about this time, the ad world goes crazy at Cannes. At the same time, like clockwork, the Founder of our agency goes crazy on the ad world, saying that Cannes is an egocentric, self-gratifying, Côte d’Azur waste of time. The agency world mutters back a lot of “you don’t know because you’re not here” BS, and he suggests they all “kiss his wildly successful ass.” And the typical summer brouhaha continues to turn.

I hate to admit that he is right, actually, because I don’t need him to have more reminder ammo, but I don’t think his radio silence on the Cannes 2010 subject is because he has grown soft. Instead, I think the industry’s disconnect with reality is actually beyond discussion. This year, I am inspired to carry the torch.

In the last few days, I have gotten an hourly reminder from the national trade press about who was favored to win which award, how wonderful the Euro breeze is, what Jeff Goodby thinks of ponytails and Yahoo, and what the critic is having for breakfast each morning. More, if you follow the swell new MDC website, you can see that Alex the Great has just finished a bowl of hot oats and is currently chatting underneath the bathroom stalls with David Droga. The daily kicker was this great quote delivered via an update video:

“The ever suffering advertising industry needs something this glamorous right now…”

REALLY???? Am I living such a different reality? Am I reading the wrong newspapers? Am I staring at the wrong market performance? Am I worrying about the wrong oil spills? Clearly, I must be eating the wrong oats and not having the best commode discourse. Is this really the time to take a break to celebrate the grandeur of our existence? Perhaps this continuous focus on self-importance and gratification is exactly why the agency business continues to be ever suffering!

Let me set the record straight ahead of the criticism. I love creativity and expression. I support big ideas and love the power advertising can have on business and our society overall. Some work has helped me make choices on what to buy, and other work has helped me make choices on who I am. I get it. At the same time, what I get more is that advertising has a commerce responsibility above all else. Better said, I think the output of creative work should be brilliant, but the outcome from that work should be just as brilliant…or the idea wasn’t that smart after all.

To Cannes sunbathers: I bet it is beautiful. I see the appeal and like a Côte d’Azur highball shaken (not stirred) as much as the next guy, but c’mon. Is it fun? Sure. Is it a boondoggle? Just maybe. Is it what the industry needs to solve all its woes? Um…I’m going back to work.