Just kidding. I didn’t actually go, but some of my work did. If only it would have been shortlisted. There’s always next year, right?

For those who don’t know, Cannes is an international festival of creativity where the crème de la crème of advertising and marketing are celebrated by top CMOs and CEOs, brand leaders and marketers, media folks, agency leads, etc. The competition is tough, but also extremely prestigious. And the fact that it’s held every year in the south of France doesn’t hurt, either.

While I was fairly sure that this work didn’t stand a chance of winning, there was always the faintest possibility that it could. Our team poured our heart and soul into this campaign over the course of several months, creative shifts, and client whims. Of course, it was going to win something. I counted down the days until I could check the shortlist and see what our campaign had won. Unfortunately, we were on the dreaded “Not Awarded” list.

*cue the sad trombone*

My coworkers weren’t surprised, but I was. Why did I feel like I was the only person who has always believed in this campaign? Whenever someone said, “There’s no way it will win,” I immediately responded, “But what if it did?”

“But what if it did?”

I think those are magical words that are full of hope and possibility. I like to carry that spirit with me throughout the day and bring it out whenever someone tries to tell me that something won’t work, no matter how many times we tweak it.

Don’t get me wrong—long-time ad folks are a jaded bunch. We’ve done it all, seen it all, and we think we know it all. But we don’t. And isn’t that uncertainty part of what makes this crazy business so damn much fun?

Sure, it feels safe to assume the worst, but hoping for the best is what pushes us to take each Big Idea to the next level. Instead of wallowing in disappointment, I studied the entries that were shortlisted, looking for trends and things I’d like to try in future campaigns.

So maybe this wasn’t our year to win, but what if next year is?