CANNES AD FESTIVAL TO EXPAND New Marketing Services Event Slated for 2002 June 26, 2001 By Laurel Wentz CANNES (AdAge.com) -- The International Advertising Festival is planning to extend the Cannes Lion brand again by adding a marketing services event next year. The festival already consists of the original TV competition, as well as more recent press and poster, Internet and media competitions. Yet another segment will be added to the Cannes Lions brand next year. Romain Hatchuel, the festival's CEO, said a marketing services event would be added at the end of the already full week long advertising festival. Like the Cyber competition slotted in two years ago and the three-year-old Media Lions, the festival is trying to tap parts of the ad industry that don't already spend money to enter or attend the festival. Rapid Growth So far that strategy has worked. In its fourth year, Cyber Lion entries grew by almost 50% this year to 1,471. Media Lion entries are growing more slowly, from 502 in 2000 to 643 this year, but in just its third year, the Media Lions awards dinner drew 500 people last Wednesday night. With the new event still in the planning stages, it's unclear exactly how the festival will define marketing services. Photo: Anthony Vagnoni.. Festival CEO Romain Hatchuel plans to make the event longer. Agency network heads, who will determine whether whole new groups of people within their networks will join their annual Cannes contingent, would prefer to see the new event defined as integrated marketing, rather than simply adding new disciplines to the festival such as direct marketing or sales promotion. Ingregration award? "I think it's really important to have an award for integration," said Cheryl Berman, chairman and chief creative officer of Leo Burnett North America, Chicago. "I wouldn't make it any more complicated than integrated media." "Anything we can do to unlock from our obsession with TV would be good," said DDB CEO Keith Reinhard. "When 80% of homes have TiVo, we're going to have to reach people in all ways. Eventually -- long after I'm gone -- there will be just one award, for the most creative brand experience." Laurel Wentz is the international editor of Advertising Age. © 2001, Crain Communications Inc. Editor@AdAge.com ..