Try to say Yes”. This was the one piece of advice Google's Chairman Eric Schmidt would leave us with. We come to Cannes for inspiration. It didn't fail us. A week of speeches, workshops, debates and award shows - the best and brightest in the business, the most brilliant creative thinking in the world.

Schmidt's words spoke for his belief in the essential ‘goodness' of people and his faith in the power of technology and creativity to change things for the better. He urged us to open our hearts and minds to the world. He urged us to embrace the possibilities. He urged us to say ‘Yes' more.

It sums up why the organisers chose to re-cast this event as a Festival of Creativity, suggesting a broader vision of advertising. Sir Ken Robinson, author (knighted for his stellar work in education), made a riveting speech on the role of creativity and culture in the human experience. Art exists because ideas and stories mean so much to us. If brands create value by helping people connect with themselves and their worlds, then advertising must seek inspiration from art.

Art isn't afraid to fail. Speaker after speaker talked about the importance of experimentation. Digital technologies make it easier for us to test ideas and respond quicker. It cuts the cost of failure. This is a powerful thing indeed. As Malcom Gladwell, staff writer at TheNew Yorker , author of The Tipping Point , and everyone's favourite speaker at Cannes told us, the world belongs to the doers and the tweakers.

Making talent tick: What kind of culture do these practitioners of creativity thrive in? Arnold Worldwide hosted a discussion on what makes talent tick. Unsurprisingly, a sense of identity, purpose, and values made for successful and happy teams. People needed to feel like they were doing what they were best at, doing work that mattered and doing it with people who cared for them.

So it came as no surprise that it was the independent agencies Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5 and Jung Von Matt that thrilled us with their ambition, guts and brilliance. I once heard Dan Weiden say W+K wasn't an agency where people came to make the most money, or for their fifteen minutes of fame – it's where talented people came to do the best work of their lives. It shows.

They pulled the plug on the TV vs Internet debate by winning a Cyber Grand Prix for P&G's Old Spice with their irresistibly funny ‘The man your man could smell like'. The idea won a Grand Prix for Film last year. They united the world by creating a pop culture moment with Nike's ‘Write the Future'. The awe-inspiring campaign won the Film Grand Prix this year. Equally audacious was Droga5's work to promote Jay Z's autobiography. It broke new ground in experience design and rightfully won the Integrated Grand Prix.

For the organisers, in particular, there must be no greater joy than to see Grand Prix winning work from Korea, Romania and China for the first time – a tribute to the global relevance of the Lions, and its shiny bright future.

A vote for creativity: The heads of the world's largest marketing companies made appearances at Cannes this year, including those of Nestle and Unilever. They voted for creativity and its value in delivering business results. And they couldn't stop talking about the BRIC markets. Only one of which, though, is punching anywhere close to its weight at these awards.

The Brazilians can teach us a trick or two. Not just about football. The passion and pride with which they enjoy each other's success. Their commitment to media and creative thinking going together. (They don't do media agencies, it's one happy ‘full-service' outfit.) The confidence in their own unique voice. Five out of ten most admired advertisers in Brazil are local marketers. I heard them talk passionately about values, beliefs and philosophical benefits. Perhaps it is this rootedness that allows them to take risks and be more creative.

Robert Redford called it “Going back to zero”. Embracing authenticity. Knowing where you came from. Taking chances. In doing so, raising humanity. As the sun set on Cannes, I think we all felt the most lasting moments came from the artists. Redford's moving story about spending a cold night on the beach at Cannes as a young struggling artist, and his return 16 years later as a much feted star. Patti Smith's achingly beautiful love letter to her dying husband. Their life and work dedicated to finding their own truth and expressing it in a way that connected with the world. Their life inseparable from their art.

Creativity is a way of life. Cannes is living proof. People expressing themselves on the street through their art. Painters. Dancers. Musicians. Fashion. Food. Even a beggar, in this haven of luxury yachts, designer stores and fancy cars, carries a placard so laced with irony, wit and pathos it'd make you cry. “Need fuel for my Porsche,” it said.

So, did this week in the South of France leave us inspired about what we do, about being able to make a real difference? You can bet we're all coming back for more next year. Google's chief would approve of the cheeky etching on the walls of a pretty little French café: Yes, we Cannes.

Aditya Kanthy is Senior Vice-President (Planning), DDB Mudra

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