{"id":3395,"date":"2025-06-27T15:34:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T14:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/?p=3395"},"modified":"2026-05-09T15:54:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T14:54:04","slug":"cannes-lions-2025-thou-shalt-not-sin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/?p=3395","title":{"rendered":"Cannes Lions 2025: Thou shalt not sin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some mistakes and missteps are more common than others among marketers. At Cannes Lions, Fernando Machado described them as seven deadly sins that marketers commit time and time again \u2013 from overextending brands to lazy creativity. Sins that ultimately stand in the way of effectiveness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fernando Macado<\/strong> was not so arrogant as to present himself as faultless. On the contrary, he also shared some of his own sins \u2013 and what he had learned from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

For the Swedish advertising industry, Fernando Machado is probably best known as Burger King\u2019s global CMO when The Moldy Whopper<\/em> campaign made its triumphant sweep across the world\u2019s advertising awards. But that is far from his only achievement. He has received countless awards, including 160 Cannes Lions (eight of them Grand Prix).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He began by admitting that he had cheated slightly, as he had renamed one of the deadly sins. Lust became Vanity \u2013 and that was the sin he chose to begin his sermon with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vanity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A very common deadly sin among marketers who believe they know best. A new CMO arrives and wants to change everything \u2013 change the agency, redesign the logo and replace everything that has been around for a long time. Too long, in the eyes of the new CMO, who wants to leave their own mark on the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I start working with a new brand, I always assume that the people already working there are incredibly smart. That\u2019s why I want to work with the brand. They have created something fantastic,\u201d said Fernando Machado, pointing to Dove, which was launched in 1957, and Burger King, founded in 1954. Brands with history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut then new brooms come in and tear down what has been done before. Or they believe they can lock themselves in a room and brainstorm on a flip chart, and then come up with something much better than anything that has ever been done. That is a gigantic mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You first have to learn to understand the brand, he emphasised, again using Burger King as an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brand had essentially kept the same logo from 1969 to 1998, apart from a very small refinement in 1994. Barely noticeable, just a slight refresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut then, at some point, someone came up with the brilliant idea that the logo should be completely changed. Into something entirely different, but in a style that was fashionable at the time. But when you do that, the changes do not age very well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same was true of Burger King\u2019s new logo from 1999.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When Fernando Machado later joined Burger King, at the same time as Rapha Abreu became chief designer, they concluded that the logo looked more like something that belonged at a petrol station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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He finds it sad that people fail to realise how much history there is to draw on. You have to respect the heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So the Machado\/Abreu team revived a number of elements that had existed for decades but had been discarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sloth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is about delegating decisions to research \u2013 or failing to fight for bold ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have nothing against research. On the contrary. What I object to is how people use it. I like data, because data helps me show the sceptics that creativity delivers better results,\u201d said Fernando Machado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem arises when research is conducted simply to provide a sense of security or to confirm what one already believes. It is not difficult to get exactly the answers you want \u2013 it is just a matter of phrasing the questions in the \u201cright way\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo research to learn something instead,\u201d he urged, adding that there is so much data available and that all brands tend to conduct the same studies. They then use the same data and follow it blindly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo wonder all cars look the same. Especially all the white ones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat really matters is what you do with the data! If I did everything the research teams told me to do, we could replace the marketing team with researchers. That would save a lot of money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another aspect of sloth is failing to fight for bold ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt may sound like a strong word. But it isn\u2019t. It will be a battle. You have to dare to risk your career for the right ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that he has never experienced senior management coming in and demanding more creativity (although he joked that it might possibly have happened at Unilever).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One explanation is that far too few CEOs and senior executives have any real experience or understanding of marketing. Only 10 percent of CMOs are promoted to CEO roles. And while 37 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs have some form of marketing experience, this may be limited to having spent some time in a marketing department during their studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are senior executives who have experience of marketing, but not an understanding of the importance of creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CEOs most often have backgrounds in finance or law \u2013 or possibly sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t be easy. It will be tough. But I usually tell my team that if it were easy, everyone would do it \u2013 and everyone would have a Gold Lion or a Grand Prix.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gluttony<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is about wanting to get even more out of a successful brand \u2013 extending it so much that the core itself is weakened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a sin I have committed more than once,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be tempting when you are successful. You want to reach even more customer groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt Vaseline, I made one of my biggest mistakes. The first three years were great. When I started, the brand was in trouble. Market share in the US was at its lowest ever. Our innovations were mainly \u2018me-too\u2019 products \u2013 things others had already succeeded with. And it worked very well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The success made them want more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So they wanted to do something more premium \u2013 something Vaseline had never done before. This led to the launch of Vaseline Sheer Infusion. Good products. Attractive packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a complete failure. But failure in itself can be acceptable. The real mistake was that we shifted short-term resources from the core to the new line. And the core will always decline faster than the new line can grow. That is a sin you really need to watch out for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Greed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is about the danger of always seeking immediate ROI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He made a brief digression to his years at Unilever in the UK and his many trips to New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs always, when I arrived at Kennedy Airport, immigration was very thorough when they saw my Brazilian passport. What are you going to do here, how long will you stay, what do you do for a living, and so on. But when I mentioned that I worked on Dove, everything changed. \u2018I love Dove. My wife loves Dove! But why are you working on marketing Dove? Everyone already knows and loves it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is, undeniably, a demonstration of a very strong brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But you have to invest long term to achieve that reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet Fernando Machado has often encountered CEOs who want him to prove that his plans will generate revenue immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut brand building takes time. Changing habits takes time. You have to find the balance,\u201d he said, referring to Peter Field and Les Binet\u2019s report The Long and the Short of It<\/em>, which he greatly admires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 60\/40 split between long and short term is probably sensible. But it may not work if you have not invested in the brand at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And greed wants to be paid immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what is the solution if you want to sell more burgers tomorrow? Buy one, get one free. It will work. But it does not create long-term growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I joined Burger King, the brand was declining. I could not come in and say: \u2018Let\u2019s invest millions in something that will help the brand in five years\u2019 time.\u2019 That was impossible when the house was on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cDon\u2019t aim for 60\/40 straight away. You will never win that argument with a CEO. Start more cautiously, and build step by step. Every step in the right direction is a good step. The best brands have achieved balance. They have achieved balance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Envy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you try to replicate others\u2019 success by doing exactly the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I were at an agency and received that brief, I would shoot myself,\u201d said Fernando Machado, referring to when other clients asked Ogilvy S\u00e3o Paulo to create a new version of Dove\u2019s Real Beauty Sketches<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is the worst brief you can give.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has seen countless poor briefs \u2013 and has written some himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember the first brief I wrote when I was quite new at Unilever, working on the fabric softener Fofo. It was 20 pages long, and I was very proud. I went home thinking I had written the best brief ever. A few years later I realised that no one had read it. It was simply far too boring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything is connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBe humble. Study and learn to understand the brand. See what has worked before and what has not. Find out what already exists in people\u2019s minds about the brand\u2019s roots \u2013 and build on that. But don\u2019t copy others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pride<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you want to control everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have seen marketers tell creatives what to do. It is always ridiculous. Why hire creatives if you are going to tell them what to create? Why argue about creativity with someone who probably knows a trillion times more about it than you do? Let go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pointed to one of last year\u2019s Film Grand Prix winners, Play It Safe<\/em> for the Sydney Opera House, as an example of what can be achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something that was only possible because everyone was allowed to do what they do best \u2013 without interference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main creative behind the film, Tim Minchin, presented the idea simply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is what I have in mind. Take it or leave it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is why it worked. When you work with the best, you have to let them do their job. Leave the control to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wrath<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketing is a stressful profession. But that is no excuse for letting stress affect how you treat others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all have bad days. We are human. But we need to be aware of it \u2013 and careful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He ended with a quote from Brent Smart, CMO of Telstra:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBe hard on the work, but kind to the people.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nTweet<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some mistakes and missteps are more common than others among marketers. At Cannes Lions, Fernando Machado described them as seven deadly sins that marketers commit time and time again \u2013 from overextending brands to lazy creativity. Sins that ultimately stand in the way of effectiveness. Fernando Macado was not so arrogant as to present himself […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[114,68,113],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1k0bi-SL","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3395"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3395"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3396,"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3395\/revisions\/3396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogg.notabene.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}