The consumer's in control, people are in control, and people don't want to just be buying products.
They want products that represent their values, represent something that is
meaningful in their life and so brands are responding.
I’m Karen Tso and this is my new ride for the week.
I’m taking it for a spin along the Croisette for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity,
and bringing along some of the biggest names in advertising, business and entertainment.
As we ask…
Today, I’m taking a trip down memory lane with Cannes Lions outgoing chairman Terry Savage.
After 15 years with Cannes Lions, Savage is seen by many as the heart and soul of the creativity festival
and has garnered praise for making it the event it is today,
drawing in advertising, media and even the occasional politician and celebrity.
There was a beautiful moment where we had Bill Clinton about five or six years ago.
Everyone wanted to meet Bill Clinton, but we also had Debbie Harry, and when Bill Clinton saw Debbie Harry,
he was as starstruck, meeting Debbie Harry as everyone else was. 'I've always wanted to meet you Debbie.'
So was she more popular than Bill Clinton then?
I don't think she was, but in Bill Clinton's eyes she was more popular than everyone else.
But before rubbing elbows with the likes of Bill Clinton and Blondie’s Debbie Harry,
Savage had to work his way up.
Savage is a proud Australian, but his story begins nearly 10,000 miles away.
I'm such a patriotic Australian, I hate admitting that I was born in the United Kingdom,
and I was very young when I came to Australia.
How old were you?
I was 15, and you know it's like most things in life isn't it, you have to have a fair slice of luck in life.
When you get that luck, you've just got to take advantage of it.
Savage’s start in the industry, and his first foray into the Cannes Lions festival
came during his time at Australian cinema network, Val Morgan.
So for many years I was representing Australia for Cannes Lions.
The then-CEO or owner of the company in fact tried to recruit me to come and work for him,
which I didn't want to because I loved Australia, but then I left the company.
But Cannes Lions owner Roger Hatchuel persisted.
He wanted Savage’s help with selling the company.
I thought, well fine. I'm on a non-compete for 12 months. I'll do it.
Have a little adventure and so I went there with the full intention that I was there for a year.
As it happened, it took 18 months to sell the business and again fully expecting that
when you do that, the people that buy it would kick you out, but they didn't.
They asked me to stay, which I did in London for four years and then I wanted to go home
and they asked me to stay again, operating out of Australia.
You must be very nice to have around. You must be really good company.
Then I’ve operated as chairman out of Australia for the last ten years.
While Australia is his base, Savage spends six months of the year visiting places like China and the Middle East.
In our industry, globalization has always been a factor because you've got the big global brands,
both at the advertising level and the brand level.
I think the most fascinating places you go to, of course, are places like China
who are emerging in such a dynamic way and they're going to be
the new range of global brands going into the future.
Cannes Lions has evolved over the past decade or so,
with tech companies and consultancies playing a bigger role in the event.
This year, its organizers shortened the program, lowered costs and simplified its award structure
following criticism that the festival had lost its focus.
And another big shift for Cannes Lions, a change in leadership.
This is Savage’s last year as chairman.
When you look back at your time over the course of the last 13 years at Cannes Lions,
is there one particular year that stands out to you?
I think that's the great thing about Cannes. I think every year has something really spectacular.
I mean there are golden moments for sure.
The number of people that have said to me in this event over many, many years
that coming here this week actually changed my life.
It's given me a totally new perspective on my skills, what I should do.
That's a really motivating thing for any individual to be in a role
where you know you’re actually making a difference to other people.
And I think that's the biggest driver that I have as an individual.
Despite leaving Cannes Lions, Savage isn’t done with the advertising industry yet.
He’s working on a few new projects, including serving as
the Global Chairman of non-profit, the Marketing Academy.
My next step is to actually help people understand the power of creativity in a bigger and better way.
Perhaps also to try and bring the parties together.
I think sometimes in our world currently, the brands and the agencies can get into an adversarial relationship.
And it's very hard to break up the fight.
That's one of the things I love about the Marketing Academy.
If they have 600 applications, they take 30 people, half of them from agencies and half them from brands.
At the end of the course, they both understand each other's perspective in a new and different way.
So if that was my mission for the rest of my life, I think it would be really worthwhile and be very helpful.
And will we see you back at Cannes Lion 2019?
We’ll see. I certainly won't come back unless I have a reason to come back because the people that are
running Cannes Lions have got a job to do, I don't want to be looking like I'm looking over their shoulder.
But if I have a reason, there's a purpose that's genuine and meaningful I will come back.
If there's not, I'll do something else.