I’ve been sharing updates from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity all week with friends (and some Hinge matches ;)) from outside our industry. These are a range of people from tech, manufacturing, diamonds and finance. And their reactions have made one thing increasingly clear: advertising might just be the coolest job in the world. I used to believe this as a kid. But, over the years we have come to be told that the ‘industry has lost its sheen.’ Sure it can be chaotic, trying, stressful and even bizarre, but weeks like this one remind you what makes it what it is: 

Here’s why: 

A whole week to celebrate the most inspiring, gut-wrenching, and bizarre ideas

Where else do you get rewarded not just for being right, but for being original? In one week we have celebrated work that protected women from domestic violence, educated young girls about their period and promoted fried chicken by turning the world into cake. All in one breath. Work doesn’t have to be any one way. From the deeply profound, the supremely technical to the cringiest of cringe. We as an industry award them all. 

This applies to the people as well - you can truly be yourself

There’s no dress code for brilliance here. Someone stepped on stage in a crisp tuxedo, another in a wrinkled tee and Crocs. A jury president opened their speech with a loud 'whoop whoop'. Another declared, 'The jury and the work are my father and my mother and I am reborn'. That actually happened. You can be philosophical, ridiculous, dramatic, low-key, loud — and no one bats an eyelid. You don’t get points for fitting in. You get celebrated for standing out. Our idols are unlike any idols in the world and man are they cool! 

Our 'annual conference' is in the south of France

Most industries have their big annual event in windowless convention centres. Ours? We land up in Cannes, sipping rosé on the Croisette, complaining that 28 degrees is 'too hot' (while coming from Mumbai or Delhi). We sit at cafés five feet away from people like Serena Williams, who came in to talk about ambition and identity. And between screenings, panels, and late-night dinners, we’re reminded that this job doesn’t just take you places. It brings the world to you.

It’s a people business, in the best way

I’ve never seen warmer hugs, louder laughter, or more genuine excitement. There’s a strange magic here — everyone is a bit more open, a bit more willing to strike up a conversation. They’re genuinely excited to see friends from all over the world, but even more so to meet strangers. They clap excitedly for competitor agencies, and mean it. Cannes is where friendships are made over award predictions, where you stumble into future collaborators at 1am, and where admiration turns into conversation faster than you expect.

So yes, when people from other industries comment on our world in awe, I can feel it too. This electricity isn’t just Cannes Lions, it’s who we are. And I just hope we can see our industry with this magic, from the eyes of those that appreciate it from the outside, every single day. Because, as Ilon Specht said in her four-word feminist manifesto, we are worth it.

(The author is CEO, Famous Innovations.)