On My Cannes Radar: Pelle Nilsson & Anders Wahlquist

What work do you expect to win big in Cannes this year?

Pelle Nilsson: Ikea’s Pee Ad by Åkestam Holst. Weird and brilliant.

Anders Wahlquist: I think we will see lots of winning work that uses cutting-edge tech to propel causes forward. The first stage of every tech wave is tech for tech’s sake. Now I think that we will see work that uses tech as a driver for change. Look at the Cindy Gallop chat bot by RGA called Ask For a Raise.(below). It encourages women to ask for raises and uses median wage data for the area, giving tips on when and how to ask as well as build a solid case for why a raise is deserved. Using a chat bot to help solve the gender wage gap is a great example of how these technologies can have a positive impact on society.

CindyAsksCindy: Ask For A Raise

What app will you be using on your phone during festival week?

Pelle Nilsson: Health

Anders Wahlquist: A secret breathing app (coming soon) we created with a team of academic and extreme sport superstars. That’s how I start every day.

What’s your social platform of choice for festival news and updates?

Pelle Nilsson: Twitter

Anders Wahlquist: Creative Social.

What device (s) did you travel to the festival with and why?

Pelle Nilsson: What other devices are there than phone and laptop? I love devices, I want one!

Anders Wahlquist: Goggles. For the morning swim.

What do you think will be the hot topic of the week this year?

Pelle Nilsson: Where is everyone?

Anders Wahlquist: Wristbands, which ones and who to get them from; Cannes, to be or not to be; are TV commercials dead (again)?

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

Pelle Nilsson: When I saw the TV-drama Patrick Melrose. Extremely painful but extremely beautifully acted, directed and shot.

Anders Wahlquist: In Billund Airport – a small clean airport in Lego land, Denmark where Delta/KLM shuttles, the staff treat you like people with a smile, and its overarching friendliness washes away any annoyance normally connected to travel so I can enjoy my biologically balanced free yogurt with granola and lots of good thoughts.

What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

Pelle Nilsson: Social media has changed everything in the world (even elections) and lots of things in our industry. But still looking for that really ground-breaking way of using it in a filmic, beautiful and storytelling way.

Anders Wahlquist: The agency model is challenged for real this time. Revenues are dropping fast. We have gone from AOR to one-off projects and in-house agencies, and away from traditional bought media so the competition for clients is fiercer than ever. It is not just about rate cards now – every agency has to have solid competitive edge. For us it is being the agency for the modern client which means being deeply rooted in making, collaborative, and an iterating partner all the way through the process. And of course, finding new ways and new technologies to engage consumers with great storytelling.

If there were one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

Pelle Nilsson: There’s a positive movement at the moment with both clients and creative agencies trying to do work that focuses more on positive change in the world. Some people think it is a bit cynical of course but I say it’s better we do it than not.

Anders Wahlquist: The need for self-justification. We are not catering to a higher need, not saving the world, not being indefinitely good for mankind. We are selling cheese filled pizza crust to children. Can’t we just be happy with being really good at that? And doing it in unexpected and tongue in cheek, stylish ways? I think we should have a laugh and a half and confidently do great stuff without having to angle it to “good” in ways it’s not.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

Pelle Nilsson: Trying to do new and scary things keeps you on your toes and makes you need to revaluate yourself and what you do.

Anders Wahlquist: I’ve been working with a really fun, smart group of people for the last 17 years that I truly respect, look up to and trust. That’s good enough. Career sounds so boringly aspirational.

What are you most looking forward to about Cannes this year?

Pelle Nilsson: To be surprised!

Anders Wahlquist: Being inspired, as always. I’m also looking forward to meeting great people from all over the world and getting those off-thoughts from recently acquired acquaintances that will spark something cool, big or small.