Festival de la Publicité de Méribel : as seen by Rolf Scheider

From 11.12 to 16.12.2007, over 950 French and international competitors met up in the snowy French village of Meribel in the Alps. The winter atmosphere was the ideal location to gain in contacts and creative ideas. The festival was made up of a four day programme, including 13 conferences, debates with 62 advertising experts, print and film campaigns were presented in the forum. 2,850 advertising campaigns were entered in the competition, to try for one of the over 100, sought after CRISTAL awards. Rolf Scheider was there and reports on the 7th Festival de la Publicité de Méribel.

He was particularly drawn to the Cadbury’s campaign which featured a gorilla as a drummer, as well as the Wilkinson campaign *Fight for Kisses*, with a crazy baby that seem to think it is the terminator. The *The Piss Screen* campaign received a standing ovation and several awards. It was for MAIN TAXI Frankfurt and Saatchi & Saatchi, Frankfurt.

This year's president of the festival, Howard Draft, Chairman & CEO of Draftfcb Wordwide, attended with a whole collection of Draftfcbers from around the world. John Hegarty, Creative Director, BBH, flew to the master register conference in a private jet to inform himself on the subject of *Does advertising have a future*.

The members of the jury included international advertising giants such as Mercedes Erra; President Executive of Euro RSCG Worldwide, Daniel Bergmann; Managing Director of Sting Film, Olaf Reys; Art Director BBDO Germany, Amir Kassaei; Chief Creative Officer DDB Germany, Tony Davidson; Executive Creative Director Wieden & Kennedy London, Olivier Altmann; Co-President & Executive Creative Director Publicis Conceil France and René van Duijnhoven; Chairman Beiersdorf France.

The festival package included an unlimited ski pass to the huge ski circus *Les Trois Vallées*, including equipment and dinner in the typical Alpen chalet style.