Face to Face with... Bobi Carley

Have you been to the Cannes Lions festival before?

I’ve been to Cannes Lions once before and my overwhelming memory of the festival is the sheer volume of it. Being there is an experience that makes you stand back and think ‘wow’, it is a truly inspirational place, jam-packed full of amazing industry talent along with interesting and insightful sessions.

Why is Cannes such an interesting place for clients and brands to be?

Firstly, Cannes attracts the best of the best from the industry; the quality of its attendees is second to none. In terms of the presence of the festival, what really sets it apart from the standard industry events in London is the diversity and volume of raw talent and it feels like it’s the place where the whole industry forms its opinions for the forthcoming year.

How important is it to see what others are doing and to be inspired by the creativity of international advertising?

Working in the media industry it is vital that you’re constantly surrounded by innovation and the latest campaigns. It would be foolish to live in a bubble never look beyond your brand and platforms.

The only way for you and your team to excel is to line yourself up next the industry’s best and to remain immersed in current trends and thinking. Cannes offers the perfect opportunity to do just this, to take a step back and be inspired by what is happening in the international advertising landscape.

Branded Content is a growing part of the industry and Disney obviously has some amazing content but how important are the partnerships you have with other brands in maximising their potential?

We, at Disneymedia+, are so excited about where branded content is heading, it just keeps getting better and better. We are incredibly lucky to have such strong IP of emotive storytelling which we can offer to brands to help them tell a story of their own.

Our work with Sky on the Toy Story OF TERROR! [above] and Captain America: The Winter Soldier campaigns [below] are perfect examples of strong branded content. With these types of campaigns, where both brands are so visibly intertwined in the creative, it is really important that the relationship is a strong one. It is the only way to create such stand-out content.

How hard is it to find the right partners for those sorts of projects?

I wouldn’t say that finding the right brands to work is difficult as such, it is more just focusing on clarity and shared focus at the very start of any relationship. It is really important that the campaign planned is mutually beneficial for both brands, it is also vital that both brands truly understand each other and what each other’s brand promise is to the consumer.

And how careful do you have to be when it comes to well-loved, internationally recognised characters and how you represent them? Do you have to be mindful of the ‘fanboys’?

Absolutely! We at Disneymedia+ have so much respect for core fans of brands such as Star Wars and Marvel, we love and are truly honoured that our brands attract such passion and dedication.

Our campaigns need to add value for the consumer, Disney and the brand we’re collaborating with and we are always mindful that our work has general appeal but also stays true to the heritage of the story and characters. We want our core fans to be proud of our collaborations with the view that we’re further promoting their passion projects.

What are you looking forward to most about the festival?

Without a doubt it’s the people. Cannes is such a perfect opportunity to catch up and be inspired with all the amazing talent that’s in our industry – new and old! Also champagne on the beach isn’t the worst way to network...