Cannes doesn't matter anymore

Very interesting article by Bob Garfield, posted on Ad Age. The lion's prestige is falling apart, which is a process that started many years ago, with the ghost ads scandal.

During the 4 years I spent in university I heard "advertising is not about the award, it's about the client", and it's true. But at the same time we testified names being branded through Cannes. That doesn't look like happening anymore. Having a gold lion today means less than it did 15 years ago. Cannes submissions this year are down 20%, and the attendees is even steeper, something around 40%. Maybe it's the global recession. Maybe. But I think the agencies and, especially, the advertising professionals don't have the "Cannes fantasy" any longer. Clients are more interested in successful cases rather than statues shelves. And the focus should always be them. Cannes doesn't matter anymore.

Here's the link to Bob's article: http://adage.com/article?article_id=137301