Maurice Lévy and Arthur Sadoun didn't get the message that Cannes was canceled

As most everyone in the industry knows, Cannes Lions is canceled this year. But it seems Publicis Groupe's Chairman and CEO and chairman Arthur Sadoun and his predecessor, Maurice Lévy, never got the message.

That's the premise of a funny short film the agency made to promote its own internal awards, titled the Cannes-Do awards, which will actually be held at the Palais de Festivals in Cannes and broadcast virtually to employees via Publicis' internal platform Marcel. Publicis has special permission from the Mayor of Cannes to hold the event.

In the teaser film, Sadoun and Lévy don their suits and face masks and travel by train down to the French Riviera, where they stroll down the Croisette, sign a few autographs for bemused tourists and end up at the Palais. To their surprise, it's locked.

However, in a twist, they find the key hidden under the red carpet and head inside. It's all filmed in Hollywood caper style (including a music track taken from French spy comedy film "Cairo: Nest of Spies") with Sadoun and Lévy indulging their love for comedy that we've previously seen on display in the duo's holiday messages. 

The Cannes-Do Awards has seen 1,400 campaigns submitted globally from 400 agencies, 60 countries and 110 cities. The work was reviewed by a jury of 25 creative leaders across Publicis Groupe agencies, and employees then voted on the shortlist via Marcel for the top 10 client campaigns, the top five non-profit pieces and two special awards. The winners will be announced at Friday’s awards ceremony.

“With the Cannes-Do Awards, we want to make sure that we continue to be united in this tough time around what makes us passionate: creativity in all of its forms," said Sadoun in a statement. "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 face. 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.”