We recently had a debrief on the Cannes Lions festival.  I didn't get an invite to go to the actual bash, but hearing a breathless attendee or two positively gush about how amazing the "work" was this year was both moving, humbling and a little annoying.  Its a bit like the Cannes Film festival that you read about in the papers, but since it has none of the glamour of the movie festival, nor is it as riotous as MIPM (the massive property offsite for Europe), you may not have heard of it.  Its Cannes for Advertising and media types.  The week includes various (well, dozens) of awards for creativity, innovation, technology, directing, etc.  The Grand Prix this year went to a quite wonderful advert for Volvo Trucks with Jean Claude Van Damme doing the splits between two massive Volvo's going backwards.  You can see it here.  

But the award which raised the most smiles (in the debrief at least) was a wonderfully clever 'knowing' film about the reality and perversity of Conference calls.  A thousand times (well it feels that many) I have sat in an airless office, alone, shouting my name at a blackberry on mute trying to ineffectually participate in the wonderful nonsense that is the Conference call.  When all I had to do to avoid the stress, the hassle and banality of it all, was get on the plane.  Read a book.  Get off the plane.  Meet the people who I needed to see.  Get to know them, like them and become friends with them.  And, maybe - become good colleagues, collaborate better and be more productive.  I know about the ozone, and the expense, etc., but please do watch this and then perhaps mention to your boss.  After the 'austerity drive'...shouldn't we get the team together this year?  You know, in the same room?