Two weeks ago in The Australian, Clems James McGrath and Patts Ben Coulson seemed to concur that ads that really engage audiences will be all the rage at Cannes from June 15-21. Traditional advertising is apparently waning in effectiveness compared to consumer-generated or audience-participation campaigns. So, the ad industry is shifting towards executions that let the audience play with the creativity and messages.

However, giving audiences their say is a territory that PRs should be in control of, not advertisers or marketers.

First up, if consumers are adding the creative part, then youre taking pure ad creatives outta the equation. As for the kernel of the idea, thats more about strategic rather than creative direction, anyway. And should CGM create a media or stakeholder issue, PR is best qualified to plan for, participate in or manage that situation.

After all, you cant creatively or financially advertise your way out of a crisis can you?

And with Ben Coulson on record as saying stunts and events that could generate their own media coverage are the top of every advertisers wish list, he reveals how the ad industry now wants campaigns with really spinnable PR input.

Sadly, this isnt the way many big agency creatives think. But more nimble operators do.

Just ask Launch Group, who brought Paris Hilton out for the Bondi Blonde beer launch, or SEEs new media team who produced the first Make Your Own Socceroos ad campaign. That was almost two years ago now.

Like a big ole oil tanker turning in Port Phillip Bay, the big agencies are coming round to the integrated way of thinking that the more free thinking integrates have been practicing for years.