Our Cannes correspendent Alex Rogers reports from the festival:

There is lots of whispering
on the Carlton terrace. Partly to keep the noise down for those with rosé-fuelled hangovers. Partly as there is suspicious
chat about judging and results.

Awards. That is really why most of us are here this week after all. So
when you have dedicated months, sometimes years, to perfecting a
campaign, then elect to submit it for a panel of esteemed industry
experts to critique, any hint of foul play is 'kind of a big deal'. And
so the whispers begin.

I am absolutely not suggesting that there is any malpractice with the
judging process or the jurors at Cannes, merely relaying conversations
which may or may not have been overheard whilst the process takes place
behind semi-closed doors.

Scamvertising isn't new news but it is more prevalent. We are seeing a
rise in the number of 'case studies' relaying campaigns whose only trace
of existence takes the form of an awards entry. And it is surely
getting easier to do this in the less 'traditional' media where campaigns
can disappear overnight.

Block voting. Since the first awards show known to man there has been
talk of networks awarding the work from their sister partners to boost
the holding company's haul.

Territorial favouritism. Eurovision Song Contest style. Is there really
that much better work coming from emerging markets or are the more
emerging markets voting for each other? Too many tactical 'nil points'.

It seems to me there is enough brilliantly creative, smartly innovative
and 'proven to be effective' work in our industry to let politics or
provenance stop the best work from winning. I've been honoured to see
some world class creative on show this week; from the boards in the
Palais, to the campaigns presented at agency sessions, to the video
recaps for the winning gold gongs.  Here's hoping the whisperings are
just 'industry tittle tattle' as the final awards are announced tonight
and may the best work win.

After three days on the rosé, she's gone native. Our Cannes correspondent Alex reports :

So, apparently it sometimes rains in the South of France. It is testament to the usually sunnier climes (and the current Cannes clientele) that when the first raindrops fell at the Massive Music gig on the Baoli Beach, the near thousand people there assumed someone on stage was spraying champagne, Formula 1 winning-style. Oh dear. SO lucky the Carlton Terrace has an awning fit for an after party.

Luckily it had been standard issue weather at the Mill Villa earlier. Brad
Pitt has good taste, right? Yes. You only have to look at Angelina to see
that. So the pool party chez Pitt (where he spent his stag) was a pretty
epic location. An unpretentious crowd, delicious cocktails, blockbuster
views, AN ICE CREAM CART and a rolling barbecue. Lush.

Cannes has been ramping up all week and it feels like, with the arrival of Teams Soho and Shoreditch, this thing is now in full sway. Probably why today's note from me is more 'party' than 'Palais'. Oops.

Just to prove that Alex has also been doing some vaguely work-related stuff, here she is (far left, shades, hangover) listening to Coke's Jonathan Mildenhall speak at the IPA event.