Gallop also pointed out that “what we see represented on stage at Cannes Lions has a lot to do with who gets to go to Cannes Lions” and access industry opportunities and networks.
“[Who goes to Cannes] often shows who is in favor with the creative director or leadership, and who [companies] are willing to spend money on bringing to Cannes,” she continued.
Gallop, who was jury president for Glass: The Lion for Change this year, said she and the jury also observed gender dynamics at play in the shortlist presentations for that category, which recognizes work that addresses issues of gender inequality and prejudice.
Most shortlisted Glass entries had two presenters on stage before the jury, and in cases where it was one woman and one man from the agency or brand team, Gallop recalled “gender dynamics at play that were the opposite of what the entry was designed to achieve, such as the man taking more of the spotlight, being a lot louder and more vocal, talking over the woman, or the woman deferring to the man to check whether she was allowed to speak.”
“What was clear in the presentations was that all of these wonderful campaigns and work our industry is doing to make gender equality happen in the world at large are not reflected by the embrace of gender equality in the industry,” Gallop said.
Cannes Lions is considered the most prestigious gathering of advertising and marketing professionals, and its awards set a benchmark for the industry’s output. It is also a place for dealmaking and networking, with recognition at Cannes often leading to career or business opportunities for attendees.
The need to open up access for underrepresented and emerging talent at Cannes, whose delegate and awards entry fees increased last year, has been an ongoing discussion. Last year, festival organizers introduced a scholarship giving 10 fully paid places at the Cannes Lions Brand Marketers and Creative Academies.
How Alltold’s analysis works
Alltold’s platform uses a person detection algorithm to identify the people in images or videos. It then annotates each person along a set of identity dimensions, such as age, skin tone, visible disability or sexual orientation. In this case, the detection tool only analyzed gender expression before aggregating the results and generating statistics.