#roger box

Content and storytelling were hallmark themes echoed through the Palais on the third day of the Cannes Lions festival.

The night prior, in a Twilight Session Tuesday evening, AOL content lead David Shing joined Razorfish ECD Frederic Bonn and Digitas’ Lincoln Bjorkman, CCO North America, to discuss the origins of innovation and creativity. The source?  The stories in the world around us.

Bjorkman argued that a good idea can come from anyone, anywhere. The most valuable assets at an agency are the individuals, and their personal relationships, the stories they experience in the world outside the conference room: “Real brainstorms don’t happen in Brainstorms. Brainstorm everywhere.”

The crowd ‘unanimously disagreed.’ With a laugh the group chimed in at once: the best place for inspiration is the shower! Unfortunately, we don’t have our iPhones or notepads at the ready in there.

The theme carried through the next morning into a seminar hosted by Xbox Live and Fast Company: the next chapter in interactive gaming and its impact on creativity and digital.

Fast Company’s Robert Safian posed that gaming will continue to play a significant role in digital: “Gaming is more than a game. Our relationships are a game. Our experiences are a game. And it will continue to play a greater role in the social web.”

Usually carried out on a console with a traditional set-top box, gaming creates an interesting pivot on the conventional wisdom around the relationship between TV and the web.  Counter to popular belief, gaming merged with social connections has itself created an enhanced experience.

And for broadcast, many view a clash here. That clash is also due to digital content, platforms like Twitter, and the DVR. It’s “iTV versus Web TV,” with the web in the lead.

Later in the afternoon, Twitter and Digitas leadership met for an informal discussion that furthers this idea. Interestingly, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo shared another, disruptive perspective counter to this belief: “Twitter is where people experience world events together, real-time. Superbowl. World Cup. Even broadcast programming like Glee. Consumers are actually waiting to watch live so they can be a part of the thrill of real-time shared experience.”

As such, with mobile adoption rates and mobile Twitter usage on the rise, the “second screen” and the Always On nature of content today may actually be helping to revive broadcast media. Broadcast programming and second screen user generated commentary tell the story together.

On Tuesday, the buzz around the Palais de Festival was palpable.

Creative thought leaders from around the globe showcased best in class work, provocative and inspiring seminars, and new perspectives on advertising and the ever-evolving world that we live in. And like yesterday, the theme of storytelling as the key to successful marketing carried through.

In an inspiring seminar, Paul Adams of Facebook discussed "The Psychology and Creativity of Sharing", summing it up as such: "Social is going to go away."

Disruptive. And not something you'd expect to hear from one of the lead product developers at Facebook, the largest social platform on the planet.

He continued: "Social is going to go away. The social web will just be the web. Social campaigns will just be campaigns."

The world is social. And all of our interactions, the stories we tell, the content we consume, the products we buy – they all have layers of social relevance. He contended that just as 'digital' was considered a new form of advertising, social too will become ingrained in the shared human experience, not a separate entity.

Adams posed another provocative yet illuminating thought: "Our research indicates that this theory of 'influence and influencers', is false"

Someone with many Twitter followers or Facebook fans isn't necessarily more likely to influence perspective or purchase decisions than an individual who has what we'd consider to be 'low' social relevance. Your friend who was a competitive tennis player in college, who may not even have a Facebook or Twitter profile, is more likely to influence your decision on which racquet to buy than even the most 'socially influential' identities.

So how do we connect with, inspire and influence those across all circles? Storytelling. By creating interesting stories that resonate on a human, personal level. If the story feels credible and authentic, it can reach all audiences.

Later in the afternoon AOL’s David Shing and Digitas France’s Chief Creative Officer Bridget Jung gathered in a panel to speak freely about creativity. Where it comes from. Where it's headed. And how to inspire it from their teams.

The key? There is no secret recipe to be had. Creativity and inspiration can come from all places, moments and people. And, of course, from the stories we tell, hear, and pass on that resonate and inspire the most creative minds in the world.