Copywriter Rafter Manguiat couldn’t afford Cannes Lions, so he put himself on the map
Chapters
Like many creatives, conceptual copywriter and multidisciplinary creative Rafter Manguiat couldn’t afford the hefty four-grand price tag attached to the infamous Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where the world’s largest creative agencies gather annually for the Oscars of advertising. But he managed to get there anyway. Rafter set himself up on Google Maps as 'The Copywriter (Not) at Cannes', listed his details and portfolio, and waited for the right people to find him.
The barrier-turned-viral stunt made over 322,000 impressions, leading to a 1642% rise in Rafter's profile views and over 10,000 portfolio visits. Soon, brands and creative directors were reaching out. Here, Rafter talks us through how it went down...
Cannes Lions is the Oscars or Olympics of advertising. All the big names and craziest creative minds are there, and they're lowkey on the lookout for the next addition to their teams. It’s the right place to get noticed. But that prestige comes with a hefty price; a 'Classic' pass costs €4465 – more than twice my monthly salary. Obviously, I couldn’t afford to go.
I was laid off the same month I launched the Google Maps stunt. As an English copywriter in Germany, the job hunt was tough, not to mention the shrinking mid-level roles. But as the cliché goes, when one door closes, another opens.
The stunt started as a challenge from my mentor Jimmy Smith (Amusement Park Entertainment, ex W+K), who told me to do something creative and unexpected to get my foot in the door. I had the thought: “I can’t go to Cannes, but what if I could still be found on the map?” It was an aha moment.
I got rejected at first, but landed on listing myself as The Copywriter (Not) At Cannes – a 24/7 copywriting business serving the Cannes area. Whenever someone at Cannes types ‘copywriter near me,’ I show up in the results. I maximised the listing with a mini folio, using every Google Maps feature to showcase myself and my work. I uploaded case films and side projects as 'media', picked some of my favorite award-winning ideas, like the Nespresso Coffee Brick and KFC Pride-Thru, and even played with the services list.
The stunt touched on two industry truths: first, that young creatives with the most hunger and energy are the ones who can’t afford to be at events like Cannes Lions. Second, it will benefit not just the creatives but the industry itself when more young talent comes to the Riviera. It'll lead to fresher, more creative campaigns.
“Young creatives with the most hunger and energy are the ones who can’t afford to be at events like Cannes Lions.”
I didn’t know if the campaign would reach the right people, but I posted it on LinkedIn (where the recruiters and CDs are). I was only aiming to reach the German advertising bubble, but people beyond it appreciated the idea. I also made sure to send it to creative leaders I want to work with.
The first feature went viral and even people outside the industry loved the stunt. The response was positively overwhelming. 99% of the comments were positive, which I’m grateful for because the internet is a scary place to release your ideas. The listing got 5-star reviews and compliments from top creatives.
I started hearing from agencies and creative directors that I look up to, who seemed out of reach. Interviews started to line up. I'm manifesting that I land a job at an agency that matches my goals and thinking. It shows how tough and oversaturated the job market is for junior and mid-level creatives – we really need to do so much more to get a foot in the door, or at the minimum, to get noticed.
“It shows how tough and oversaturated the job market is for junior and mid-level creatives – we really need to do so much more to get a foot in the door, or at the minimum, to get noticed.”
Sometimes, our portfolios aren't enough, especially as young creatives still early in our careers. We're always competing with tons of equally great creatives for a singular role. What stands out is our personality and showing our unique creative POV.
But whether it's a side project, stunt or an eye-catching email, always do it authentically and not just for the sake of getting noticed. Turn limitations like budget or reach into an opportunity to get creative.
Most of all, when you want to put something creative into the world, don’t overthink it – especially when it's a personal project where you have pure creative freedom. I’ve always been a victim of perfectionism and fear of judgment. Those worries have led me to shelve projects, but not making them is a bigger regret than launching something that isn’t perfect.