AA launches UK trade mission to Cannes Lions in partnership with DIT

Special campaign and programme of events to be supported  by the APA, Clear Channel, Channel 4, Framestore, M&C Saatchi, Pinterest, and PwC

London, May 4, 2022: The Advertising Association has opened admissions for a special UK trade mission this summer at Cannes Lions in 2022, run by the UK Advertising Exports Group (UKAEG) in partnership with the Department for International Trade (DIT).

The trade mission will be backed by a special campaign supported by a coalition of industry partners including the APA, Clear Channel, Channel 4, Framestore, M&C Saatchi, Pinterest, and PwC, with the aim to profile the industry’s very best companies at the International Festival of Creativity.

Companies can apply to join the trade mission which will offer networking opportunities with multiple international markets – such as Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Egypt, KSA, India and the Netherlands, with more to be announced. The week will kick-start with Welcome Drinks on Google Beach with a chance to meet global clients and sign-off later that week at a Farewell Event on the Pinterest Beach with UK and international colleagues. Companies which sign up to the trade mission will receive exclusive opportunities to showcase work at roundtables as well as invites to the Creativity Rocks event on the LBB Beach which will celebrate UK advertising and the GREAT campaign.

Applications to join the trade mission are now open until May 18^th – for more information, please visit the dedicated Cannes Lions hub here.

Rupert Daniels, Director, Creative, Lifestyle and Learning at Department for International Trade, said: “I am delighted that DIT is to partner with the Advertising Association and their working partners to shine a spotlight on the best of British creativity at this year’s Cannes Lions. We are proud to ‘bang the drum’ for our superb British advertising industry through our biggest ever trade mission to the festival – working in partnership with the UK Advertising Export Group.

“DIT is a passionate advocate of the value of the UK’s creative offering, and a strong presence at Cannes Lions gives our most creative and cutting-edge companies the opportunity to show the world’s top influencers and buyers just how imaginative, innovative, and inspiring Britain is. If this sounds exciting, get your application to join the mission in before May 12^th, 2022.”

Janet Hull, Chair of UKAEG, Member Creative Industries Council, and IPA Director of Marketing Strategy said: “CMOs and their advisers come to Cannes Lions to meet new people, understand new trends and new innovations. Our trade mission is designed to help all delegates secure new business relationships, gain valuable insights and ideas – and an understanding of where the future opportunities are. We invite the brightest and best UK advertising production and digital businesses to apply now!”

Stephen Woodford, Chief Executive, Advertising Association, said: “As UK rep for Cannes Lions, we are delighted to be launching this trade mission, which is another example of the brilliant partnership and support we have with our colleagues at DIT. Our research shows Cannes Lions is the number one place to do business internationally and it will be critical to the UK advertising community as we prepare to secure the next decade of our industry’s export growth. We want our industry to be represented in the most creatively effective, inclusive and sustainable way possible and clearly demonstrate these attributes on the world stage. For any company considering attending Cannes Lions this summer, I strongly recommend they join our trade mission to get maximum value on their time at the festival.”

The unique UK advertising trade mission and campaign will support UK advertising and marketing services companies looking to grow revenues internationally with a range of exclusive opportunities from across the sector – from creative, e-commerce, B2B, adtech, production, social, gaming, immersive, events, sports, and lots more.

Further benefits of joining the mission include speaker opportunities at a roundtable hosted by PWC; PR & media coverage throughout the mission; the opportunity to showcase work in a special UK showreel, and company profiling in UKAEG’s search and selection tool.

The campaign to Cannes Lions follows the industry’s Export Month which saw DIT support trade missions to SXSW in March and the launch of the fourth annual report tracking export performance.

UK Advertising Exports Report 2022, released in March, revealed that international trade in UK advertising and market research services was worth £11.7bn in 2020, and sustained the same level as the pre-pandemic conditions of 2019. Despite the challenges of a global lockdown faced by exporters in the UK advertising industry, balance of payments remained steady, bringing the UK a healthy £5bn trade surplus. The report concluded that securing the next decade of growth would be critical.

For more information on joining the UK advertising trade mission to Cannes Lions 2022, please contact UKAEG’s International Trade Director, Aisling.Conlon@adassoc.org.uk