SLUMP IN NZ CANNES ENTRIES

New Zealand’s international award reputation might be stellar for its market size but this year it has delivered a dramatic slump in entries in the traditionally sexy competitions of Press, Film and Outdoor.

The biggest fall this year occurred in outdoor where NZ entries fell 43 per cent, from 128 to 73. Press entries were down 25 per cent to 48 and Film, while up on a low point last year, are down 13 per cent on 2006 and 34 per cent on the 2005. Radio entries were also down 35 per cent this year.

Conversely, NZ entries for the Promo, Direct, Media and Titanium & Integrated competitions are all up strongly, signaling a shift in where NZ’s agencies are focusing their awards attention at Cannes.  The Cyber competition was lineball on 2006 with 25 NZ entries.

The NZ trend this year is rather different to Australia’s. Although Outdoor entries are down 7 per cent this year from Oz, Press and Film are up markedly – Australian press entries rose 75 per cent this year to 195 and Film is up 64 per cent to 195 entries.

Like NZ, Australia is up significantly in the Direct and Media competitions this year but has diverged from the Kiwis in Promo, Cyber and Titanium & Integrated where entries are either down or lineball.

Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand’s executive creative director Mike O’Sullivan (pictured), who was NZ’s jury member for the Direct Lions this year, was “unaware” and “unsurprised” by the NZ slump.

“I didn’t realise that,” he told CB. “I don’t know what that’s about but it could be a contraction because of the economy. We’re also struggling to compete in things like TV and Titanium with the massive budgets in other

markets. Direct for us is where we are doing work which is really strong on lower budgets.”

O’Sullivan says the newer competitions are “probably where our future is,” for Cannes Lions.