Proving that Madison Avenue still has much to roar about, the hottest party of the Cannes Lions festival went off in style last night at the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes.
Stars of the advertising and media industry mingled at sunset on the hotel terrace before being treated to a performance by Michael Bublé and the band Fun.
The MediaLink and Clear Channel VIP dinner included co-host MediaLink chief Michael Kassan, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Nas, Steve Stoute, BBDO president and CEO John Osborn, Xbox’s David Kohl, Star Media’s Valentina Hilmer, Vice’s Spencer Bain and Eddy Moretti, and Barbarian Group co-founder and CEO Benjamin Palmer, who was celebrating winning the Grand Prix in the inaugural Innovation Lions for the platform Cinder.
Also at the party were Full Picture’s Desiree Gruber, Arianna Huffington, Conde Nast president of entertainment Dawn Ostroff, Facebook’s Carolyn Everson, Clear Channel Chairman and CEO John Hogan, Signalray Media managing partner Sacha Taylor, Paramount and Insurge’s Amy Powell and WPP chief Sir Martin Sorrell.
Last year’s performer at the same bash, Elton John, needed his own piano flown in, and, according to Cannes Lions mythology, Hotel du Cap bosses had to cut a hole in the wall to get the piano inside.
This year, there was no such issue.