On Cannes: Jamie Barrett of Goodby, Silverstein

Jamie Barrett, partner and creative director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, (Adweek, AdAge and 'boards magazine's 2007 Agency of the Year) is heading to the Cannes International Advertising Festival for the first time.

Portfolio.com: How has the festival changed over the years?

Jamie Barrett: Can't really say how the festival has changed, because I've been too lazy to go until this year. Not really a 12-hour flight guy.

Portfolio.com: Why do you go and what are you looking forward to?

Jamie Barrett: I'm going this year because I've started to feel like a loser for continuing to miss it. Okay, there are many reasons to feel like a loser, but this is certainly one of them. As the years go by, Cannes seems to distance itself more and more from the other award shows. There's Lions, and then you drop about 30,000 feet to the One Show and a couple others. Maybe in Europe DNAD still has much of the prestige it always had, but from my vantage point it seems like it's Cannes and then all the others kinda clumped together.

There are three reasons I think that's happened:

One, advertising is so clearly an international pursuit now. It feels almost provincial to be talking about work in a regional or even national sense. To have any real context as a creative person, or any real inspiration, you need to know what's going on around the world. And to get that sense, the best place to go is Cannes.

Two, there's all kinds of free alcohol.

And three, everyone, seemingly, is there. From creatives to clients to production people to journalists, everyone is there. So if you want a high profile in this business - and not everyone does - the quickest route to
get it is to go drinking for six or seven nights in the south of France.

Portfolio.com: What is the most interesting trend in the industry right now?

Jamie Barrett: Don't know that I know. If there is one, I know I'd want to stay away from it. By definition a trend means "been done" to me. So I'm not sure the value in keeping up with them, unless it's to determine what NOT to do.

by James P. Othmer

For an interactive map of Cannes parties, click here.