Cannes Lions 2012: Representing India at the festival!

India occupied centre stage at Cannes 2012 with the session Global India presented by Lowe Lintas, a leading light in the Lowe and Partners global network. This was the first time ever at Cannes Lions that a special seminar dedicated to Indian creativity and its influence was organised.

 

Michael Roth, Chairman and CEO of Lowe and Partners parent company, IPG introduced the audiences to the speakers- Shekhar Kapur- the noted Indian film director and Balki (R Balakrishnan), chairman and creative head, Lowe Lintas India.

 

Michael Roth exclaimed that the session was an important factor signifying India’s reach in the global economy. Roth spoke about IPG’S association with Lowe Lintas emphasizing on the evolution of India’s first creative agency Lowe Lintas.

 

When the session moderator, David Rowan, editor, Wired asked Balki why India has gained focus all of a sudden, Balki asserted strongly that India has money and therefore it is an emerging market.

 

"What has changed over the years is that earlier, India was judged globally. Today, India is the jury, be it the global products or ideas,” observed Balki. This comment of Balki was received with a huge applause by the audiences.

 

Balki remarked that for any global thought to be adopted in India, it had to be Indianised to fit into India’s cultural context. He explained it with an example of the thought “Dirt is Good” which has been successfully adopted in India in a unique manner.

 

Shekhar Kapur asserted that India is a land of imagination; where storytelling is the greatest influencer. Speaking on the importance of social media, he said that it would not affect advertising but would definitely have an impact on the way we live. Shekhar was of the view that India needs to adapt, change and absorb the wounds of history.

 

On the role of social media as an influencer, Balki and Kapur held different viewpoints. While R Balki believed that we express ourselves but do not accept messages that easily, Shekhar opined that social media influences our opinions.

 

Expressing his views on the Indian economy, Shekhar Kapur said, “We need to move from being job makers to job creators.”

 

Balki won appreciation when he said, "Stop looking at India as a market and you will succeed. And, let the Indians do the things in India."