Publicis chiefs insist on celebrating awards in Cannes.

So there will be awards in the Palais at Cannes after all - and Publicis is planning a grand sweep.

The agency holding company has announced it is holding its own 'Cannes-Do' Awards ceremony at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes on Friday 26 June at 6pm through a virtual event. 

While the awards are internal, Publicis Groupe announced it would be using the Palais "in partnership with the Mayor of Cannes, who has under exceptional circumstances agreed to open the doors" in a mock video. The film chronicles the journey of Sadoun and Lévy by train to Cannes, only to find the Palais doors locked. But thanks to a hidden key found under its famous red carpet, the pair are allowed to enter and take the stage in an empty auditorium. 

"We thought it was important to do this event in Cannes to support the city in this challenging time. I want to thank the Mayor and his team for their warm welcome and great partnership," Sadoun said. 

He added: "In a world full of can’t, thanks to the engagement of our people and Marcel, we are able to celebrate the best creative work from around the Groupe and recognise our fantastic talent. It is also a way to thank our people for their very hard work in this tough period and hopefully put a smile on their faces." 

These inaugural Cannes-Do Awards saw 1,400 campaigns submitted globally from 400 agencies, 60 countries and 110 cities, reviewed by an expert jury of 25 creative leaders across Publicis Groupe agencies. Over 15,000 votes were cast by Publicis Groupe employees globally on Marcel, the network's own collaboration platform, with winners to be announced at Friday’s awards ceremony. 

There is a certain irony of course to Publicis using Marcel to run an awards show from the Palais, since the development of the highly-touted technology platform was cited as a reason why Publicis decided to opt out of Cannes Lions and all award shows for a year, back in 2017. 

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Originally published by Campaign Asia-Pacific